Yoga for Biking and Spin: Eagle Pose

I’ve been craving a long run lately, but I don’t mess with ice, so the stationary bike will continue to be my cardio go-to for another couple of months as I prepare my legs for the running season ahead. I pedal a lot more miles on my stationary bike in the winter months than any other time of year. When the snow and ice thaw in spring, I head to the forest almost daily for a hike, a trail run, or just a nice walk. Once the ice forms, though, I stay inside and pedal the miles away from the comfort of my warm home (often while watching cheesy romantic Christmas movies, which is a great way to stay on a bike just long enough to burn off one Christmas cookie).

The intensity of stationary biking can creep up on me, though, and sometimes I hop off the bike feeling great and forget to stretch, then feel a bit tight the next day. I love that Olivia H. Miller’s Essential Yoga includes suggested poses for specific activities, and biking is one of the activities included. Essential Yoga offers seven suggested poses for bicyclists, and among them I’ve been leaning into Eagle Pose lately.

I laughed out loud at myself the first time I tried Eagle Pose in a Bikram class. How will I ever get my foot around my ankle without slipping in my own sweat? Did he say left on top of right or right on top of left? Why am I tipping to one side? When will this pose end?!?!

Once I learned modifications to make Eagle Pose more accessible, and once I learned to appreciate the poses leading up to Eagle in the Bikram series for the work they do in preparing the body for this intensely twisted pose, this became one of my favorite poses not just in Bikram classes, but in my personal yoga practice as well. And after pedaling away while binge watching Squid Game or Manifest for goodness only knows how many episodes, this pose is a great way to decompress and shake off the miles.

Warming Up to Eagle

There were days in my yogi life when I could just hop into a full Eagle Pose without any kind of warm-up. Not anymore. While a biking session serves as a great build-up to Eagle for me, here are a few suggestions for warming up through yoga rather than cycling.

Chair Pose

This will warm up your thighs, glutes, and core, essential areas of strength for Eagle Pose.

Twisted Chair

This will prepare your body for the twisting aspect of Eagle Pose while allowing easier balance with both feet on the ground.

Mountain with Cactus Arms

This offers a good counter-stretch to Eagle and biking by opening and expanding the chest.

Tree Pose

This warms up balance and opens the hips before crossing the legs tightly over one another in Eagle.

Tips for Eagle Pose

Start with your arms expanded. I prefer to do this with my arms overhead in Mountain with Arms Up because this is how I prepared for Eagle for so many years in Bikram. I’ve seen it done with arms extended to the sides instead of reaching up, too, so try both and decide which version is best for your body. Either way, you want to open your arms and expand your chest before diving into Eagle.

Try squeezing your thighs together once your legs are crossed and your balance is established. This ignites the muscles and intensifies the pose, giving it more intention than simply balancing.

Continue breathing deeply in the pose. If your breathing is constrained, take a moment to scan your body and be sure your chest is expanding with each breath. If you’re struggling to keep your breath steady because all of your energy is going into balancing, try a modified version until your balance strengthens. It’s much better to take small steps in mastering a pose than to push ourselves beyond our comfort level and not return to the practice because we’re injured or intimidated.

Modifications for Eagle Pose

Eagle Legs for Beginners: Don’t worry about bringing your foot all the way around your ankle to begin. Start by simply crossing one leg over the other and focus on the gentle twist as you gain balance and flexibility. You can practice this modification on both sides as you build your balance.

Eagle Arms for Beginners: Rather than holding both hands in front of you, simply cross your arms and place your palms on the opposite shoulder (right palm resting on left shoulder, left palm resting on right shoulder). You can still uncross your arms and recross them with the opposite arm on top when you switch sides.

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Are you also a runner eager for the season ahead? Sign up for our yoga workshop for runners! Yogi runners meet once a week for five weeks in May to explore yoga-based warm-ups, cool-downs, and series recommendations specific to the needs of runners. Each week includes a guided group practice to try out the recommended poses.

Can’t wait for the runner’s workshop in May? Sign up for a Quick Yoga Consultation to walk through these poses together one-on-one, or request an Individual Yoga Plan to develop a series of poses specific to your needs.