詳しいガイド（英語）
Meaning and tradition
Garuda is the great eagle of Hindu and Buddhist myth, the mount of Vishnu, and a symbol of speed, strength, and freedom. The name is sometimes translated as “devourer,” and the crossed-wrist shape resembles a bird with its wings spread. The mudra is a popular hand-gesture practice taught in modern yoga, with roots in the broader tradition of mudras named after deities and animals. Its element is air, tied to the index finger. Tradition says it is also associated with lightness and mobility, which echoes the bird itself.
How to practice
Sit in Easy Pose with a tall spine, or use it as a hand companion when you work on Eagle Pose. Cross the wrists in front of the lower belly with the palms toward the body and the right hand in front. Lock the thumbs together and spread the remaining fingers wide. Hold for 5 to 10 breaths, then slowly raise the hands to chest height and hold again for 5 to 10 breaths. Breathe with Dirga Breath for a calm hold, or with Bhastrika Breath only if you are experienced and comfortable with it. Lower the hands and shake them out.
Tips and common mistakes
This gesture is defined by crossed wrists, interlocked thumbs, and spread fingers, with the palms facing the body.
Unlike Ganesha Mudra, where the fingers are bent and hooked into each other with one palm facing out, here the wrists cross, the thumbs lock, and the fingers fan out wide and straight.
Unlike Shankh Mudra, where the right fingers wrap around the left thumb to form a closed conch shape, here the hands are open, the fingers are spread, and only the thumbs interlock.
Keep the fingers spread but not rigid. Spreading hard can cramp the hand. Keep the shoulders down rather than lifting the elbows.
If crossing the wrists feels tight, loosen the cross and let the hands hover closer together.
Tradition vs. evidence
There is little clinical research on mudras, and none specific to this one. What is defensible is that the spread-finger shape and crossed wrists give attention a clear physical anchor, and the two hand positions give a simple structure to a breath count. The links to lightness, strength, and air are traditional symbolism.