That said, it’s still a lot more accessible than the full pose and can be made even more so with the help of a strap.ġ. Mermaid takes you a step closer to Full Pigeon by introducing a backbend, shoulder stretch, and quad stretch. Pigeon is one of those poses where release can continue to happen when you stay put, especially since you’re using gravity to help you along. Once you get to a place that is comfortably edgy (meaning you feel like something is happening but it’s not going to kill you) stay for five to ten breaths or even more if you like. You may be able to drape your torso over your front leg and come down to your elbows or eventually bring your forehead all the way to the mat.Ħ. Otherwise, you can start to come forward over your right leg any amount. Now would be a good time to use a prop like a folded blanket under that side of your butt for support.ĥ. This may mean that there's a big gap between your right buttock and the floor and that is perfectly ok. Instead, makes sure that both hip points continue to face the front of your mat like two car headlights. Yes, the buttock will be on the floor but you will have lost the entire integrity of the posture. Now, because we think that one of the goals of this posture is to get the right buttock down to the floor, there is a strong tendency to accomplish this by shifting your weight over to the right side. Then release the top of your left foot to the floor with the toes pointing straight back (watch that it doesn’t sickle inwards!).Ĥ. Once you have your front leg situated, tuck your left toes under and scoot your left knee a little further back on your mat. Moving the foot closer to the wrist can cause discomfort in your right knee so don’t put it in a position that’s painful.ģ. Your left foot might come right behind the left wrist so that your shin is pretty parallel to the front edge of your mat but it’s more likely that the foot will feel comfortable somewhere between your left wrist and your left hip point. The front side of your left leg will come to the floor.Ģ. From Downward Facing Dog, step your right foot forward, landing your right knee just to the outside of your right wrist and the top of your right foot behind your left wrist.
To add a little pressure to your front leg and intensify the stretch, take a forward fold.ġ. When upright, try to keep your weight from shifting off to one side. This is what most of us just call Pigeon.
Pigeon Prep (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana Prep) Your right knee continues to move away from your chest. Draw your left thigh in towards your chest. Reach your right hand through your legs and your left hand around the left side to clasp your hands behind your right thigh.ĥ. Place your right ankle on the top of your left thigh with the right knee pointing out to the right.ģ. Lie on your back with both knees bent toward the ceiling and the soles of your feet flat on the floor.Ģ. It’s a great place to start if you have super tight hips.ġ. You may think this doesn’t look much like a Pigeon but it offers much the same stretch in a way that allows for a lot more user control. We’re going to begin with the most accessible version and work our way up to the full posture. But even that can be too uncomfortable at first, so there are gentler options available. The version that we most often encounter in class isolates our attention on the hips because the back leg is kept in an extended position and the torso is often draped over the front leg to help gravity do its thing. The full expression requires not only open hips, but open shoulders, deep back-bending, and balance, making it quite an advanced posture. The spine comes into deep extension to allow the back foot to move towards the crown of the head.
In the full pose, the back leg is bent and both hands reach up and over the shoulders to grasp the back foot. But no one has to fear the Pigeon because there are numerous variations and ways to use props that make a version of this hip opener possible for almost anyone.įirst off, what most of us commonly call Pigeon is actually a preparation for the full posture known as Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, meaning One-Legged King Pigeon Pose. These muscles can get very tight in the course of an adult life of sitting, driving, maybe walking a bit, and then sitting some more, so Pigeon also has a reputation for being a very intense posture. Whenever someone mentions poses for hip flexibility, yoga minds immediately jump to Pigeon Pose, which is indeed a classic and excellent way to get deep into the muscles that connect the legs and pelvis, also known as the hips.
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