Position your left heel just in front of your right hip.Lower your outer left backside to the floor.Slowly slide your right leg back, straightening your knee and resting the top of your thigh on the floor.Starting on your hands and knees, slide your left knee forward, angling your left shin under your torso so your left foot is at the front of your right knee and the outside of your left shin is resting on the floor.One-Legged King Pigeon Pose: Step-by-step instructions This pose stretches your thighs, inner hips, and buttocks in different ways in your bent and straight legs. Join Outside+ today to get access to exclusive pose information, including video instruction, anatomy know-how, and additional pose variations. Once my hips are open, I’m able to craft a well-balanced Pigeon that benefits my hips and lower back.” - Natasha Rizopoulos, a senior teacher and teacher trainer at the Down Under School of Yoga To avoid injury, I approach Pigeon by first doing variations that will open the hips gradually and safely. Why we love it: “Many of us are likely to thoughtlessly fold into the forward-bend variation of Pigeon, which can put a lot of stress on the knee and sacrum. Sanskrit: Eka Pada Rajakapotasana ( aa-KAH pah-DAH rah-JAH-cop-poh-TAHS-anna) When you do, it can promote calmness and clarity. “This pose is an extremely effective hip opener that addresses both areas, with the front leg working in external rotation and the back leg in position to stretch the psoas.Īpproach the pose thoughtfully and consciously-it’s an intense pose that requires precise alignment. Others lengthen the psoas muscle, a primary hip flexor connecting the torso and legs that gets chronically shortened in our chair-bound society,” says Natasha Rizopoulos, a senior teacher and teacher trainer at the Down Under School of Yoga. “Some hip openers increase the external, or outward, rotation of the femur bone in the hip socket. Opening this region improves circulation to your lower extremities, provides better range of motion, and will help you feel more at ease during meditation, seated postures, and most of life. When they’re tight, it’s like wearing pants that are too small-the reduced range of motion in your hips, hamstrings, and spine creates discomfort. The hips are the central hub of movement in your body.
For exclusive access to all our stories, including sequences, teacher tips, video classes, and more,Įka Pada Rajakapotasana (One-Legged King Pigeon Pose) is, for many, a much-needed deep hip opener.