Option to stay as you are or rise to your fingertips and root your fingers down into the floor to elongate your spine.
Place your hands behind your hips and lean your weight into your hands.Ĭross your right ankle over your left knee in a figure-4 shape and activate your right foot. This Pigeon Pose variation allows you to choose the depth of the pose, rather than allowing gravity to determine that for you.Ĭome to a seated position on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Hold for a few long, deep breaths before switching sides. Reach your pelvis toward the floor to create an opposition of energy in all directions. Gently hug your left leg in toward your body as you simultaneously lengthen your right knee away from your body. Option to stay as you are or lift your left foot off the floor.Įither loop a strap behind your left thigh or interlace your fingers behind it. Lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.Ĭross your right ankle over your left knee in a figure-4 shape and flex your right ankle. This variation of Pigeon Pose alleviates a lot of the pressure on the front leg by flipping the shape upside down. 4 Pigeon Pose Variations for Every Bodyįor these modifications, you will need a thick blanket, pillow, yoga block, or bolster to be able to elevate your hips. But luckily, there are many ways to practice Pigeon Pose for beginners or those with less mobility. This can be a lot to ask for many practitioners’ bodies, particularly beginners. In a traditional Sleeping Pigeon Pose, you need significant external rotation in your targeted hip joint, deep flexion in both hips, and a stable knee and ankle joint to support the external rotation of the hip. This shape (also known as Sleeping Swan or Sleeping Pigeon) is effective at targeting the outer hip muscles (the abductors) and deep lateral rotators of the hip (the piriformis and GOGOQ muscles). True Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana is a deep backbend, but most know Pigeon Pose as a one-legged, hip-opening forward fold. But there are ways to modify Pigeon Pose for beginners that can effectively target the same tissues as the traditional asana. And this is because, for many, Pigeon Pose just simply isn’t accessible. Also, remember that even within these many options, you will learn that your body has its own unique expression of each asana.ĭon’t push your body where it can’t or doesn’t want to go at that moment, and I hope you enjoy expanding your practice and that you keep evolving on and off your mat.Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana) is one of those yoga asanas that people either love or hate. Please keep in mind that a variation is a way to add choice and variety to your practice, and does NOT indicate that one pose is easier than another. Remember as you take flight that you can still maintain and build your flexibility which is why I nickname this pose, “The All Purpose Pigeon”. This arm balance, also known as Eka Pada Galavasana engages the same muscle groups as all the other pigeon variations but requires a keen sense of balance as well as core and upper body strength. Keep reading because this asana also serves as a preparation for the next variation! Make sure to repeat this on the other side to keep you balanced. To really turn up the heat, strive to sit back with the standing leg just like a chair pose. Stand on one leg and do a figure four cross with the other to duplicate that pigeon stretch. You can build strength and increase your range of motion with this hybrid variation.
Note: Please experiment with these postures under the guidance of a yoga teacher you trust.
So, how do your hips reap the benefits of Pigeon Pose without putting the rest of the body in harm’s way? Try one (or all) of the following variations that will emphasize the same muscle groups but from different angles. With regular practice, your hips will eventually feel less tense leading to a more relaxed Pigeon Pose.
#Pigeon stretch free
However, very often, the knees, ankles and lower back do not want to cooperate during the traditional Pigeon pose and leave us feeling only partly stretched out or worse-cause lingering pain and discomfort that if unchecked can turn into chronic injury.Īvoid unwanted injuries and learn the proper techniques to do this pose with the help of our free 30 Day Yoga Challenge. These tight and usually overworked areas breathe a sigh of relief when the time comes to settle into this healing pose. Pigeon Pose, or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, primarily targets the external rotators of the hips.
0 kommentar(er)
