The pigeon pose is not nearly as dirty as its namesake: it does, however, do a wonderful job at opening up both the hips and chest. As one of the simplest of poses, perfecting it is essential for moving on to more complex poses, such as the one-legged king pigeon. Read on to learn how to do the pigeon yoga pose.
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Difficulty:
Moderate
Instructions
1
Place your hands and feet on the ground, and stick your hips in the air. Your body should resemble an inverted V.
2
Slide your right foot forward, in-between your hands.
3
Slide your right foot to the left, so that your knee falls to your right. Bring your right shin as parallel to the ground as you can, but stop as soon as you detect any discomfort--especially in your knee. If it helps, you can pull your heel in closer to your groin to alleviate some pressure.
4
Extend your left leg straight back, angling your thigh slightly inward, and let the top of your left foot touch the ground. Keep your shoulders square and firm, to prevent crunching your lower back. Open up your chest, and breathe deeply--puff up like a pigeon.
5
If you can keep upright, bring your hands to your pelvis. Push your pelvis down to the ground, and extend your sternum straight up to the ceiling. Gently, lift your head back.
6
Hold this position for several breaths (30 to 60 seconds).
7
Support your weight with your hands as you carefully slide your left leg forward, and place your right foot back on the ground. Return to Step 1, and repeat for the opposite side.
Tips & Warnings
Make sure to keep your sitting bones even and square with the floor. Use padding if necessary.
If you suffer from any sort of knee injury, practice the pigeon pose with caution.
