How to Do Yoga a Seated Pigeon Pose

Yoga pigeon pose is one of the best postures to create a deep stretch in the hips and buttocks. There are many variations of this pose, such as sitting and bending forward over the leg. You can also do reclining pigeon by lying on your back and hugging the leg in. However, doing this posture sitting in an upright position not only gives you a great stretch in the hips, but it also strengthens the core muscles as you must work to maintain a straight spine and proper form. While you may find this difficult at first, with practice you muscles will lengthen and you will develop the strength to hold this position.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Sit up straight on the floor. The knees are bent and the feet are flat on the floor. The closer your feet are to your body the more difficult this posture is.

2. Place your hands on the floor behind you so they can help you stay up. Place the right ankle bone on the left knee. Make sure it is the ankle bone on your knee and do not just cross the legs. Your right leg should open out and the knee should fall out to the side.

3. Tighten the abdominal muscles and sit up straight. You may need to move your left foot further away to get your balance.

4. Reach the right arm through the legs and the left arm on the outside of your left leg. Grasp your left leg high, holding behind the knee. Do not grasp in front of the knee, as this can compress the joint.

5. Hold for 5 to 10 deep breaths. Release slowly and repeat on the other side. With each inhale, sit up straighter. With each exhale, try to gently slide the foot on the floor in closer.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not force yourself into this pose. Go slowly and use deep breaths to hep relax the muscles. While the goal is to strengthen the core muscles, if you find this too challenging, you can sit with your back against the wall. The slowly work up to being able to sit away from the wall.
• Make sure you maintain a straight spine. It is common to see people round the lower back in this posture, which places too much strain on the back and hips.
• Use caution with this exercise if you have any back or hip injuries.

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