Pigeon Pose: Rewards, Hazards, and Versions

Pigeon Pose (formally recognised as Kapotasana in Sanskrit) is a well-known yoga pose that stretches your hips and lower again.

There are quite a few variants of Pigeon Pose, but the most frequent types include:

• Traditional Pigeon Pose
• Resting Pigeon Pose
• King Pigeon Pose

Each individual variation presents distinct stretches and degrees of issues.

Due to the fact Pigeon Pose demands some overall flexibility, you ought to do a mild warmup prior to working towards it. Usually, these poses work wonderful to get ready you for Pigeon Pose:

Just after your warmup, you could want to commence with Common Pigeon Pose, followed by Resting Pigeon Pose, and ultimately King Pigeon Pose. This sequence will little by little prepare your physique for tougher variants in purchase to avoid harm and support you conduct the pose the right way.

Summary

The primary variants of Pigeon Pose include things like Traditional Pigeon Pose, Resting Pigeon Pose, and King Pigeon Pose. They are typically performed to stretch your hips and lower back again.

Regularly practising Pigeon Pose gives lots of advantages.

This pose focuses on opening your hips, which supports mobility and overall flexibility in that joint.

Pigeon Pose also stretches your hip flexors and lower again, which are commonly restricted due to extended sitting. Stretching these muscle mass regularly may well reduce gentle lower back or hip discomfort (1, 2, 3, 4).

This pose is also considered to support digestion through light stretching and movement of your reduced stomach. This may perhaps help with peristalsis — the motion of digested food items through the intestinal tract (5, 6).

Lastly — according to Ayurvedic medicine — anxiety, disappointment, and dread are stored in your hips. On a regular basis practising the pose may possibly support reduce internal anxiety or worry. Maintain in head, however, that scientific analysis to assist this is missing.

Summary

Pigeon Pose can assistance stretch muscular tissues bordering your hips and decrease back, this kind of as the hip flexors, which are usually limited because of to extra sitting. It may well also assist digestion and psychological effectively-getting.

Typical and Resting Pigeon Pose

1. On a yoga mat, get started in Downward-Experiencing Dog Pose. To do this, start off on all fours and position your arms in front of you on the mat (palms down). Push into your palms and ft, straighten your legs, and increase your hips up in the direction of the sky. Your human body will be in an upside-down V posture.
2. Following, increase your ideal leg off the ground and deliver your appropriate knee to the again of your proper wrist. Then, rotate your right shin so that it is parallel with the entrance of your mat.
3. As you convey your correct leg to the mat, maintain your left leg straight as it reaches the floor.
4. Carry your right knee outward so it’s farther to the ideal than your hips and be certain your appropriate foot is dorsiflexed (flexed towards the shin). Gently decreased your right buttocks to the floor, but guarantee you are holding your fat similarly dispersed in between both equally hips. If this is also hard, place a folded towel underneath your suitable buttocks.
5. Location equally palms below your shoulders and carefully press into the palms of your arms to straighten and elongate your backbone. Appear straight forward and feel the stretch. At this level, you have attained Classic Pigeon Pose.
6. Subsequent, take a deep breath and as you exhale, decrease your torso around your ideal leg, and extend your arms straight in front of you, with your elbows a little bit bent. Position your brow either on a yoga block or on your forearms crossed in front. If this is unpleasant for you, basically access ahead as significantly as you’re comfy.
7. Gently carry your shoulders back again away from your ears in a calm place.
8. Hold this position for 5–10 sluggish, deep breaths.
9. Repeat on the other aspect.

King Pigeon Pose:

1. Adhere to techniques 1–5 earlier mentioned to enter Typical Pigeon Pose.
2. With your right leg bent and your still left leg straight, bend your still left knee to convey your left foot toward your back again. Be guaranteed to continue to keep your toe plantar flexed (pointed).
3. Following, raise your still left arm toward the sky, gradually bend your elbow backward, and grab your left foot.
4. You may perhaps a little carry your chin and look upward, but stay clear of bending your neck backward.
5. Maintain this posture for 5–10 gradual, deep breaths.
6. Repeat on the other aspect.

For most beginners, this shift will be pretty difficult and could maximize the threat of injuries. Only try out King Pigeon Pose as you attain overall flexibility and can conveniently execute Classic and Resting Pigeon Pose with relieve.

Summary

It is greatest to commence with novice variations, this sort of as Vintage and Resting Pigeon Pose, just before advancing to more tricky variations like King Pigeon Pose. Beginning also aggressively will boost your possibility of damage.

Though Pigeon Pose is usually risk-free, you may possibly raise your possibility of personal injury if you complete the stretch far too aggressively (likely outside of your body’s skills).

If you have serious hip, knee, or reduced back difficulties, it is finest to prevent Pigeon Pose entirely unless recommended by a healthcare skilled. Folks who are expecting or have moderate to average musculoskeletal injuries should really communicate with their health care provider very first.

Moreover, there is increasing issue that Pigeon Pose can overstretch the gluteal tendons, which are tendons that attach to the outer hip bones. About time, this can weaken the tendons and present as other hip-connected challenges (7).

Also, quite a few individuals are not able to convey their shin parallel to the front of their yoga mat. Rather, they tuck their shin much too carefully towards their overall body. In time, this may perhaps lead to knee injuries, because of to excess pressure on the knees.

To triumph over these risks, it is ideal to location a folded towel beneath your right buttocks and thigh to enhance the positioning of your hips and knees. Accomplishing so will reduce pressure and chance of personal injury.

You can also perform with a skilled yoga instructor, who can provide suggestions or variants to the pose. Eventually, if you’re going through any ongoing ache or distress with Pigeon Pose, it is finest to prevent it.

Summary

Even though normally protected, Pigeon Pose — in particular when done incorrectly — may perhaps maximize strain on your hips, knees, and decrease again. Men and women who are expecting or have long-term musculoskeletal injuries need to chat with their medical doctor initially.

Pigeon Pose is a wonderful yoga pose to stretch your hips and decrease again.

When executed effectively, it could enhance versatility of the hip flexors and reduced back muscle mass whilst also supporting digestion. Some also imagine it can relieve psychological pressure or worry, considering that Ayurveda statements these emotions are saved in the hips.

Even so, Pigeon Pose may possibly not be suitable for these who are pregnant or have persistent hip, knee, or back discomfort. Generally communicate with a health care skilled before hoping new physical exercises.

If you’re seeking to incorporate one thing new to your day by day yoga program, give Pigeon Pose a try out.