The ‘Pigeon’
Benefits of Half Pigeon include:
Release and opening of the hips, a place where we often hold a lot of built up emotions, especially for women. I find that it is beneficial for me to release stagnant energy and anxieties which I often hold in my hips
Stretches quads and glutes
Half pigeon pose is fairly accessible to all as it can be modified. Great options if you need a bit more support in pigeon include:
A block under the hip
A block under the forehead or arms
Remaining upright in seated half pigeon rather than folding all the way in
If you'd like to deepen the pose, some good options include:
Folding in over the top leg onto forearms or all the way to the floor
Moving into full mermaid by sitting upright and bending into the knee of the back leg, grabbing hold of your back foot. Option to bind here by bringing the elbow crease to the foot and interlocking the hands
Moving into full pigeon by swinging the back leg around and stacking it on top of the lower leg, with both shins parallel with the top of the mat
If half pigeon is not accessible to you a great alternative is reclined figure 4. To get into this shape (on the right side):
Lay on your back
Plant both feet flat on the floor with knees bent
Lift your right leg and place the ankle on top of the left knee, opening the right knee out to the side
Then grab hold of the back or front of your left knee and pull in towards your chest as much as feels comfortable
“My favourite thing about yoga is: That it is for everyone.”
