Do Reclining Pigeon Pose

Reclining pigeon pose, also called the dead pigeon, eye of the needle, or threading the needle, is a relatively easy yoga pose suitable for beginners. The pose helps stretch your hamstrings and quads, as well as allowing you to open your hips. Reclining pigeon pose can be used to prepare yourself for the full pigeon pose, which is perhaps the ultimate yoga pose to open your hips and stretch your thighs.

Steps

Learning Reclining Pigeon Pose

1. Lie on your back. The reclining or supine pigeon pose is down on your back, providing your body with more support. Bend your knees so that your feet are resting flat on the mat, about hip-width apart.
   • Press your lower back firmly into the mat and roll your shoulders back so that your shoulder blades are tucked in alongside your spine.
   • You can rest your arms at your sides, or extend them outward to open your shoulders and chest.
2. Cross one ankle over the other knee. Lift one leg and cross it over the other, keeping your knee bent. Your ankle should rest on your thigh just above your opposite knee, with your knee at roughly a right angle.
   • Check your lower back and make sure you're still laying flat against the mat. You don't want to arch your lower back.
3. Thread your hands through your thighs. To complete the reclining pigeon pose, grasp your lower leg just under your knee by reaching one hand through your raised leg and reaching the other along your side.
   • Clasp your hands together around your knee and gently pull to raise your knee and foot off the floor. Only pull towards your body as far as you can comfortably go and feel a stretch.
   • If you push into the inner thigh of the raised leg with your elbow, you can help open up your hips as well. Again, only push as far as is comfortable, stopping when you feel a stretch. Don't force it to the point of pain.
4. Repeat with the other side. Hold the pose for 10 to 20 seconds, breathing deeply. Then release your legs, placing your feet back on the floor and your arms at your sides. Raise the opposite leg, crossing your ankle over your knee.
   • Once you've repeated the pose on both sides, you can do it again or move on to something else. Reclining pigeon pose also is a good stretch after other exercise, such as running or cycling.
5. Use blankets to maintain alignment. If you're having trouble keeping your back flat while doing the reclining pigeon pose, you can start with a modification that will make it easier to maintain alignment. A rolled blanket placed under your hips should keep you in the right position and make the pose more comfortable for you.
   • If you're using a rolled blanket, try doing the pose without it periodically, as your flexibility improves. Only use props as long as necessary to maintain proper alignment.

Doing Pigeon Pose Prep

1. Start in tabletop pose. There are a number of different ways to get into the pigeon pose prep position. As the name suggests, this pose will prepare you for the full pigeon pose, or the one-legged king pigeon pose, which provides the ultimate stretch for your quads and hips.
   • Get on all fours on your mat, with your knees under your hips and your wrists directly under your shoulders.
   • Roll your shoulders down your back in line with your spine, and make sure your back is flat like a tabletop.
2. Lift into downward facing dog. Downward facing dog is one of the easiest and most common ways to transition into the pigeon pose prep position. To move into downward facing dog from all fours, roll over your feet onto your toes and lift your hips up toward the ceiling.
   • Both your arms and your legs should be completely extended, so that your body forms an upside-down "V" shape. Pull downward through your heels and lift upward with your arms, drawing your bodyweight away from your wrists.
3. Bring your right leg forward. To move into pigeon pose prep from downward facing dog, lift your right leg and then slide or walk it forward until your right foot is flat on the mat between your hands. From this point, you can go into a lunge as an intermediary step if you want.
   • If you want to use a lunge to transition, extend your left leg out behind you, staying on your toes, and lower your hips. Your right knee should be at a 90-degree angle in between your arms, with your knee directly over your ankle and your shin perpendicular to the floor.
   • If you're not planning on completing a lunge, walk your right foot over until it is sitting next to your left hand. Rest on the side of your foot so your leg will naturally fall in the right position as you lower into pigeon pose prep.
4. Lower towards the mat. Whether you're moving into pigeon pose prep directly from downward facing dog or from a lunge pose, you'll get into the position by lowering your hips toward the mat in a slow and controlled movement as you exhale.
   • Make sure your hips are squared forward, with your left leg extended straight out behind you and your right leg crossing in front of your chest at roughly a right angle.
   • If you're just starting out, you may want to modify the pose with rolled blankets or yoga blocks to keep your hips in proper alignment. If you can't lower all the way to the mat, these props enable you to stabilize your body in this position.
   • Square your hips by moving your core muscles, rather than trying to force your hips into position. Work on lifting your back thigh without raising your knee off the mat.
5. Fold over your right leg. You can keep your torso upright, especially if you're just getting started and find the stretch challenging. If you're able to lower your hips all the way to the mat, however, you may want to deepen the stretch further.
   • When folding forward, hinge from the hips rather than the waist, and focus on keeping your back as straight as possible. Fold forward until you can rest on your elbows with your palms and lower arms on the floor.
   • If you can do so without pain, you can lower all the way to the mat so that your forehead is touching the mat. Extend your arms out in front of you or cross them over your head, holding elbows.
6. Repeat the pose on the other side. Hold the pigeon pose prep position for 10 to 20 seconds, breathing deeply. Then slowly raise up and return your right leg behind you. Lift your hips to return to downward facing dog.
   • You may want to shake out a little before you repeat the pose with your left leg.
7. Go more deeply into the pose. When you've been practicing pigeon prose prep for awhile, you may find that you can lower further towards the mat.
   • Try to slide your back leg a little further out behind you, keeping your hips squared towards the front of you.
   • You also can extend your arms out over your head and lower your torso completely over your front leg to deepen the stretch. Try backing out of the fold a little with every inhale, and then folding forward a little more deeply with every exhale.

Advancing to One-Legged King Pigeon Pose

1. Start on all fours. To get into the one-legged king pigeon pose, you want to come to your mat in tabletop pose, with your knees directly under your hips and your wrists directly under your shoulders. Make sure your back is flat and your shoulder blades are tucked in alongside your spine.
2. Loosen up your spine with cat/cow flow. The cat/cow flow is a staple of most any yoga practice, and is a good way to get your spine warmed up for the movement it will need to go into the deep backbend required for one-legged king pigeon pose.
   • From tabletop position, drop your belly to the floor as you inhale, allowing your spine to curve inward. Left your gaze to create a smooth curve from your tail bone to the crown of your head. This is cow position.
   • As you exhale, engage your abdominals and push your navel towards your spine, arching your back upward. Lower your head so that your chin meets your chest. This is cat position.
   • Move back and forth between cat and cow 5 to 10 times, which a breath for each movement.
3. Slide your right leg forward. Just as you did with the pigeon pose prep, start one-legged king pigeon by moving your right leg so that your right foot is in between your hands. Then lower onto your hips so that your lower leg is resting on the mat, roughly parallel to your hips.
   • Extend your left leg out straight behind you, and find a comfortable position where your body weight is evenly distributed and your hips are squared off and facing forward.
   • If it's more comfortable, you may want to angle your right knee out slightly, so it sits to the right of your hip. However, make sure your left leg extends straight out from the hip, and is not angled out to the left. Rotating your left leg slightly inward will enable you to rest the midline of your leg on the floor.
4. Fold over your right leg. As you exhale, hinge forward from your hips and lower your torso over your right thigh. Hold this position for a few breaths to stretch your spine, reaching your arms forward over your head.
5. Lift your torso. Slide your hands back until they are just in front of your shin, and press your fingertips firmly into your mat. Raise your torso, pressing your tailbone down to lengthen your lower back.
   • It can help to roll your left hip a little toward your right heel. this will help keep your hips square and ensure your weight is distributed evenly.
   • If you're a beginner, stay in this position with your torso supported by your hands on the floor. When you're ready, lift your arms and place them on either side of the top rim of your pelvis. Push down as you lift with your chest, as though you're pushing your sternum toward the ceiling.
6. Draw your left heel towards your body. Engage your glutes and hamstring as you raise your foot, bending your leg at the knee to bring your foot close to your buttocks. Extend your arms overhead and bend back at the elbows.
   • You should feel a stretch in your groin as well as in your back. Do not go any further into this pose than you can comfortably.
7. Catch your left foot with your left hand. To complete the one-legged king pigeon pose, reach back and grab your foot with your hands to bind the position. Find the equilibrium by pulling with your hands at the same time that you resist with your foot for an intense thigh stretch.
   • If you have difficulty catching your foot at first, you can use a yoga strap to modify the pose so it's easier for you to do. Loop the strap around your left foot and hold it in your left hand. When you reach up and bend your knee, pull on the strap as far as you comfortably can.
8. Repeat with the other side. As with any one-sided yoga pose, hold for 5 to 10 breathing cycles, then return to your starting position and repeat the same movements with the opposite leg. Observe how each side feels different, and make accommodations as necessary if one side is stiffer than the other.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Do Yoga at Your Computer
• Take a Yoga Break at Work
• Do Office Yoga
• Do Chair Yoga for Beginners
• Do a Chair Pose in Yoga
• Exercise Yoga Breathing
• Become a Prenatal Yoga Teacher
• Do the Standard Forward Bend in Yoga
• Kneel Comfortably
• Do Five Pointed Star Pose in Yoga

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