Home/core/Pigeon Pose

Pigeon Pose

Difficulty: ⭐⭐ Intermediatecore

Home Setup

Use a folded blanket or cushion under the hip of your bent leg for support if your hips don't reach the floor comfortably

Yoga mat or carpetFolded blanket or pillowTowel for padding

💡 Pro tip: Stack books or firm cushions under your forearms if folding forward is too intense, allowing you to maintain the stretch without strain

Gym Setup

Yoga mat, yoga blocks for support under hips or hands, bolster for chest support in forward fold variation

Safety: Avoid this pose if you have knee injuries; never force the knee into position and ensure sensation is in the hip, not the knee joint

💪 Muscles Worked

Hip FlexorsGluteus MaximusPiriformisHip RotatorsPsoas

⭐ Why This Exercise?

Pigeon Pose is one of the most effective hip openers in yoga, releasing tension in the hip flexors and external rotators while improving mobility for activities like running, cycling, and sitting. This pose also helps alleviate lower back pain by addressing tight hips and can promote emotional release as the hips are known to store stress and tension.

Make It Easier

Regressions for building up strength

1. Reclined Pigeon (Figure 4 Stretch)

yoga mat

Performed lying on back, reducing load on knee and allowing better control of stretch intensity

2. Seated Pigeon on Chair

chair

Ankle crosses over opposite knee while seated, providing hip opening without floor work or weight bearing

3. Supported Pigeon with Blocks

yoga mat + yoga blocks + blanket

Yoga blocks under hips and hands elevate the body, reducing the depth of the stretch and knee angle

Make It Harder

Progressions for advanced athletes

1. Sleeping Pigeon (Forward Fold Variation)

yoga mat

Folding torso forward over front leg intensifies the hip stretch and adds spinal flexion component

2. King Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

yoga mat + yoga strap

Back leg bends with foot reaching toward head, adding quad stretch and backbend to the hip opener

3. Mermaid Pose

yoga mat

Combines pigeon with side bend and bind, adding shoulder mobility and deeper hip flexor stretch

↕️ Similar Movements

Lizard Pose
Similar deep hip flexor stretch with front leg in lunge position, alternative hip opener
Fire Log Pose (Agnistambhasana)
Seated hip opener stacking shins, targets similar external rotators with different angle
Half Lord of the Fishes (Seated Twist)
Complementary pose that releases hip tension through rotation rather than flexion
Low Lunge (Anjaneyasana)
Preparatory pose that warms up hip flexors before deeper pigeon stretch
Cow Face Pose (Gomukhasana)
Addresses hip external rotation from seated position with legs stacked instead of split

Form Checklist

✓Front shin should be parallel to mat edge (or angled back if hips are tight)
✓Square hips forward by drawing back hip forward and front hip back
✓Keep back leg straight and extended with toes pointing back, not sickling to the side
✓Lengthen spine upward before folding forward, maintaining space in lower back
✓Flex front foot to protect knee joint, never let it sickle inward

Common Mistakes

  • •Allowing hips to tilt to one side instead of keeping them level and squared forward
  • •Forcing front shin parallel when hips are too tight, creating knee strain instead of hip stretch
  • •Collapsing into the pose without engaging core, causing compression in lower back
  • •Letting back leg splay out to the side instead of keeping it straight behind
  • •Feeling stretch or pain in the knee joint rather than in the hip muscles

📈 When to Progress

Progress when you can comfortably hold the pose for 2-3 minutes per side with hips level and squared, front shin approaching parallel to mat edge, and can fold forward with chest reaching toward floor without lower back rounding or hip hiking. You should feel the stretch primarily in the hip, not the knee.