Kapotasana: Pigeon Pose
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| Pigeon Pose With Upright Torso |
Kapotasana, or “Pigeon Pose,” is one of the best yoga asanas for opening the hip and buttocks area. Many men are tight in this area, resulting in restricted mobility in the pelvic girdle.
One of the easiest ways to enter into Pigeon Pose is from Downward-Facing Dog (see Fig. YPS.1j, page 118). To prepare for Pigeon Pose, kneel on the floor on all fours with your arms under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Press the palms and fingers of your hands into the floor and curl your toes under your feet. Straighten your legs and lift up your tailbone to assume Downward-Facing Dog.
Your body now forms an inverted V relative to the floor. Straighten your right leg and extend it up and back as far behind you as you comfortably can. Bend the right knee as you bring it close to your forehead as you round your neck and release your head toward the floor. Release your right leg to the floor by bending your right knee and placing the front surface of your left leg straight on the floor. Your right knee is now positioned forward between your hands. Slide the right foot toward the left side of your body. The heel of the right foot is now beneath your belly or pelvis. Lift your chest and heart center to maintain your torso upright. Support your upper body with your fingertips
or palms pressing into the floor (see Fig. 14.1a).
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| Pigeon Pose With Forehead on Floor |
If you would like to vary the stretch in Pigeon Pose, lower your upper body toward the floor. Place your forehead on the floor. You can either stretch your arms out in front of you or rest your forehead on the backs of your hands (see Fig. 14.1b).
When you are ready to release from Pigeon Pose, lengthen and raise your upper body to an upright position. Shift your body over to the right side as you slide your legs out from under you so that they are now in front of you. Wiggle the legs from side to side, and repeat Pigeon Pose on the other side of the body.
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