Seated · Intermediate
Pigeon Pose
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana·एक पाद राजकपोतासन·eka pāda rājakapotāsana
Also called: Pigeon, Sleeping Pigeon (forward-fold variant)
Pigeon is one of the most-requested poses by users with desk-related hip and lower-back tightness. The deep glute release lands somewhere most stretches can't reach. Use the blanket under the front hip without exception — pelvis level is what makes this a hip stretch instead of a SI-joint compression.
Benefits
- Deep release for the deep hip rotators (piriformis, gemelli) — chronic culprits behind glute-region pain
- Stretches the back-leg's hip flexors and psoas
- One of the most reliable poses for sciatica caused by piriformis tightness
- Tri-doshic — works for vata anxiety, pitta tension, and kapha stagnation
How to practise Pigeon Pose
- Start on all fours, hands and knees on a soft surface.
- Slide your right knee forward toward the right wrist.
- The right shin angles across the mat — closer to parallel with the front edge means more sensation; angled diagonally is gentler.
- Extend the left leg straight back. The top of the back foot rests on the mat.
- Square your hips toward the floor as much as possible. Place a folded blanket under the right hip if it doesn't reach the floor.
- Stay upright with hands on the floor, OR walk the hands forward and fold over the front leg.
- Hold for the duration. Press back to all fours. Switch sides.
Suggested hold: 90s · Breath: Natural
How Pigeon Pose affects your doshas
In Ayurveda the same pose lands differently depending on your constitution. This is the lens the app uses to sequence your practice.
| Dosha | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Vata | Balancing | a good fit — helps settle this dosha |
| Pitta | Balancing | a good fit — helps settle this dosha |
| Kapha | Balancing | a good fit — helps settle this dosha |
Who should avoid or modify this pose
- Don't practice with knee or hip injury — especially recent meniscus, ACL, or labral issues
- Pregnant women in late pregnancy should use a more upright variant or skip altogether
- Avoid with severe SI joint instability — use a folded blanket under the front hip to level the pelvis
- Skip with active piriformis flare or severe sciatica that worsens
If you're pregnant, injured, or managing a condition, check with a qualified teacher or clinician before practising.
Modifications
- Place a folded blanket under the front hip if it doesn't reach the floor — non-negotiable for most users
- Stay upright with hands on blocks if the forward fold is too intense
- Practice supine: lie on your back, cross right ankle over left thigh, draw the left thigh in (Reclined Pigeon / figure-4)
- Reduce the front shin angle if the front knee complains
Traditional source: Modern hatha — Modern hatha. The full Rajakapotasana (King Pigeon backbend) is in modern lineages but not enumerated in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika Ch. 1; the one-legged forward-fold variant is the standard accessible form.