Pigeon Somatic

Sanskrit Name:	Upavishati Kapotasana
Similar Pose Names:	Somatic pigeon
Category:	Seated & Floor
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Category:	Yoga Lesson Planner
Sub Category:	Seated & Floor
Types:	Animal, Back Bend, Chest Opener, Hip Opener, Seated & Floor, Stretch
Anatomy:	Core, Hamstrings, Hips, Lower Back, Psoas
Chakras:	Base, Heart Centre, Sacral Centre, Throat Centre
Therapy:	Sciatica
Drishti:	Tip Of Nose
Dosha:	Kapha, Pitta, Vata
Meridian Lines:	Stomach

Start on all fours and do Cat/Cow a few times. Arch and raise your head during an inhale. Round your shoulders, and tuck your chin during the exhale. OPTION 1: LEAN TO THE SIDE. After finished with Cat/Cow bring your spine back to neutral and then guide the right knee towards the left wrist and set it down. Tuck your right foot underneath you and toward the left side of the mat. Extend the right leg behind you on the floor, toenails facing down. Lean over onto the right buttock. Rest on your elbows. Neck and shoulders are relaxed. Feel the stretch in your legs, hips, and buttocks. OPTION 2: SQUARE HIPS OVER BOTTOM LEG. If option 1 was easy, keep extending back through the right leg and square your hips over the left leg. Extend your arms and rest here, or lean on your elbows. Neck and jaw are relaxed. OPTION 3: FOREHEAD TO THE FLOOR. If option 2 was easy, then extend the right leg even further and bring your arms forward. Reach with your arms and hands in front of you. Bring your forehead to the floor. You can also make fists with your hands and stack them so that you can rest your forehead on them. Over time keep intending to bring your left foot to be parallel with the front of your mat. Feel the sensation of a deep stretch in the front and back of legs. To make this a Somatic Exploration, no matter which option you’ve chosen, back off from the stretch a little and contract both legs: front, back and into the buttocks. Slowly release the contraction and drop deeper into the stretch. Pause, and then do it again. Notice that you can go deeper, more easily, after contracting and releasing your muscles. After you are finished with the left leg forward, back out of the pose and come back to hands and knees. Extend the left leg behind you and open the left hip. Repeat the sequence with the right leg.

Stretches muscles surrounding hips and legs. Stretches hip rotators (buttocks area) and the hip flexors (muscles that run along the front of your thighs and pelvis). Reduces lower back pain. Increases range of motion of the psoas muscle. Can alleviate problems or pain in the sciatic nerve (prevent sciatica). Calms the mind.

A) Hold onto back foot. B) Folded blanket under hip. C) Figure four version (Sit with knees bent, feet flat on mat, arms behind you for support. Bring right ankle over left knee, keeping foot flex. Walk left foot closer to hip to increase stretch). D) Half Pigeon Somatic (don't bend forward).

If knee issues are present, then it is extra important to back off if you are feeling discomfort. It isn’t important how far you bend forward; it is important that you learn and honour your limits and meet your body wherever it is at. Sometimes less is more.

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Pigeon Somatic

Video

Follow Up Poses

Downward Facing Dog

Plank

Reverse Pigeon II

King Pigeon

Half Pigeon Forward...

Revolved Pigeon

Preparation Poses

Cat

Cow

Knee To Chest

Half Pigeon

Chair Pigeon

Cat Cow

Seated Pigeon

Counter Poses

Downward Facing Dog

Bound Angle

Child

Extended Child

Extended Puppy