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I have done Pigeon Pose in a lot of interesting places over the years. I’ve done it on a rooftop in Argentina and a dance studio in Luxembourg. I have done it on planes and in restaurants. On stages in front of hundreds of people and alone in my bedroom in a pool of tears. But the most powerful place I’ve ever done a Pigeon Pose variation was my local natural history museum when I was seven months pregnant.
I was getting over a terrible cold that had kept me off my mat and in my bed for two weeks and I needed to sit down and rest so I let my husband and toddler go ahead. Without thinking, I brought my right ankle to my left knee and into a figure-four version of the hip opening pose. It felt glorious—like I had returned home, even though I was surrounded by ancient dinosaur bones and stuffed primates.
People tend to have very mixed feelings about Pigeon Pose. Some love it, some loathe it, and others experience both. To me, it is always a way back to the present—a chance to slow down, unfold, and arrive. What might change that sentiment is knowing that there’s not one version of Pigeon but rather a family of what can be considered Pigeon Pose—including variations that, at first glance, don’t look anything like Pigeon.
But it’s not how a pose looks, it’s how it feels. The following variations deliver many of the same sensations of Pigeon Pose—including stretching the outer hip and glute muscles of your bent leg and lengthening the hip flexors on the straight leg—with less strain on your knees, hip joint, or spine.
It’s also a pose that commands your full attention. Sitting in that museum, I understood that it wasn’t just the incredible hip release that I needed from Pigeon Pose. It was turning my attention back to my needs in the moment. And with so many different variations of Pigeon to choose from, I can always find my way home, no matter how far I have ventured.
6 Ways to Switch Up Your Pigeon Pose
How to Come Into Pigeon Pose
Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (Single-Leg Pigeon) is probably the variation most of us think of when we hear “Pigeon Pose.
How to: From hands and knees, step your right foot near your right hand. Walk, slide, or inch your right foot toward the left side of the mat. Draw your left ankle and foot toward your body as little or as much as you need to keep your pelvis facing the front of the mat. Please note, trying to get your right shin parallel to the front of your mat is not necessary. Instead, favor keeping your pelvis as even, side-to-side, as possible without creating undo strain. This protects your lower back.
It’s common for there to be a gap between your right glute muscles and the mat, which can place stress on your front knee and lower back. If this is your experience, place a rolled blanket or block under your front hamstring, near your hip, to help keep your pelvis level. If this doesn’t feel comfortable, consider trying a seated option.
Walk your hands forward and come onto your forearms to bring your chest closer to the mat. Place your forehead on the mat, rest it on your hands, or use a block as support. If you are not using your arms as a pillow you can have them draped by your sides or reaching forward.
Notice if your breath is long and smooth. If not, it might be an indication that you need to reposition yourself into a version of the pose that’s less intense.
To come out of the pose, slowly walk your hands back toward your hips. You can either shift your weight onto your right hip and sweep your left leg in front of you and take any movement you like, or you can immediately make your way back to Tabletop, step your left foot forward, and repeat on your second side.
1. Upright Pigeon
The outer hip of your bent leg gets a lot of attention in Pigeon Pose and is one of the primary reasons why it’s considered a “hip opener.” But the stretch along the front of your back leg, which targets your hip flexors, also constitutes hip opening. Keeping your chest upright intensifies this stretch.
How to: From Pigeon, rather than folding forward, straighten your arms and keep your upper body upright. You can prop yourself on your fingertips or take blocks beneath your hands to help support you. Stay here or tuck your back toes and, on an inhalation, lift your back shin and thigh from the mat as you push through your back heel. Breathe here. Switch sides.
2. Grab Your Back Foot
This version builds on the previous one to intensify the hip flexor stretch in your back leg. It doesn’t matter if you can’t touch your foot to your head!
How to: Start to come into Pigeon and remain upright, propped on your fingertips. Bend your left knee and bring your heel closer to the spine. Reach back with your left hand to catch your outer ankle with your thumb pointing down. Come onto your right fingertips for balance. Try to keep your pelvis level side to side so you’re not tipped way over to the right or prop yourself with a blanket. Stay here or play with bringing your other hand to your ankle to challenge your balance. You can use a strap to grab your back foot if it feels far away. Switch sides.
3. Agnistambhasana (Double Pigeon or Fire Logs)
This seated variation of Pigeon brings an intense stretch to your outer hips and, as with other versions of the pose, should never be forced.
How to: Sit on the floor and come into a cross legged position. Stack your right knee over your left ankle and your right ankle over your left knee. If there’s a gap between your knee and ankle, you can use a blanket in that space to create support for your knee. When you look between your legs, you will see a triangle. You can remain sitting upright or hinge at your hips, walking your hands out, and fold forward.
4. Pigeon on Your Back (Reclined Figure 4)
When we are in the traditional or the seated versions of Pigeon, the weight of the rest of our body can sometimes force our joints beyond where they actually want to go. Lying on our backs and trying to keep our lower back on the floor helps us observe our honest range of motion. I consider this reclined version of Pigeon to be a more accessible hip-opener as well as a truth teller.
How to: Start on your back and hug your right knee in toward your right shoulder. Bring your right ankle toward your left side to create something near a right angle at your knee. Flex your right foot by drawing your toes toward your shin. Keep your left leg straight or bend your left knee and bring your left foot to the mat beneath the knee. Place both arms under your right shin and bend your elbows as you gently hug your right shin toward your chin.
5. Seated Pigeon (Seated Figure 4)
You don’t have to lie down to practice Figure 4. Bend your knees and place your feet on the mat. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh. Flex your right foot to bring your toes toward your shin. Keep your spine as upright as possible. You can take your hands slightly behind your hips for balance. Lean your right knee away from you to feel more sensation in your right hip. You can also vary the intensity by sliding your left foot closer or farther away from you. (Instead of sitting on the floor, you can skip to the next variation, which is the same stretch in a chair.)
5. Pigeon in a Chair
This is the Pigeon Pose variation I was practicing in the lobby of the natural history museum. Sitting in a chair provides support and balance, allowing you to focus on your top leg and isolate the stretch along your outer hip.
How to: Sit on a chair and separate your feet hip-width apart. Cross your right ankle over your left thigh. (You can use your hands to bring your ankle in place, if you need.) Flex your right ankle to pull your right toes toward your shin. Stay upright or drape your chest forward over your thighs.
RELATED: Go-To Sequence For Coming Into Pigeon Pose
About Our Contributor
Sarah Ezrin is a mama, a world-renowned yoga educator, a popular Instagram influencer, and the author of The Yoga of Parenting. Her willingness to be unabashedly honest and vulnerable along with her innate wisdom make her writing, yoga classes, and social media great sources of healing and inner peace for many people. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Sarah is changing the world, teaching self-love one person at a time. You can follow her on Instagram at @sarahezrinyoga and TikTok at @sarahezrin.
