#MermaidYogis Day 11: Pigeon Pose

You know what I love about day 11 of #mermaidyogis, pigeon pose? Everything. You can’t go wrong with this delicious hip opener. Even if you’ve got tricky knees, supine pigeon is your friend. Hips a bit sticky? You can add a bolster, block, or blanket to the mix to shorten the space between your hips and the ground. Whether your pigeon is pretty, sleeping, or the king of them all, you can adapt this pose to your practice and daily needs.

Pigeon Pose:

Supine Pigeon: If your knees or hips are sensitive, you can rock this bad boy laying on your back. Lie down, and bend both knees to rest soles of feet on the floor. Cross the outside of your right ankle atop your left knee. Stay here, or reach through your crossed legs and interlace fingers around the back of left thigh or front of left shin. Hold for a minute and breath.
Half Pigeon: From downward facing dog, inhale the right leg up toward the sky. Exhale, bend your knee and draw knee behind the right wrist and toes behind the left wrist. Wiggle your left knee back in space to lower your hips and groin towards the ground. You may add a blanket or block beneath your hip for support.
Sleeping Pigeon: From half pigeon, take a load off and lower your chest to rest on the right shin. Relax your forehead onto one or two stacked fists, or rest it on the earth. Chill. Stay here awhile.
King Pigeon: Want to get crazy with some backbends? Work with a strap to hook the back foot, then reach arms up and overhead to hold strap. Someday, the foot and hands will meet. Someday.

Express yourself! Take any variation of pigeon that feels good to you, or explore all of them. Follow along with us on Instagram to participate in the #MermaidYogis challenge, or visit us on YouTube to watch the weekly tutorial videos.