Future and its affiliate partners may earn a commission when you purchase through links on our articles.
Photo credit: Lucy Miller.
If you’ve been hunched over a desk all day, had a long training session, or are just stressed out by life, a quick stretch can feel amazing. But which moves are really worth your time?
Pigeon Pose is one of them, says Dr. Jordan Ashley, certified yoga instructor and founder of the Souljourn Yoga Foundation.
“Personally, I do it every day,” she said. “If I could only choose one stretch for the rest of my life, it would be this.”
Dr. Ashley says there’s nothing better than this pose for overall health, flexibility, and stability because it helps stretch your quads, hips, glutes, and lower back all at once.
“Pigeon Pose is not only a gentle hip-opening movement, but it’s also a forward bend that’s great for calming the parasympathetic nervous system while increasing flexibility and promoting overall health,” she adds.
How to do pigeon pose
-
Stand in front of your mat with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your side.
-
Exhale and bend forward while standing.
-
Inhale and lunge forward, right leg forward and left leg back.
-
Exhale and place the outside of your right shin on the mat in front of you, bringing your right heel toward your left hip.
-
Place your left knee on the mat and your left foot toward the ceiling.
-
Align your palms down with your right foot. Inhale, press your palms into the floor and straighten your arms while lengthening your spine. Open your shoulders and chest, lift your sternum, and look up.
“Keep your wrists in the same plane as your knees,” advises Ashley. “To make the pose less intense, angle your feet closer to your hips.”
“If your sit bones are not connected to the floor, place a blanket or pillow underneath them, and you can also place a block under your sternum and browbone to support your heart and forehead.”
Benefits of Pigeon Pose
If you sit all day, run, ride your bike, or feel like you live in a chair, you’ll love pigeons. It helps prevent stiffness in the hips, improves mobility, relieves tension in the lower back, and reduces the risk of strains or imbalances.
“Pigeon pose requires a deep stretch in the muscles around your hips, including your hip flexors, external rotators, and glutes,” says Ashley.
“These muscles are often tight from sitting for long periods of time, being inactive, or participating in activities that involve repetitive hip movements like running or biking,” she says.
Like other yoga poses, pigeon pose encourages deep breathing and mindfulness, “helping to focus your attention inward and calm the mind,” Ashley says.
“It’s also great for maintaining posture, relieving tightness in the lower back and drawing energy to flow through the pelvis, lower back and inner thighs.”
How often should you do it?
“I definitely recommend doing this stretch at least three times a week, starting with one minute and increasing to five minutes for a more Yin-like variation,” says Ashley.
