Leaning over our front bent leg, pigeon pose is a form that can be awkward and maybe damaging. For some individuals, this posture is as well powerful on the connective tissues in their hips—and pushing it much too far could even bring about prolonged-term soreness. If you have knee concerns, also discomfort. If you are hyper-versatile and you’re instructed to “relax, chill out, unwind,” then there’s a higher chance of, you guessed it, pain.

But no a person at any time claimed yoga was about pushing by agony. If pigeon pose doesn’t operate for your overall body, try out these substitute hip openers that, in my knowledge as a yoga teacher, I have discovered to be significantly additional physique-welcoming.

4 pigeon pose options that extend your hips pain-free

Reclined determine 4

This well-known different is a mild, controllable extend that reaches the very same muscle mass teams as pigeon pose with no extra stress on the knee.

How to do it: 

1. Lay on your again with both knees bent and your ft on the ground.
2. Cross one ankle more than the other knee and pause. For some men and women, this will already be ample of a stretch.
3. If you want additional feeling, you can arrive at involving your legs to seize about the base leg. You can push your elbow into your crossed leg to stimulate your knee absent. You are going to know you are at a very good degree of extend if you can retain your shoulders on the floor, breathe continual, and you truly feel a stretch.

For extra aid, you can lean the base foot on the wall in its place of holding the leg up with your fingers (or a strap).

Related Tales

Fire log pose

This condition focuses on the sides and back again of the hips. It can be incredibly rigorous so choose it little by little and do not press if it is too a lot.

How to do it:

1. Sit up tall in a cross legged place.
2. Just take a person ankle and stack it above the opposite knee so that the two shins are stacked on top rated of just about every other. Root down as a result of both of those hips and sit tall. Flex by means of both feet.
3. Selection to fold ahead.

The ankle joint and the knee joint it’s sitting on should be just on major of each and every other—a practical picture is a door hinge. You can consider a pin going straight through the two joints.

For much more help, add a block concerning the base knee and the flooring or the top rated knee and base foot (or equally).

Cow facial area pose

This pose reaches the IT band, piriformis, and gluteus medius (and minimus)—which are hip stabilizers and for that reason typically tight—while also staying additional light on your knees than pigeon pose.

How to do it:

1. Start off seated, and cross 1 leg around the other so your knees are stacked.
2. Attract your ankles close to your hips.
3. Concentration on rooting down evenly by way of the two hips.
4. For extra intensity, you can perform equally ankles ahead, bringing your shins in line with the prime of your mat.

For far more guidance, sit on a blanket to preserve each hips degree and grounded.

Twisted lizard

This choice has no external rotation/transverse movement in the knee so it is a excellent choice for individuals with knee instability or ache though however finding a related stretch to pigeon pose.

How to do it:

1. From palms and knees, phase one foot exterior both palms and carefully lean hips forward.
2. Switch the front toes out at a 45 degree angle, and location that hand on the inner thigh to stimulate that knee away from the system.
3. Gaze around that shoulder.
4. Solution to include a quadricep stretch by bending the again leg and achieving for that foot.

To increase assistance, location a blanket underneath your back again knee and/or opt for a strap to access for your back again foot if you’re discovering the quadricep stretch.

Pigeon pose is rigorous. Powerful is not usually a poor point. If you are not dealing with lengthy-expression suffering or soreness in your hips and/or knees, then pigeon pose may perhaps be practical for you.

Having said that, if you’re experiencing distress, or are just curious to improve up your hip-openers and investigate a lot more available yoga, these postures will assistance you extend your hips properly and efficiently.