Pigeon Pose

1. 1Start on your hands and knees. Slide your right knee forward towards your right hand, with your shin angled across your body. It doesn't need to be parallel to the front of the mat.
2. 2Slide your left leg back until it is straight behind you.
3. 3Square your hips to the floor, putting a cushion under your right hip if it doesn't reach the floor.
4. 4Stay upright, or fold gently forward over the front leg. Hold for 60 seconds, breathing slowly.
5. 5To come out, press up with your hands, bring the back knee forward and unfold the front leg slowly, then swap sides.

Easier

Do the Seated Figure-Four Stretch in a chair, or lie on your back with one ankle crossed over the opposite knee.

Harder

Fold a little further forward only if the front knee feels completely comfortable, and hold for up to 90 seconds. Come out at the first twinge in the knee.

Commonly used for:

• Deep release for tight hips
• Eases sciatic-style pain
• Improves rotational mobility

• A cushion under the hip of the bent leg keeps your pelvis level and takes strain off the knee.
• You should feel the stretch in your buttock and outer hip, never in the knee.

• !Letting the back hip roll open and drop to the side.
• !Forcing the front shin parallel to the mat, which strains the knee.