Strengthens core. Opens hips, psoas, shoulders, chest and back. Also aids in digestion.
One-Legged King Pigeon Pose (Sanskrit: Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)
• Starting in a low lunge with left foot forward, take left knee to front left corner of mat with your knee wider than hip. Make left foot active to protect front knee. Taking the right leg back, lengthen it behind with your inner thigh rotating inward with the top of the right foot on your mat. You may need a blanket to level hips. You shouldn’t be lying directly on your front thigh.
• With fingertips on mat or blocks, lengthen the torso. If you’d like to take it to a deeper stretch, you can take a deep breath and on the exhale, allow the torso to fold forward. Take stress and tension out of the shoulders and jaw and breathe into any tight areas.
• Stay here for 5-10 breaths. To come out, press palms into mat and lift torso. Bring your back knee onto mat scooting it forward by a few inches. Curl the right toes under and lift back knee off mat and bring your front leg back to a hands and knees position.
• Note: Protecting your knees? This pose may not be for you. Option: Come onto your back and cross one leg over the other in a figure 4. Want to advance the pose? Lengthen torso and reach the arms up to sky or perform goalpost/prana arms or lengthen arms behind or reach for back foot.
Namaste - The light within me honors the grace and wisdom within you.
