Technique
- From Downward dog, bring the knee toward the same side wrist and settle the hips toward the floor with the outside edge of the shin on the floor.
- Aim for a 90 degree angle in the knee, with the shin parallel to the short end of the mat.
- Extend your back toes.
- Support some of your weight on your arms.
- Try to square the hips and shoulders toward the front of the mat.
Form tips
- This creates a Hip external rotation in the front leg and a Hip extension in the back leg. Try to feel both.
- Avoid leaning to one side and instead support the position with the arms and allow the hips to drop over time.
- You should not feel any pain in the knee. If you do, back out of the posture and try with a smaller angle in the front knee, using props as needed (see Bent-leg pigeon or Block-support pigeon).
Logging: Work each side for the time indicated.
Muscles
Flexibility
Primary
- Glutes
Secondary
- Pelvis
- Hamstrings
- Quadriceps
- Hip adductors
Equipment
Appears in
Flexibility
Other disciplines
Joint movements
trains stretches
Regressions

Active pigeon
Novice

Bent-leg pigeon
Novice
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