pigeon pose breakdown

Lots of us really struggle with tight hips and hip flexors. There are many deep, powerful muscles with very long, hard-to-pronounce names located all around the hips that can make or break your comfort, posture or sport performance. If you're pulling a lemon face in full pigeon pose or find it to be totally ineffective, don't worry! There is hope for your hips to still find a deep and comfortable release in this pose.

Pigeon Pose Breakdown

1.) Begin in Downward Facing Dog. I would recommend warming up with a few other basic poses or hip openers first, maybe this little video, just to make sure the muscles are beginning to warm and loosen.

2.) From Down Dog, use and inhale to reach the right leg up, stretching straight out through the heel in Three-Legged Dog. No worries as to how high the leg is, just keep the toes flexing toward the shin.*It is VERY important to keep this foot position for the duration of the pose. It helps to protect your knee joint.*

3.) Pull the knee in toward your hands, under your body. The right heel will head over toward your left hand and the right knee will be toward your right hand. Note the position of the thigh here. Not opening too wide, but the knee is pointing toward the front of your mat, maybe slightly to the right.

4.) From there, adjust the ankle to a comfortable angle. Loosey-goosies will make a right angle and keep the shin parallel to the front of the mat, while the rest of us will tuck the heel in as much as needed, maybe even all the way in.

Viewed from above, either of these knee-bend angles are correct. Note the thigh position is the same.

5.) Adjust any tilt of the hips. This is one of the most tricky parts to grasp, but it can make a huge difference. If your hip is really rocking over toward the right, you're probably trying to come down more than you're body wants to. The solution? Prop your fist, a blanket or a block under that right hip. It's better to keep the hips straight than to allow yourself to sink over onto one side or the other.

6.) As you fold forward, don't just flop like a dead fish. Imagine rolling your left hip point toward the right heel. Then, lead with the chest, hinge gently forward from the hips.


Within reason, whatever yoga asana you dislike the most is typically the one you need the most. I'm not saying you should practice shoulder-stand if you have a neck injury, but I am saying that if you continue to baby tight muscle groups, your body will remain unbalanced. As always, enjoy your practice and keep yoga cozy!

3 common mistakes in 3-legged dog

3-Legged Dog has always been one of my favorite yoga asanas. I think it's a great way to lengthen the spine and warm up the legs for practice. But if you feel like there's something missing from your 3-Legged Dog, you might be making one of a few common mistakes.

1.) Twisting the foot/torso: As we raise the leg in 3-Legged Dog, it might be tempting to twist the foot or pelvis, thereby achieving a bit more height for the leg. Although it is appropriate sometimes, leg height is not a goal of this pose and for beginners, twisting the foot or hips can create instability and loss of balance.

"The alignment instructions for Downward Dog also apply to this uneven variation: Even though you are standing on two hands and one leg, the shoulders and pelvis must remain square. This is the key to finding stability when you begin to lift one leg." -Yoga Journal

When we keep the hips square and toes facing the mat, we're engaging the deep lower back muscles and glutes. When we allow ourselves to twist open, we lose some of the spinal stretch in favor of stretching the front of the hip and side body.

2.) Rocking backward: As in Downward Facing Dog, stable hand position is imperative here. When we challenge our balance by lifting the leg, a common mistake is to compensate by shifting the weight slightly backwards, putting more weight into the grounded foot. Though this might feel more stable, it's actually bringing the entire spine out of alignment, usually collapsing and pinching the upper back. With this shift, the knuckles might curl ever-so-slightly and the hands are no longer grounded into the mat, so we totally lose the spinal extension.

3.) Rocking forward: As with rocking backward, coming forward onto the hands defeats the goal of the pose. Not only does it put unnecessary pressure on the wrists and shoulders, but rounding the upper back will create tension in the shoulder blades/scapula. Coming off balance as you move forward will also prevent the leg from reaching it's full height, thereby, again, losing that spinal extension.

3-Legged Dog

So when we focus on our Downward Facing Dog position before floating the leg into 3-Legged Dog, our hips, shoulders and hands stay grounded and aligned. From here, when the leg rises, we experience a deep spinal stretch and opening of the hamstrings.

One of the best tips I can offer to feel the full alignment of this pose is to flip it! Take the balance challenge out of the equation and lie on your back. 

Practicing 3-Legged Dog on the floor will help you to take note of how your body is aligned. Stay here for a few breaths, really being mindful of how each muscle feels before taking it back to hands and feet. Namaste!