Double Pigeon Pose
What Is the Double Pigeon Pose?
Double Pigeon Pose is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the glutes and also stretches the deep hip rotators and the inner thighs. It is an intermediate-level movement, held for time as a static stretch, in which you sit on the floor with one shin stacked directly on top of the other so both hips are bent and turned out at the same time.
In yoga the pose is better known as Fire Log Pose (Agnistambhasana), and some teachers call it Ankle-to-Knee Pose or Square Pose, because the stacked shins and thighs form a closed square in front of the body. It is a staple hip opener in yoga classes and a common choice for the cooldown after lower-body training, when the hips are already warm and a long, quiet hold is easier to settle into.
The stacked position takes both hips deep into external rotation, so the stretch lands in the outer hips and the back of the pelvis: the gluteus maximus, the gluteus medius and minimus, and the small rotators underneath them such as the piriformis. Sitting tall keeps the stretch moderate. Hinging forward from the hips with a long spine adds hip flexion and deepens it, while the spread thighs give the groin a milder secondary stretch. Unlike Pigeon Pose, no leg reaches back, so there is no hip flexor stretch; both sides work in the same position at once.
The pose suits anyone whose hips feel tight when sitting cross-legged or who wants more turn-out at the hip. It asks for a lot of external rotation on both sides, though, and a top knee that sits far above the bottom ankle is a sign the hips are not there yet. Build up with the Lying Figure Four Stretch or the Seated Piriformis Stretch, which work the same outer hip with one leg at a time and far less load on the knee.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Gluteus Medius
- Primary
- Gluteus Minimus
- High
- Adductor Magnus
- Medium
- Tensor Fasciae Latae
- Minimal
Instructions
- Sit tall on the floor, or on a folded blanket if your lower back rounds, with your knees bent and your feet in front of you.
- Lower your left leg so the outer shin rests on the floor, with the shin running across the front of your body.
- Stack your right shin directly on top of the left, with your right ankle just past your left knee and your right knee above your left ankle.
- Flex both feet, pulling your toes toward your shins, so the ankles stay straight.
- Rest your fingertips on the floor beside your hips, lift your chest and relax your shoulders.
- Hold the upright position and breathe slowly, letting the top knee settle without pushing it down.
- To deepen the stretch, hinge forward a few inches from your hips with a long spine until you feel more stretch in your outer hips and glutes.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, return upright, unstack your legs and repeat with your left shin on top.
Common Mistakes
Forcing the top knee down
Pushing the top knee toward the bottom ankle drives the twist into the knee instead of the hip, so let it settle on its own or support it with a block.
Relaxed or sickled feet
Letting the feet go slack or curl inward bends the ankles sideways and leaves the knees less stable, so keep both feet flexed with the toes pulled toward the shins.
Slumping through the lower back
Rolling back onto the tailbone rounds the lower back and takes the stretch out of the hips, so sit tall or raise the seat on a folded blanket.
Folding from the upper back
Curling the chest toward the legs looks deeper but only rounds the spine, while hinging forward from the hips with a long spine is what increases the hip stretch.
Shins not stacked
Letting the top ankle slide onto the bottom thigh turns the pose into an easy cross-legged seat, so line up the top ankle over the bottom knee and the top knee over the bottom ankle.
Bouncing into the stretch
Rocking forward and back to push deeper jolts the hips and knees at end range, so ease into the position and hold it still while breathing slowly.
Injuries
Double Pigeon Pose is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. It uses no load beyond body weight, but it demands deep external rotation at both hips, and when a hip runs out of rotation the twist moves into the bent knee, which is built to rotate very little. The knees, especially the top one, are the main strain point, followed by the outer ankles if the feet collapse and the lower back if you round hard to fold forward.
Keep both feet flexed so the ankles stay straight and the knees are better supported, and never press the top knee toward the floor. If the top knee floats high, slide a block or folded blanket under it, and if the pelvis tips back or the lower back rounds, sit on a folded blanket so the hips are higher than the knees. Stay upright until the hold feels easy before you add a forward lean.
If stacking the shins is not possible yet, regress to the Lying Figure Four Stretch or the Seated Piriformis Stretch. To progress, hinge further forward from the hips, remove the props, or lengthen the hold.
Stop if you feel sharp or twisting pain in either knee, a pinch in the front of the hip, or numbness or tingling down the leg; a strong but dull pull in the outer hip is the target. Anyone with a knee ligament or meniscus injury should approach the pose with caution, and anyone recovering from hip or knee surgery, including a hip replacement, should clear deep external rotation with their surgeon or physical therapist first.
- Primary Focus
- Glutes
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Yoga
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Double Pigeon Pose
The Double Pigeon Pose is also known as:
- Fire Log Pose
- Agnistambhasana
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: What is the difference between Double Pigeon Pose and Pigeon Pose?
In Pigeon Pose one leg is bent in front and the other reaches straight back, so you stretch one outer hip and the hip flexors of the back leg. Double Pigeon Pose is done seated with both shins stacked, so both hips turn out at the same time and the stretch stays in the outer hips and glutes.
- Q: Is Double Pigeon Pose the same as Fire Log Pose?
Yes. Fire Log Pose, or Agnistambhasana, is the yoga name for the same stacked-shin seated position, and it is also called Ankle-to-Knee Pose or Square Pose.
- Q: How long should I hold Double Pigeon Pose?
Aim for about 30 to 60 seconds per side, either in one hold or in shorter holds of 10 to 30 seconds repeated two to four times. Longer holds of a minute or more are common in yoga classes and are fine as long as the knees stay comfortable and you can breathe slowly.
- Q: What should I do if my top knee floats high above my ankle?
That is normal when the hips are tight, so rest the knee on a block or folded blanket and sit on a folded blanket to raise the hips. Never push the knee down, and spend time on the Lying Figure Four Stretch until the knee settles lower on its own.
- Q: Does Double Pigeon Pose stretch the piriformis?
Yes, it stretches the piriformis along with the glutes. A study of healthy young men using shear wave elastography found the piriformis was stretched more with the bent hip turned out than turned in, and most with the hip bent past a right angle and drawn across the body. Double Pigeon Pose turns the hips out but keeps the thighs apart, so a stretch that pulls the knee across the body targets the piriformis more directly.