Pigeon Pose
What Is the Pigeon Pose?
Pigeon Pose is an isolation exercise that primarily targets the glutes and also stretches the hip flexors at the front of the back leg. It is a beginner-level movement done on the floor with no equipment, holding the front hip bent and turned out while the back hip opens behind the body.
It is one of the most widely used hip openers in yoga and general mobility work. The front leg lengthens the gluteus maximus and the deep rotators at the back of the hip, such as the piriformis, which makes it a common choice for people who feel tight in the back and outside of the hip after long periods of sitting, running or cycling. The back leg adds a milder stretch across the front of the other hip, so one position covers both sides of the pelvis.
This page covers the base floor version in its two phases: upright on the hands, then folded forward over the front shin. Many classes call the upright phase half pigeon and the folded phase sleeping pigeon. Staying tall on straight arms keeps the stretch moderate and opens the front of the back hip more, while lowering the chest toward the floor bends the front hip further and usually moves the sensation deeper into the buttock. Bringing the front shin closer to parallel with the front of the mat asks more rotation from the hip, and tucking the front heel in toward the groin asks less.
Pigeon Pose suits most people who train, and it fits best at the end of a session or in a separate mobility session. If the front knee or hip cannot settle without pain, build up with Lying Figure Four Stretch, which stretches the same area on your back with no body weight on the knee, or Standing Pigeon Stretch, which is done standing beside a bench with the bent leg held up rather than bearing weight. Double Pigeon Pose is a more demanding seated variation for the outer hips.
Muscles Worked
- Gluteus Maximus
- Primary
- Gluteus Medius
- High
- Gluteus Minimus
- Medium
- Rectus Femoris
- Medium
- Sartorius
- Low
- Latissimus Dorsi
- Minimal
Instructions
- Start on your hands and knees on a mat.
- Bring your right knee forward toward your right wrist and lower the right shin to the floor, angled across your body with the right foot in front of your left hip.
- Slide your left leg straight back until the thigh, kneecap and top of the foot rest on the floor.
- Square your hips to the front and let them lower toward the floor. If the right hip hovers, slide a folded blanket or yoga block under it.
- Place your hands on the floor just in front of your hips and press through straight arms to sit tall, keeping your lower back long.
- Breathe slowly here for a few breaths, feeling the stretch in your right buttock and the front of your left hip.
- Walk your hands forward and fold your chest over the right shin, reaching your arms forward along the floor and lowering your forehead toward the floor.
- Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, relaxing a little deeper with each breath out.
- Walk your hands back to sit up, return to your hands and knees, and repeat on the other side.
Common Mistakes
Forcing the shin parallel
Dragging the front shin parallel to the front of the mat before the hip allows it twists the knee instead of stretching the hip.
Twisting the pelvis
Letting the hips roll toward the bent-knee side instead of keeping both hip points facing forward moves the stretch out of the buttock, so put a block under the front hip to keep them level.
Back leg drifting out
Letting the back leg angle out to the side or roll onto its outer edge removes the stretch at the front of that hip, so keep it straight behind you with the kneecap and top of the foot facing down.
Folding forward too soon
Lowering the chest before the hips are level and the knee is comfortable piles body weight onto a position the front leg cannot yet support.
Arching the lower back
Lifting the chest by sagging into the lower back in the upright phase loads the spine instead of opening the front of the back hip.
Holding the breath
Bracing and holding the breath keeps the hip guarded, while slow breathing lets it settle further over the hold.
Injuries
Pigeon Pose is a low risk exercise when performed with proper technique. The two places it goes wrong are the front knee and the front of the front hip. The knee tolerates little twisting, so when the hip runs out of turnout and the body keeps sinking, the rotation is forced into the knee and it hurts on the inside or outside of the joint. A pinching feeling deep in the front of the front hip, rather than a stretch in the buttock, means the joint itself is closing down, which is common in people with hip impingement.
To protect both joints, let the front heel sit closer to the groin instead of dragging the shin parallel to the front of the mat, and slide a folded blanket or yoga block under the front hip so the pelvis stays level and the body weight goes into the support instead of the knee. Stay upright on your hands until the position is comfortable, because folding forward adds more body weight over the front leg. Pad the back knee if the floor is hard, and keep the lower back long rather than sagging into an arch when you sit tall.
If the floor version is too much, use Lying Figure Four Stretch, Seated Piriformis Stretch or Standing Pigeon Stretch, which stretch the same area with less load on the knee. To progress, fold forward over the shin, lengthen the hold, or bring the shin a little closer to parallel only while the knee stays pain-free.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in the front knee, a pinch in the front of the hip, pain in the lower back, or tingling, numbness or burning that travels down the leg. Anyone recovering from knee or hip surgery, including a joint replacement, should get clearance from their surgeon or physical therapist before using this position.
- Primary Focus
- Glutes
- Equipment
- Body weight
- Modality
- Yoga
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Alternative Exercises
Other Names for the Pigeon Pose
The Pigeon Pose is also known as:
- Eka Pada Rajakapotasana
Frequently Asked Questions
- Q: Does Pigeon Pose actually stretch the piriformis?
Yes. A shear-wave elastography study in 21 healthy young men found the piriformis was stretched more with the hip turned out than turned in, and most with maximum external rotation combined with 110 degrees of hip flexion and 40 degrees of adduction. The front leg in Pigeon Pose combines hip flexion with external rotation, and folding forward over the shin bends that hip further.
- Q: How long should I hold Pigeon Pose?
Hold each side for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat once or twice. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends about 60 seconds of total stretching per exercise on at least two days a week, so two 30-second holds per side meets that. Yin yoga classes hold the folded position for several minutes, which is fine as long as the knee and hip stay comfortable.
- Q: What if my hip doesn't reach the floor?
That is normal, and getting the hip down is not the goal. Slide a folded blanket or yoga block under the front hip so the pelvis stays level and let the support take your weight, because forcing the hip down tends to twist the knee or tip the pelvis.
- Q: Can I do Pigeon Pose with sciatica or piriformis pain?
Only if it eases your symptoms rather than provoking them. If the stretch sends tingling, numbness or burning down the leg, back off or switch to Lying Figure Four Stretch, and see a clinician about pain that travels below the knee.
- Q: What is the difference between Pigeon Pose and Double Pigeon Pose?
Pigeon Pose works one hip at a time with the back leg extended behind you, so it also stretches the front of the back hip. Double Pigeon Pose is done seated with one shin stacked on the other, so both hips are turned out and neither is stretched at the front.
- Q: Should I do Pigeon Pose before or after training?
After training or in a separate mobility session is the usual choice. Long static holds right before sprinting, jumping or heavy lifting can briefly blunt power, so if you use it in a warm-up, keep the holds short and follow them with dynamic movement.