Pigeons In Yoga
Pigeons In Yoga
Few animals are as popular in the yoga canon as the humble pigeon.
A question I often hear from beginners is, ‘How many pigeon poses are there?!’
We have Reclined Pigeon, Seated Pigeon, Double Pigeon, Full Pigeon, King Pigeon and the gravity defying Flying Pigeon!
Although much maligned in cities where I’ve lived like NY and LA, the pigeon [Columbia livia domestica] is one of the oldest domesticated birds. Appearing in Egyptian hieroglyphs more than 5000 years ago, pigeons were an early food source for humans. Their domestication is estimated around 10,000 years ago which places them slightly later than the canine, who is thought to have begun its relationship with man 14,000 years ago.
This special bird has an intimate history with us; serving as food, pets, messengers and even holy animals.
Pigeons In Yoga
One of the first poses you will learn as a beginner yogi is Reclined Pigeon. This jack-of-all-trades glute stretch is helpful for anyone who sits, runs, bikes, walks – that’s all of us, guys! It’s mostly a safe pose except for knee injuries and can be alternatively helpful, or irritating, for piriformis pain.
Seated Pigeon, or Seated Figure 4 Stretch as physical therapists may call it, is done in a chair (easier), or seated on the floor. I recommend doing a few rounds of seated knee wipering (side-to-side movement) if this is your first time practicing Seated Pigeon. When in doubt, Reclined Pigeon is a safer starting place.
Double Pigeon, also called Firelog, is a pose I no longer practice or teach. It looks cool and is a decently difficult posture to work towards, but in my opinion carries too many risks to the hip sockets, and secondarily the knee and ankle joints.
King Pigeon is a beautiful, coffee table book pose which I used to really love but don’t practice much anymore. It requires so much flexibility in the spine (!), hip flexors and glutes and I would occasionally hurt my low back in this posture. That said, if a student really wants to learn this pose, I know how to safely progress them towards it.
King Pigeon
Second to Relined Pigeon, Full Pigeon, known simply as Pigeon, is often taught in modern yoga classes.
Pigeon
However, the chain of yoga studios, YogaWorks, before filing for bankruptcy, removed this pose from their curriculum due to risks associated with it. I think Pigeon can be a part of a student’s practice when taught and practiced judiciously, but the pose should never be sequenced early in a class. And, if you’re hypermobile in the hip sockets and/or SI joints, best to avoid.
Flying Pigeon is a dramatic looking arm balance. It has never been a part of my practice and requires wrists and shoulders that can take a beating. Visually impressive and surely a testament to skill, this pose will be more accessible if your leg length is similar to your torso length.
Curious to learn more yoga? I have written over 350 articles related to health and wellness on this website. I do not rely on content creators or AI—all material is my opinion and should never be taken as medical advice.
The best part of learning yoga is that over time, these poses are no longer a word, a classification, or an exercise; they become WHAT YOU DO WHEN YOU FEEL TIGHTNESS IN YOUR BODY.
They are a self-care tool you rely on for the rest of your life.
Namaste,
Catherine
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Catherine Tingey
Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 33 years and teaching privately for 13 years.
About the Author
Catherine Tingey+ Entrepreneur, yogini, designer, award-winning filmmaker, personal trainer and former marathon runner. She left a career in finance to start her own business and along the way, became a yoga teacher. She has been practicing yoga for 33 years and teaching privately for 13 years.
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