Yoga For Beginners: Supine Pigeon Pose – Variation on the “King” Hip Opener – Free Online Yoga Video

Supine Pigeon Pose is one of the most well-known and used hip openers. It is a safe way to practice Pigeon Pose and is accessible to most students.

In this free online yoga video tutorial, YogaUOnline’s Jasmine Punzalan offers a wonderful variation of the classic Supine Pigeon Pose – also known as Supta Kapotasana – utilizing techniques from wall yoga that will benefit your practice tremendously (and your hips will thank you!).

This quick and simple video tutorial will provide specific details to practice this pose safely and effectively. This is a great way to cool down at the end of a strenuous practice.

Benefits of Supine Pigeon (Supta Kapotasana)

Yoga Pose Benefits:

• Increases external range of motion of femur in hip socket
• Lengthens hip flexors
• Prepares body for backbends
• Prepares body for seated postures such as Padmasana (Lotus Pose)

Contraindications:

• Knee injury
• Sacroiliac issues

(Benefits Source: https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/pigeon-pose)

Getting Set Up: Bringing Supine Pigeon Pose to the Wall

1. Place your mat so one end is touching the base of a wall
2. Lay down close enough to the wall so when you bend your knees and place your feet on the wall your legs are in a 90-degree angle at both the hip and the knee joints.
3. Bend your knees, and place your feet on the wall so they are hip-width apart.

Moving Into Supine Pigeon Pose

4. Cross your right ankle on your left knee; flex through the right ankle and press your left foot firmly into the wall.
5. Place your right hand on your right thigh and gently press the leg away from you.

Supine Pigeon Pose (Supta Kapotasana): Moving Deeper

If you are very flexible and would like to get a deeper stretch follow the next few steps:

6. Try: moving your hips closer to the wall to make your hip-crease flexion deeper.
7. Try: draw the right foot down the front of the left thigh closer to your hip crease.

Rinse and Repeat

Place your feet both back on the wall, and then cross the left foot on the right thigh; repeat all of the steps above on the other side.