One Leg Pigeon Pose – Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Whenever, I failed to achieve a desired bend, a string of thoughts used to jump around – my hamstrings are so tight, my back needs more flexibility and many more. However, one day I was surprised to find out that, even hips need to be open up to find that perfect pose.

This enlightenment has resulted in  adding some more asanas to my daily scheduled, in the quest to achieve that perfect pose.

While digging deeper for those asanas, I found out that a major cause of tight hips are our sedentary lifestyle. Long hours of sitting make our hips flexors or rotators tight and our gluteal muscles weak.

They say, you will only notice your tight hips until you are attempting a Half Pigeon pose. But sometimes, if you feel lower back pain or muscles stiffness, while sitting, it can be due to your tight hips.

Fortunately the good news for us, is that we have several poses to open our hips like Happy Baby Pose, Reclined Bound inner pose, Frog pose, Pigeon Pose.

Today, I will focus on the Half Pigeon Pose.

English meaning of the Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

One Leg Pigeon Pose

Source License Terms

Eka : One

Pada: Leg

Raja : King

Kapota: Pigeon

Asana : Pose

Joining together it means : One Leg King Pigeon pose.

How to perform One Leg Pigeon Pose or Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

• Start on all fours (legs + arms) in a squared table pose.Now Slide your right knee forward between your hands. Now try to slide your right foot slightly towards the left.
• Now slowly move your left leg towards the back. While doing this, your hips will move towards the ground.
• Now press your palms on the ground. All fingers touching the ground.
• Inhale, stretch your spine and try to look at the roof(slightly head up)
• Exhale and try to press your hips to the floor. Keep your chest straight and drop your shoulders down and pull them back.
• Try to stay in this pose for 15- 30 seconds.
• To come out of the pose, slide your right leg back into the squared table pose.
• Repeat the similar steps with the other side.

Benefits of Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

• As already said, it opens the hips. It helps in improving the flexibility of the hips
• It facilitates breathing.
• Helps in removing the lower back pain.
• It is said to that this pose releases the negative feelings or the undesirable energy stored in our body.

Precautions followed while doing Pigeon Pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana)

• Person suffering from recent chronic pains or hip injury should not perform this pose.
• Person suffering from knee injury should not perform this asana.

As stated always, try to do whatever is possible from your side. Don’t try to push yourself too hard as it may results in serious Yoga injuries.

Till then Happy Practicing.