So let's take a look at the One-Legged Pigeon. Eka pada kapotasana have a good saying in Sanskrit Eka Pada, eka pada kapotasana .
Sanskrit is long as English is long, One-Legged Pigeon. So some teachers shorten it by just a kapotasana or pigeon.
But actually, there's a different pose called pigeon or a kapotasana, which is a very advanced backbend. We're not doing that we're doing Eka pada kapotasana.
The best way to go to Eka Pada kapotasana and or One-Legged Pigeon, shortened pigeon, is from Downward Facing Dog.
Here is how to get started:
Get on all fours, fold toes under, and extend the legs. Now, take the left knee as close as you can to your chest, and then bring yourself forward.
It will look like a plank, take your left knee outside, outside the left hand. Now what happens is, when students do this, and they don't find the flexibility through their headsets, that's fine, you can stay there.
As much as possible, the knee is outside of the hand, and then slowly transfer the weight from your hands to your hips so you can rest them.
This is where we start to get into some trouble. We see some people who do too much of a stretch for them. So you can help them out with some bolsters.
Alternatively, just keep some weight on your hands. When you get used to it. After some practice, you can slowly extend so as possible on the right leg, placing your weight eventually on the floor through your hips. You can extend your leg back, pointing your foot down.
Eventually, you can move your hands in line with the rest of the body, and move the shoulders backward. And this is your one-legged pigeon.
Its called Pigeon, because it's like a back bend and opens up your chest. Now there's a variation of pigeon that students love, which is you walk yourself forward.
And you can place just elbows down to the floor or forehead down to the floor if you can. As always stay for five long breaths .
So I would suggest for you and your students before you go into the variation where you are lying down or leaning forward, just stay here for a few breaths. That way you can really make most of this back bend and this extension for the right time.
Downward Facing Dog.
Now take your right knee and place it outside of the right hand. Lower your hips, and extend your left leg and back. Placing hands on the sides. Opening the chest and breathing.
Walking head forward, stuck your back toes in there and now you can release the pose into a downward facing dog.
Now let's talk about the knee in this post because as you already know, in yoga the two most common injuries or complaints would be knees and the lower back. So this one is about the knee. When you have your knee out to the side, keep the foot flexed and toes pointing up it will help the knee cap a little bit.
I hope you enjoy this One legged pigeon pose