Flexibility is something that plays an important part in facilitating movement and our range of movement. It is important to find ways of ensuring that our bodies remain limber and flexible as we age. Simple yoga poses can do wonders for flexibility and the pigeon pose is a great way to get started. Yoga is a practice of reconnecting with your body, being mindful of how it moves and what it may need. It also promotes mindfulness, something much needed in this chaotic world.
Pigeon pose is a hip opening pose, which means that it loosens the hips and promotes flexibility in the hips and legs. It seeks to stretch the psoas muscle which provides the range of motion needed.
This pose has been found to alleviate back pain and knee pain will promoting knee and joint flexibility. It can also relieve tension and improve posture.
How To Perform The Pigeon Pose
- Get down on all fours, in a tabletop position. Lift your right knee and bring it forward, positioning your foot next to your wrist.
- Slide your left leg back, pointing your toes with heel facing upwards.
- Slowly lower yourself to the ground, you front leg resting in front of you almost like you are half crossing your legs. Keep you left leg straight out behind you.
- Take a breath, slowly lifting onto your fingertips and lengthening your spine.
- As you exhale, walk your arms out in front of you and slowly lower your head and chest onto the ground.
- Push back on your hands and slowly lift your hips. Move your right leg back and bring your left leg forward.
Tips For Beginners
- Try keep your right foot close to your left hip.
- If you want to increase the intensity, position you sin parallel to your mat.
- If your head cannot rest on the mat, use a yoga block or your hands to rest it on.
- Keep your shoulders straight.
- Keep your neck loose
- Take it slow and enjoy the stretch.
If this pose is tricky, you can modify it to meet your level of flexibility. Whatever you do, it will feel as good as hitting 21 and winning. There are so many yoga poses that can be done to promote flexibility. Yoga also offers a wide range of other benefits, the most prominent being mindfulness. The entire practice is centred around becoming in tune with your inner self and connecting with your body holistically. This can even become part of daily living, taking the time to reconnect with yourself while giving your muscles a good stretch in the process.
Harvard Medical School has even found that yogis are more in tune with their bodies and are more sensitive to the cues that it may give off. This means that you can easily identify issues and address them before it becomes too serious.
