The King Pigeon pose, also known as Rajakapotasana, is an advanced yoga pose that focuses on your lower body and stretches your muscles. Not only does the King Pigeon pose massage your abdominal muscles, but it also improves your digestive system, strengthens your spine, and relieves lower back pain. It also relieves sciatic pain by improving blood flow to your lower spine and legs.
Learn more about you can open up your hip muscles, increase flexibility, and extend your range of motion by mastering the King Pigeon.
Supported Fish Pose
Fish Pose stretches your abdomen, chest, throat, and hip flexors. It strengthens your upper back and neck muscles, leading to improved spinal posture and flexibility. Here are the steps to perform Supported Fish pose.
- Sit in front of your block or blanket stack
- Make sure your pelvis is 8-10 inches in front of your block
- Lean back onto the block or blanket to rest your rips against the block’s edge
- Open your chest and torso while resting your arms by your side
- Stay in this position for at least 30 seconds
- Extend your arms toward the ceilings if you want to open your shoulders
Cat/Cow Pose
The Cat-Cow Pose strengthens your shoulders, wrists, arms and relieves tension in your spine, including your cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. It warms up your spine for the King Pigeon pose and massages your abdominal organs. The purpose of this preparatory pose is to tone your abdomen, increase spinal flexibility, and strengthen your muscles to perform the King Pigeon pose efficiently.
- Start the pose by moving into Cow pose
- Inhale and drop your abdomen toward the ground
- Lift your chest and chin toward the ceiling
- Broaden your shoulder blades and ensure they are away from your ears
- Engage your stomach to your spine and round your spine toward the ceiling
- Release your head’s crown toward the ground
- Avoid forcing your chin to your torso
- Repeat at least 5-10 times
Cobra Pose
Cobra Pose is another prep pose for the King Pigeon. It strengthens your spine, stretches your abdomen, shoulders, chest, lungs, tones your buttocks, relieves fatigue, increases energy, and opens your heart, and soothes lower back pain.
- Place your palms flat on the floor under your shoulders
- Bend your elbows back and hug them into your sides
- Look straight down at the floor while keeping your neck neutral
- Inhale and lift your chest off the ground or mat
- Keep your lower ribs on the mat while rolling your shoulders back
Low Lunge
The Low Lunge pose stretches your hamstrings, quadriceps, hips, and groin while increasing your lower body’s full range of motion. It is one of the best prep poses for King Pigeon, allowing you to perform the pose comfortably by releasing tension in your hips and stretching your quads and hamstrings. It also strengthens your knees and helps you develop better mental concentration.
- From Downward-Facing Dog, exhale and step your left foot forward between your hands
- Make sure you align your left knee over your heel and lower your right knee to the floor
- Keep your left knee firm in place and slide the right one to feel stretch in your right thigh and groin
- Inhale, elevate your torso, and sweep your arms out to your sides
- Then lift your arms and maintain a 90-degree angle from the floor
- Draw your tailbone down toward the ground and lift your pubic bone
- Look up and try to reach your little fingers toward the ceiling
- Hold this position for 60 seconds and exhale your chest back to your left thigh
- Move your hands toward the floor and turn your toes under
- Lift your right knee with another exhale and step back to the downward-facing dog
Lizard Pose
The Lizard Pose opens your hamstrings, hips, hip flexors, groins and strengthens your inner thigh muscles. It also opens your neck, shoulders, chest and prepares your body for the King Pigeon pose. Here are the steps:
- Start the pose in the Downward-Facing Dog, with your feet hip-width apart
- Tuck your chin in your chest and step your right foot forward
- Come into the lunge position, and lower your left knee to the floor
- Press into your hips and keep your arms straight
- Lower onto your forearms slowly while keeping your spine and head align
- Press up on your left foot’s ball while keeping your left leg straight
- Stay in this position for a few seconds and repeat on the other side
Pigeon Pose
Pigeon Pose stretches your lower back, hips, and increases flexibility in your hip flexors. It also focuses on your abdominal muscles to support digestive functions. The Pigeon pose will help you get ready for the King Pigeon pose.
- Begin in the downward-facing dog and place your hand in front of you
- Press into your hand and feet while straightening your legs
- Raise your hips toward the ceiling to maintain an upside-down V-position
- Raise your right leg and bring your knee to the back
- Rotate your right shin to make it parallel with the front of the mat
- Bring your right leg to the floor and keep the left one straight
- Bring your right knee outward and lower your right buttocks toward the floor
- Place your hands under the shoulders and press into your palms
- Straighten your spine and make sure it is elongated
- Look straight and feel the stretch
- Hold the position for ten breaths and repeat on the other side
Mermaid Pose with Shoulder Stretch
The Mermaid Pose is another prep pose for the King Pigeon, leading to a strong core, pelvic floor, flexible lower back, strengthened hips flexors, stretched quad muscles, and optimal balance. It also strengthens your chest and shoulders. Here are the steps:
- Start the pose on the right side by getting into the Pigeon Pose
- Square your shoulders and hips toward the mat
- Keep your palms on the mat and your left knee bent
- Bend your left foot close and extend your left arm forward
- Rotate your shoulder to hold your left foot
- Hold your foot firmly to feel the stretch in your shoulder
- Take a deep breath and stay in the position for a better stretch
