Pigeon Pose

MobilityBWMat

Yoga hip opener that stretches the glutes and hip external rotators of the front leg while stretching the hip flexor of the back leg. Deep, passive complement to the 90/90 switch.

Demo: Yoga With Adriene

Sets

1

Reps

60-90 sec hold per side

Rest

20s

Contraindications

Knee pain with the front leg deeply flexed — use a bolster and shallower angle.

Setup

From all fours, bring the front shin across the body at an angle, back leg extended straight behind.

Execution

  1. 1Square the hips as much as possible toward the front of the mat
  2. 2Lower the torso forward over the front shin to deepen the stretch
  3. 3Keep the back leg long and hip pointing down, not rolled outward
  4. 4Hold and breathe, easing deeper as tension releases

Key cues

  • Square the hips, don't let the back hip roll open
  • Fold forward from the hips, not just the shoulders
  • Relax the front glute into the floor
  • Keep the back leg extended and active

Common faults

  • Letting the back hip rotate open to fake more depth
  • Loading weight into the front knee incorrectly, causing knee pain
  • Rounding aggressively through the low back to force depth
  • Skipping the modified/bolstered version when too tight

Tweaks

  • Use a bolster or block under the front hip if it doesn't reach the floor
  • Add a reverse pigeon (quad stretch) for the back leg
  • Sphinx pigeon (forearms down) for a gentler variant

Regressions

90/90 Hip Switch

Muscles

Primary: Glutes, Hip External Rotators

Secondary: Hip Flexors, Adductors

Notes

Considered the modified/dynamic cousin of the 90/90; use both for well-rounded hip rotation training.

Sources

Attribution: Traditional yoga asana (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana), widely adopted in mobility work