How to Do Pigeon Pose to Loosen Tight Hips and Relieve Lower Back Pain

Tight hips? Lower back aches and pains? Pigeon pose is for you. That said, it can get intense pretty quickly.

To practice pigeon pose safely and effectively, you'll need to warm up and use proper form. Below, we'll share how to do it, plus a few pigeon pose variations to make it easier or harder.

• ‌What is pigeon pose?‌ Pigeon pose (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana) is a hip-opening pose commonly practiced in yoga, according to yoga teacher Karina Blackwood, RYT-200, creator of Blissed Happiness. It's performed on the ground with one leg back and the other knee forward with your hips squared forward.
• ‌What is pigeon pose good for?‌ "Pigeon pose is excellent for opening up your hips, which can reduce lower back pain, increase the range of motion and flexibility of your hips and reduce tightness throughout the lower body," says yoga teacher Michelle Polizzi, RYT-500, member of the expert panel for Garage Gym Reviews. It's also a relaxing, tension-relieving pose and often performed near the end of yoga practice, Polizzi says.
• ‌Who can do pigeon pose?‌ Pigeon pose can be modified in many ways, making it appropriate for yogis of all levels and abilities. However, approach the pose with caution if you're returning from injury or surgery. "In this case, listening to your doctor or physical therapist as you ease yourself into yoga is best," Polizzi says.
• ‌How long should you hold pigeon pose?‌ How long you spend in pigeon pose varies depending on your experience, flexibility and comfort level. "As a general guideline, it's recommended to hold the pose for about 5 to 10 breaths on each side," Blackwood says. That gives you enough time to experience a decent stretch and cultivate awareness in the posture, she notes. If you're new to pigeon pose or have limited flexibility, you may need to start with shorter holds. Work your way up to longer holds as you become more comfortable and flexible.
• ‌Why is pigeon pose so difficult?‌ Pigeon pose is a deep stretch of your glutes, psoas, hip flexor and spine —- many areas that tend to be tight due to sedentary lifestyles, Polizzi says. Tightness or limited flexibility in the hips in particular can make it challenging to bring the front shin parallel to the front edge of the mat or to fold forward comfortably, Blackwood says. Some people also experience knee discomfort or sensitivity in pigeon pose, "particularly if they had previous knee injuries or limited mobility," she adds.

Pigeon pose is best known for its ability to stretch and open your hips. This pose targets your external hip rotator, hip flexor and glute muscles in particular and takes your hip joints through a greater range of motion than they encounter in daily life.

Through regular practice, pigeon pose can enhance range of motion in your hip joints, Blackwood says. Having looser, more mobile hips can promote ease of movement in hip-focused activities such as walking, running and squatting.

"Pigeon pose can help relieve lower back pain by stretching and releasing tension in the hip and glute muscles," Blackwood says.

In addition, pigeon pose may help with sciatica. Sciatica is an irritation of the sciatic nerve in your lower back, per the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). It's often felt as pain in your lower back or glutes that radiates down one or both legs.

"Pigeon pose may relieve sciatica symptoms in some people, as it releases the muscles that put pressure on the sciatic nerve," Polizzi explains.

As the link between your legs and spine, your hips play a vital role in posture. By targeting your hip flexors and external rotators — muscles that are often overly tight — pigeon pose helps correct imbalances and misalignments in your hips, Blackwood says. This can have a positive effect on overall posture.

Pigeon pose also improves posture by encouraging an upright and elongated spine, helping to counteract the rounded shoulders and spine many of us develop from sitting at our desks, in our cars and on our couches.

"A common mistake with the pigeon pose is thinking that the shin of the bent leg ‌has‌ to be parallel to the front of the mat," Polizzi says.

If you're able to comfortably line up your shin with the mat, that's great. But if you're not very flexible, you'll have to strain or force it. That intense action isn't a great way to twist your front knee, Polizzi notes.

You want both hips to be aligned while in pigeon pose. However, many people wind up with one hip significantly higher or lower than the other. "This misalignment can strain the lower back and lead to an uneven stretch," Blackwood says.

Many people focus solely on what their hips are doing and ignore their back legs in pigeon pose. If you don't watch out, you could end up turning the foot of that extended leg in or out (making a "C" shape), instead of letting it point straight back. This twists your knee and ankle, putting those joints in a painful position, according to Polizzi.

Many newbies try to force their body into the pose or sink deep into the stretch too quickly. However, pushing past a comfortable range of motion can cause muscle strain or injury, Blackwood warns.

Here are two pigeon pose modifications you can do to work up to the pose.

Here are three pigeon pose progressions you can do to make the pose more difficult.

Pigeon pose is an excellent posture to include in your yoga practice, especially if you have tight hips or an achy back.

It's a good idea to have some props on-hand the first time you attempt the pigeon stretch, as pigeon pose for beginners can be pretty intense.

"Blankets beneath your knees and thighs are great, and blocks beneath your chest or forearms can give you more support as you bend over," Polizzi says.

Polizzi also recommends saving the pose for later in your yoga flow.

"It's best to open your hips with different yoga poses before jumping straight into a pigeon," she says, as trying to do pigeon without warming up could lead to overstrain or injury. Not to mention, it'll be tougher to coax your hips into the pose, according to Polizzi. Gentle poses like the figure 4 stretch, seated butterfly stretch and low lunge are all great ways to prepare your hips for pigeon pose.