Pigeon posture for beginners
This is a piece of homework from my yoga teacher training. Thought I'd post it up in case anyone wants to learn my favorite yoga posture, Pigeon (Kapotasana). If you want to try it, take your time and be gentle. It stretches some muscles that don't usually get stretched.Pigeon posture for beginners:
Start on all fours. Walk your hands forward a little bit. Bring your right knee up between your hands, and sit down on your heel. Roll your shoulders back and down, bringing your chest forward (like a pigeon puffs out its chest). Keep your belly button close to your spine, which helps make sure that your lower back isn’t bent too sharply. A really big bend in your lower back is hard on the disks between the vertebrae, so be gentle! Try to make sure your hips are equal distance from the floor; don’t lean to one side or the other. Remember to breathe!
There you are in pigeon!
When you are ready, come out of the posture and return to all fours. Be sure to practice on the other side too, so bring your left knee up between your hands.
When you are done, come back to all fours, and then sit back on your heels. Rest for a few minutes in Child’s Posture by bringing your forehead to the floor. Your knees can be either together or separated, and your arms can be either out in front of you, or by your sides with your hands close to your heels. Or you can put one fist on top of the other fist and rest your forehead on top of them. Try to find the Child’s Posture that is most comfortable for you today.
Namaste!
(I've been searching for a picture of pigeon posture online, but it is maddeningly difficult to find picture of beginner level yoga postures done in safe ways. All the pics are of super-flexible people showing off how super-flexible they are. I don't want my friends - not to mention any future students of mine - getting hurt trying to emulate them. Maybe I should make my own yoga website with pictures that are actually useful...)
Labels: yoga
posted by Jaime_sama @ 10:34 AM
4 Comments:
You totally should!
I found this video in which the teacher talks about doing the pose safely and demonstrates using block to help the less flexible (and why teachers need to consider what their clothing is showing to their students):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq19bxDO8MQ
whoa cleavage!
wow, that's professional... (sigh)
I like how she says "don't grab the foot" - my teacher also warned us that is a good way to hurt your knee. also full credit for good use of the blocks. :)
I like her backbends at 5:45ish - no super duper sharp kink in her lower back (I hate seeing that).
I would teach the beginning differently. She starts out (about 1:25) with her right knee behind her right hand, placing her right foot behind her left hand. So she is dictating from the get-go how far out your foot needs to be, when that is actually going to be very different for different bodies.
I was taught to start out sitting on the right foot, so there is zero chance of torquing the knee. After you sit there for a minute, you can scoot the foot over to the left *little by little* until you figure out where your sweet spot is.
I was taught to start out sitting on the right foot, so there is zero chance of torquing the knee. After you sit there for a minute, you can scoot the foot over to the left *little by little* until you figure out where your sweet spot is.
That sounds much better. I love it when people take the time to explain the whats, hows and whys.
The beginner's site sounds like a great idea to me too -- and an excellent way to help promote your classes. You know you'll need a website regardless, so also having some content ready to go on it would be terrific.
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