The July Zamasana of the month is Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, more commonly known as Half Pigeon Pose. Half Pigeon is the king of all hip opening poses, providing a deep stretch that will open up the hip joint and lengthen the hip flexor muscles. It also leads to a great stretch for other muscles in the body such as the shoulder, chest and abdomen regions. Practicing this pose will do wonders for your posture and body alignment, as well as stimulating internal organs.
This pose is simple to practice and can even be practiced while you’re watching Offspring 😉
Practice Half Pigeon pose:
- From Downward Facing Dog, lift your right leg high behind you. Swing it forward and bring the outer part of the leg down to the floor, bending the knee and lowering your pelvis, keeping your chest lifted. Bring the right knee behind the right wrist and the right foot behind the left wrist, with a flexed right foot. The right foot can come back towards the left hip but make sure the point at the middle of your shin bone is perpendicular to the centre line of the body (the spine). Keep the left leg out long behind you.
- If you want to feel a deeper sensation, you can walk your fingertips in front of your shin, coming down onto your palms, forearms, or even fold forwarding to rest your forehead on the top of your hands or the floor. If you experience knee pain in the left leg, place a folded blanket underneath.
- Hold for at least one minute on either side.
We look forward to practicing Half Pigeon with you in July!