We love pigeon pose in Active Care! And I am going to share the reasoning behind this great stretch. Pigeon pose is an intense hip opening stretch with benefits that may go deeper than we realize. At first sight pigeon may seem overwhelming, it looks like a challenging pose and it takes some slightly awkward maneuvering to get in and out of. But once you settle in, it is one of the most satisfying stretches with a lasting effect. Who needs pigeon? Anyone with tight hips. Look at the list below and see if you fall into one of the categories:
- If you spend your days sitting at work, your hips are probably tight
- If you are a runner, walker, or biker, your hips are probably tight
- If you have stress in your life, your hips are probably tight
This classifies almost everyone. Let’s face it, we have tight hips! Resistance to the stretching and opening of this area will only create further problems down the line. Spending a minute or two in pigeon each day will result in an amazing difference in the low body and back tightness. Pigeon is a dynamic stretch in that it simultaneously stretches the piriformis (deep in the glutes) on one side and the hip flexor (front of the hips) on the other side. It’s also a gentle back bend, depending on the variation. Just another bonus! You will find that after spending time in pigeon pose your hips and legs will move more freely and those aches and pains lessen or even disappear!
There is also a deeper emotional aspect to pigeon. Stress and tension builds up as tightness in the hip area as we accumulate it through our lives. So a lifetime of stress is often locked up in the hips causing pain and tightness as a physical symptom. With any hip opening stretch it is common that emotional blocks will release as you are stretching. So no matter what you do for work or exercise, pigeon is bound to benefit you in one way or another. Sounds like a good idea to me!