Remember, Yoga is extremely adaptable. You may have tried Pigeon Pose after seeing a photograph of the pose in a book or magazine and become discouraged. I find the pose to be artistic and graceful. Let's look at some gentle Pigeon Pose variations that may allow you to practice your own Pigeon Pose.
Cautions:
Pigeon Pose is tough on the patella, tendons, quadriceps, and the groin adductors. Take time and patience to slowly develop your Pigeon Pose over a series of sessions. Never use force, and stay out of your pain zone. Do not place this pose early in your routine – you want to be well-stretched and relaxed for this one.
"Damaged knees rarely come back one hundred percent. If you have any issues in the knee area, see your physician before trying this asana."
Modification one:
1)Kneel upright on the mat with your hands at your sides.
2)Choose either leg and perform the following actions simultaneously: keep the chosen leg bent at the knee, but turn it sideways so that you are looking at your inside groin adductors; at the same time, begin to lower your hands onto the mat on each side of your pelvis; at the same time stretch your other leg straight out behind you and take the weight of coming down on the mat into the support of your hands.
3)Make the above moves thoughtfully and slowly. You may have to experiment to understand how your body structure can best assimilate this asana. Many practitioners find that they cannot center their weight and must allow the chosen bent leg to be the side of the body that takes the load.
When you have come this far, your chosen leg should be bent so that your foot is near the groin area. Stop her for a moment and feel your body. Get a sense of your weight distribution. If everything feels okay…
4)Move your hands forward on the mat and begin to lean in and over your adductor muscles. Easy does it. Your arms will come forward, and as your lean becomes lower your arms will be stretched out in front of you on the mat on both sides of your chosen leg. Your long-term goal is to have your forehead at rest on the mat in front of your knee. This is one way of doing Pigeon pose. Hold it for a count of ten natural, easy breaths. And use your hands to walk yourself back out of the pose. Rest. Repeat on the other side.
Modification two: Deepening the pose-
1)Come up on the knee of the chosen leg so that you are now looking down at your quadriceps. Your other leg is still straight behind you.
2)Bend the straight leg at the knee and bring the foot as far up to your shoulder on that side as you comfortably can.
3)On your chosen knee side, keep a hand planted on the mat for balance while you lift your other hand off the mat and reach up and back to grasp the foot and guide it the rest of the distance to the shoulder. The foot touching the shoulder is a long-term goal. Look straight ahead or gently tip your head back a bit. Use no force. Stop here. Check for balance and pain. If you have any pain, you have gone too far – for now. Hold for ten breaths. Slowly release the pose. Rest. Repeat on the other side.
Tip: Your upper torso should be almost vertical. Pain in the lower back is a sign you have gone too far at this time. Your knee on the leg that is bringing its foot to your shoulder should not be in contact with the mat. It is normal to feel a moderate stretch in your quadriceps on that leg. Don't force it.
Modification three: Pigeon Pose for Chair Yoga –
1)Sit back in your chair. Relax. Choose a leg and lift it over the other leg, ending this move with your ankle resting on top of your knee. Pause here and check for any pain. If everything feels okay…
2)Place one hand on the foot of your chosen leg and the other hand on the knee.
3)Slowly bend forward as far as is comfortable. Your long-term goal is to end with your forehead resting on the shin of your chosen leg. Hold for ten breaths. Come out of the pose. Rest. Repeat on the other side.
Build up your Pigeon Pose slowly from once per week to three times per week. If you experience "shooting" pains in your knees or hips, this asana may not be correct for your individual structure. Don't push it – let it go. You currently have close to one thousand asanas to chose from!