For February the pose of the month at Hosh is half-pigeon Kapothasana, or more fully Eka (one) Pada (foot) Raja (royal) kapothasana (pigeon pose).
There are many ways one can come into pigeon—whether beginning from a seated pose, tabletop, or downward dog, ultimately the front leg is bent on the floor, with the heel resting somewhere between the groin and the left edge of the mat (depending on your hip). The opposite leg is back with its entire length prone on the floor. The hips are level and squared off to the mat and the upper body lengthens over the front leg coming into a forward bend, resting on wrists, forearms, or coming all the way down to the floor. In the back bending variations, the legs remain the same, but the torso is vertical, with the chest puffed forward (like a pigeon) and the head and neck reaching back.
The folded forward variation we generally practice at Hosh intensifies the stretch in the hamstrings and the piriformis of the front leg because more weight is over the front leg than in the back bending version of the pose. Tightness in the piriformis (which connects the top of the femur to the inside of the pelvis) is a common cause for pain in the sciatic nerve, because the two cross. Therefore kapothasana is a great preventative stretch. The piriformis’ main job is to act as a stabilizer muscle for the hip. It takes a good minute for its natural spindle reflex to stop firing and for release to begin. This is why in the beginning of this pose it often seems like the body is fighting it. It is also why we call it the yin of our yoga—because it requires calm sustained stretching to release.
In this pose especially it is important to treat your body mindfully so that it trusts you enough to release. Since the mind often begins to chatter more noisily during these more passive poses, actively focus on the breath: inhale into the hip, exhale to release. Inhale. Exhale. Repeat.
Kapothasana by Tara, pictures by Becca
