Blue Pearl Joy: Power to the She and Other Bird News

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Take a deep breath. Slide your knee forward. Slide other leg back as far as it can go. Breath out. Bring thighs in energetically together. Breath in. Sink deeper. Fingertips to the floor. Lengthen your back. Bend forward on elbows. Breath out. Release to the floor. It's ok to cry. That's just your emotions releasing. Breath in. Raise up. Smile bright and open your heart.

Ahhhhh Pigeon. That elusive bird that coo's in the wee hours of the morning hunting for food. The deliverer of culture changing information, with their little talons holding onto messages in times of war. Was that also the same bird that I saw living on that guy in Washington Square Park in NYC in the fall? Um Yeah.

I decided to conquer this pose in my newest Spring Fashion LookBook #2, and boy did it give me a new love of this yummy asana. I used to dread this in class, but now thinking of how grand one legged KING pigeon sounds and feels, I think I can hold this in Yin class a little longer. It's nice to face those mental challenges look at them as roads to tackle then head in the right direction. Don't always face the easy way just b/c it's so. Face your fears head on, and remember we are a culture of "doing. Getting things done. A culture of "Human Doing". We cannot just be-Human Beings.

When done correctly Pigeon can:

Stimulate the internal organs
Stretch deep glutes
Stretch groins and psoas (a long muscle on the side of your vertebral column and pelvis)
Relieve impinged piriformis and alleviate sciatic pain
Help with urinary disorders

For the lay person or yogi, pigeon pose elongates the back, opens the hips, groin, hamstrings, and relieves pressure on the lower back and sciatica.
Check out this link to practice your pigeon @ home:
http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/863