Pigeon Pose

Muscles worked

Setup

1. Start in a tabletop position on all fours or a high plank.
2. Bring your right knee forward and place it behind your right wrist.
3. Position your right ankle toward your left wrist, aiming for a 45- to 90-degree angle with your shin depending on your flexibility.
4. Slide your left leg straight back, ensuring your knee and the top of your foot are resting on the floor.

How to do it

1. Inhale as you lift your chest and square your hips toward the front, distributing weight evenly between both sides.
2. Exhale as you slowly lower your torso toward the floor, resting on your forearms or extending your arms fully in front of you.
3. Maintain a slow, steady breathing pattern, focusing on relaxing the glute of the front leg with every exhale.
4. Hold the position for the prescribed time, then carefully push back to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

Form checklist

• Keep your front foot flexed to protect the knee joint.
• Ensure your hips remain level and square to the ground; do not collapse onto the hip of the bent leg.
• Keep your back leg extended straight behind you, not angled out to the side.
• Engage your core slightly to prevent excessive arching in the lower back.

Pro tips

• Focus on 'heavy hips'—let gravity pull your pelvis toward the floor rather than forcing the stretch with your muscles.
• If your hip is significantly off the ground, place a yoga block or folded towel under the glute of the front leg to maintain square alignment.

Make it harder

• Increase the intensity by bringing your front shin more parallel to the top of your mat.
• Add a quad stretch by reaching back with the same-side hand to grab the foot of the extended rear leg.

Frequently asked

What muscles does the pigeon pose work?

The pigeon pose primarily targets the abs and obliques, and also works the adductors, hip flexors, and quadriceps as secondary muscles.

What equipment do you need for the pigeon pose?

The pigeon pose requires no equipment — just your body weight.

Is the pigeon pose good for beginners?

Yes. The pigeon pose is a beginner-friendly movement and a strong foundation to build on.

Related exercises

• Lying Butterfly AbductionBeginner · abs, glutes, and obliques
• Resistance Band Kneeling Adductor Backward StretcIntermediate · adductors
• Bird DogBeginner · abs, erector spinae, hamstrings, and trapezius
• Resistance Band Lying AbductionBeginner · abs and glutes