Supported pigeon pose- Feel like a swan!

Breathe into open hips with support. These pigeon pose variations will open up the whole body. Remember what ever chair you might try to use should be stable. This is NOT for a rolling office chair.  

Foundation(s):
Option 1- Face the back of the chair. Place a blanket over the edge of the chair. Step back 1-2 feet away from the chair. hold onto the back of the chair.
Option 2- Face the seat of the chair. Place a blanket on the seat of the chair.

Action(s):  
Option 1- Lift one knee up onto the chair and externally rotate the hip until part of the shin and thigh rest on the
​Option 2- While holding onto the back of the chair, bend one knee and as you externally rotate the thigh place the shin and thigh on the seat of the chair. Slide your free leg long behind you until it is fully extended. You may choose to keep the toes tucked to get more of a calf stretch or place the top of the foot on the floor for a deeper ankle and shin stretch.  If you keep the arms straight and lengthen the spine you will get a deeper hip flexion stretch and a back-bend. If you bow forward and rest on the back edge of the chair you can focus on the stretch in the outer hip of the bent leg.
Details/ Notes:
In the first option students with a longer stride may feel more stable if they turn the foot out slightly.
In the second option is a student is taking the back-bend variation be sure that they elongate the spine and add some firmness to the belly. It is common for students to simply push back too far too fast into compressing the low back. While a mild compression is fine we do not want students to overdo it where they may cause strain in the low back.

This is for informational purposes only. Students should check with their doctors before beginning any exercise program and instruction is always best when under the direction of a qualified professional. 

Model- Chris Loebsack
Blog by- Amy Annonsen and Chris Loebsack
Want more Chair Yoga? Join Amy on Tuesday night at Boundless Yoga in Stroudsburg PA at 7:15pm
Learn how to practice chair yoga sequences for your self or to teach others: Chair Yoga Advanced Studies with Amy and Chris November 2-4, 2018