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YOGAPEDIA

r r ti

76

july 2016

yogajournal.com.au

PHOTOS: RICK CUMMINGS; STYLIST: EMILY CHOI; HAIR/MAKEUP: BETH WALKER;TOP: PRANA; BOTTOMS: LULULEMON

eka = one · pada = leg or foot · raja = king · kapota = pigeon · asana = pose

One-Legged King Pigeon Pose, forward bend variation; a.k.a. Sleeping Pigeon Pose

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

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DON’Tdon’t angle your knee toward

the centre of your mat; your hips

will become uneven and you’ll

again lose the stretch.

DON’Ttilt your pelvis toward

your front leg. This will negate

the desired stretch.

Benefit

Provides the external rotation and flexion that

your hips need to remain agile; releases tension

in your hips from sitting all day.

Instruction

1 Come to all fours with your hands below your

shoulders, knees below your hips. Bring your left

knee to touch your left wrist. Keep your left thigh

parallel to the side of your mat and inch your left

foot forward until it’s just in front of your right hip.

If your hips allow, walk your left foot closer to the

front of your mat to create a more intense stretch.

2 Slide your right leg toward the back of your mat

and lower both hips toward the floor. As you lower

your pelvis, be sure that your hips don’t spill to the

left. Look over your shoulder and make sure your

back leg is extended straight. Press the top of

your back foot into the floor to more deeply

stretch your hip flexors. Stay here, with your arms

straight and your hands alongside your hips,

Our Pros San Francisco-based instructor and model Jason Crandell has 20 years of teaching experience. His classes integrate elements of Power Yoga,

anatomical precision, and mindfulness. Crandell has taught on many teacher-training faculties and leads trainings globally. He is a contributing editor at

Yoga Journal, where he has authored more than 25 articles, a podcast series, and four full-length DVDs. Find more of his teachings at jasonyoga.com.

How to move from Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

to Eka Pada Galavasana

Poses of the month

By Jason Crandell

for 2 to 4 breaths, letting your hips settle toward

the floor and observing the sensations in your

lower body.

3 Walk your arms forward so they’re at a 45-degree

angle to the floor – roughly the same angle as

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward-Facing Dog

Pose). Press your hands firmly into the floor as if

pushing away the ground. Complement this action

by rooting down through your front shin and the

top of your back foot. Feel how this increases the

opening in your front hip and back thigh. Take 2 to

4 deep breaths.

4 Continue to deepen the posture by walking

your arms forward until your forehead rests on the

floor. You’ll stretch your outer hip more deeply by

keeping your elbows off the ground. Continue to

root down through your front shin and back foot.

Breathe into the sensations that are rumbling in

your hips; relax your eyes, jaw, and throat. Take 3

to 4 breaths, release, and repeat on the other side.