How to bind/flip the shoulder in Eka Pada Raja Kapotasana (King Pigeon Pose)

How do you approach this pose with awareness and in a safe way?? Step 1: Don’t compare what your physical expression looks like compared to some fancy looking picture online or social media - it may look very different.

We need to move away from an idealised physical expression of a yoga posture (thought/desire), to a safe one that serves us a purpose to trying it to begin with (following your breathe and awareness).

Always ask your ‘why’ when you are doing an asana (yoga posture) - does it help you gain strength, awareness and opening that isn’t painful in your body? Or does it feel completely forced? Either by your mind/desire or by a competitive nature? Or maybe by a desire to impress fellow students or your teacher?

Some good measures of a postures suitability for YOU in the MOMENT you are practicing (this will change from day to day, practice to practice) are:

• Do you feel like your bones and joints are unsupported and pulling apart?

• Is there any strange pulling sensation near to any of your joints, where your muscles attach to you bones (tendons)?

• Is there pain that you flinch away from?

• Are you pushing, bending or forcing your body into a shape where tissue feels like it’s tearing or pulling too much?

• Are you unable to breathe?

• Come out of all of the above sensations and observations

These are all things you will need to discern for yourself as you gain a deep understanding of your body and breath through your yoga practice and your awareness and consciousness begin to expand. You are your best teacher and only you will know the answers to if something doesn’t feel right or if somethings feels good and safe in your body.

Step 2: How to try King Pigeon: grab a strap and some props to boost your hips up. This pose has imagery everywhere because it is a photogenic pose, but most executions of this posture are poorly done, you can see almost no glute engagement or pelvic stability, lots of compression in the lumbar and cervical spine (lower back and neck). Anyone can try this pose, it doesn't matter at all what it looks like. I don't even practice the "full bind" anymore as it hurts/compresses my lower back, and looking back on the many years of practice, trying to make the “shape” I was always moving into spinal compression, no strength building/support whatsoever and just forcing myself into flexibility.

Think function over form, stability over forced flexibility (which can lead to injuries!)

Watch the video for full explanation and demonstration. Only try if you feel comfortable to try, and you should only try to do this WITHIN your regular practice whilst you are warmed up. Enjoy!

I have a ton of other tutorials up on my blog, check these out:

How to guide: ‘flip the shoulder’ in Dancers Pose - Natarajasana - safely using a strap

3 Ways to Try Eka Pada Bakasana (One Legged Crow)