What it is: Calming pigeon pose is often done in yoga classes as the last pose before final rest pose. Our variation is from a seated position, so students can do this pose right at their desks in the classroom. This would be great as a quick yoga break before or after lunch/recess or even as a brain break between long lessons.
Why we love it: Categorized as a calming hip opener, pigeon pose stretches the hip area in two different ways – increasing the rotation of the femur bone in the hip socket, and lengthening the psoas muscle (the muscle that connects).
How to do it (seated variation):
Sit tall and straight in your chair.
Cross your right ankle over your left knee.
Press one hand into your knee and the other into your heel.
Inhale and lean forward over your crossed leg.
Stay in the pose for three to five breath cycles.
To get out of the pose, sit back in your chair and uncross your leg.
Repeat with the other leg.
The chair variation that we offer here is perfect for the classroom because it doesn’t require a lot of space. It also doesn’t put as much stress on the hips as the floor version – which makes it perfect as a one-off pose to try during your day (versus the floor variation which should be worked up to with a series of moves to warm up the hips).
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