Let's face it, pigeons poop on people for fun (what, you thought those were indiscriminate excrement-shots?!), they're awfully dirty, and they'll chase you down if you have something delectable in your hand. They also tend to make people cry. Well, pigeon pose, that is. So what's up with this pesky avian, you ask? Sit a moment and I'll explain. Watch out for that poop, there.
- Two words: Subtle Body. If you ever doubted its existence before, have yourself a waterworks pigeon experience and BOOMSHAKALAKA! Thouest arteth noweth a Believer!
- Further expanding on #1, we store buried emotions, past hurts, and tough experiences in our cells, so deep within our physical bodies. The story of, "There I was, innocently taking pigeon (or often a similarly deep hip-opener) and all of a sudden, I found myself bawling!" is a common one. When you really get in there, what has been buried will be freed, like a powerful underground spring.
- This is one of the most common poses in which students injure themselves. It can be murder on the knees and you're in for a serious tweak if you don't go slowly and respect your limits.
- Think of all the bad dancers you know. These people are confused by their hips. They don't ever have the opportunity to get IN them. To BE in the hips. Unless you dance like a mofo or you get a lot of acrobatic horizontal, ahem, hip action...you're probably going to be caught off guard by the physically-not-so-subtle nuances of pigeon.
Deep hip-openers are good for us in a number of ways — the most potent being that these poses bring up the things we most want to hide from and ask us to face them. Pigeon asks us to work these hurty blockages out with gentleness, mindfulness, and intelligent pacing. You can do it. I believe in you. Working it out is a must if you want to FLOW.
Know that if you aren't up for pigeon on any particular day, it's okay to give yourself a break. You have the option of taking another gentler pose for the time being. Or...you can take the lightest pigeon possible and pretend you're pigeon-poop-bombing your troubles. Take that! You won't be the girl/guy crying during pigeon...you'll be the loon who laughs kookily in the pose. I don't know about you, but I'm 100% okay with that.
Such truth and it can be hard to watch people suffering in pigeon when it is a great pose. One of my faves for sure, but no breaking down from this one... I save that for camel. ; )
Posted by: Crystal @YogiCrystal | Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 12:04 PM
According to PRI theory. It is safer to put more emphasis on the right side and baby the left. Basically, we, as humans, tend to sit cross-legged with the left over the right; so we are constantly opening the left, and neglecting right external rotation on a day-to-day basis.
Posted by: Yogacolor | Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 12:26 PM
i used to HATE reclined pigeon opting for the more shazaamy versions during those longer holdings. 10 months of YTT and some deep cathartic cries later and now it feels cozy.
love this post. period.
Posted by: nancy | Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 01:24 PM
Me loves pigeon pose. Me can do without poop on head though. Oh yeah.
Posted by: Emmanuelle | Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 01:41 PM
Great post! I got scared of pigeon pose for a while after the first time it totally caught me by surprise and I started blubbing in class. Now that I'm learning to accept where I am with it day to day it feels good! :)
Posted by: HumbleYogini75 | Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 04:58 PM
I was just talking w/ friends about this last night...all 3 of us mentioned the same experience. It's much easier on me now...physically & emotionally:)
Posted by: Kate | Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 07:05 PM
Crystal - It can be uncomfortable! You want to help them. I once took a class where this poor man was outright sobbing in pigeon. I was two students over from him and I felt his pain so sharply. So sad! But it has to come out.
Yogacolor - Thank you for your intelligent insights!
N - But have you practiced divebombing yet? :P
E - Oh yeah. ;)
Humble - Good to hear from you again, love! :D Love hearing how your pigeon practice is progressing.
Kate - I'm reading your mind. ;) It's beautiful when you can share intimate yoga moments (and boy can they be sensitive + intimate!) with your friends. Nobody understands like us yoga people. xo!
Posted by: Lo { Y is for Yogini } | Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 08:09 PM
pigeon pose, better than sex.
pigeon pose during sex, yogasm.
i'm not being lewd. intimate yoga moment at its best.
stellar post, as usual. get it girl.
Posted by: Account Deleted | Thursday, July 21, 2011 at 09:28 PM
love your blog... will share on mine. So true about pigeon pose. thanks for your insight. we all need more pigeon pose... any way we can get it. ;)
Posted by: Heidi | Wednesday, October 05, 2011 at 03:06 PM