Challenge: Pigeon Pose

Ever since I started practicing yoga my biggest challenge has always been those poses where you have to be still for a while.  Still in the asana, stretching, breathing and quieting your mind.  Before I became a 'yogi' I was an avid runner.  I have done two NYC marathons and one half marathon which I graduated to after playing lacrosse in college.  I have had knee surgery and naturally have 'bad knees'.  Discovering yoga has literally changed my life.  Not only in the practice of asana (the physical practice) but the mental practice.  The other day I tried a new class in Long Island when I was staying with my parents and the teacher brought us into pigeon pose...this pose is my nemesis.  I can never get my leg parallel with the end of the mat because of my knees and I can never get my hip to touch the mat.  This pose is a what the yogi's call a 'hip-opener' and even if you don't have the perfect alignment you can still work to open up that hip.  Lastly, this is one of those poses where you have to get set and sit alone with your breath working the body, opening up.

Pictures below from the Lululemon Blog:

 

Setting up

If you are like me - tight or uneven hips you can place a blanket under the  hip of your bent leg

Adding the forward bend to the pose can help you relax

One of the things that my teacher Mindy always brings up during this pose is the idea of creating space.  Obviously in this pose you are working to create space in your hips, because once settled in the pose, breathing into your hip you are working towards opening up that part of your body.  But, what if you creating space in your hips (which is naturally the most closed off part of women's bodies) can create more space in your life.  It is interesting to think that creating space and opening up part of your physical body can open up your mind and affect your everyday life.  This idea of creating space is so broad.  It can mean creating more time in a day to do what your need or opening up your actual mind to new ideas.  The hips are a place where you store 'stuff';  thoughts, feelings, even ideas or goals so getting into pigeon and opening up those hips can allow you a release that you never even thought possible.  This is what yoga is all about, opening up the physical body and the mind.  The idea of opening up is such a great one, I can't even begin to touch on all it encompasses.  

Namaste!