Pigeon pose, kapotāsana and its variations

3 min read · Updated October 16, 2026 · sources checked October 16, 2026

Sanskrit: कपोतासनKapotāsana
Meaning of the name: Pigeon pose: kapota, pigeon or dove, and āsana, posture; the class version is a preparation for eka pāda rājakapotāsana, the one-legged king pigeon
Level: Intermediate
Family: Hip opener and backbend
In the texts: Modern posture, absent from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita

In short

Pigeon pose, as taught in most classes, is a hip opener: from all fours, the right knee comes forward behind the right wrist, the shin angled across the mat, the left leg stretched back, the chest lifted like a pigeon's. Hold five to ten breaths per side. It is a preparation for eka pāda rājakapotāsana, a modern posture.

Watch a pigeon on a temple roof in Rishikesh: chest puffed out, head high, tail low. The posture borrows that silhouette. In modern classes, "pigeon" has become the best-known hip opener, often held for a long time; its name is a short form of a more demanding pose, eka pāda rājakapotāsana, "the one-legged king pigeon", in which the back foot is drawn up towards the head.

Steps

Start on hands and knees, or in downward-facing dog.
Bring the right knee forward and place it on the floor just behind the right wrist. The right foot rests in front of the left hip; the shin lies diagonally across the mat.
Slide the left leg straight back, the top of the left foot on the floor, the kneecap facing down.
Square the hips towards the front of the mat. If the right buttock floats above the floor, slide a folded blanket or a cushion under it.
Flex the right foot to protect the knee. Place the hands beside the hips and lift the chest, like the bird.
Breathe five to ten slow breaths. If the body allows, walk the hands forward and lower the chest over the front leg, forearms or forehead resting.
To come out, press into the hands, tuck the back toes, return to all fours, and repeat on the other side.

Alignment

The hips stay level; the weight is shared between the front hip and the back thigh.
The front knee feels no pain; the stretch is felt in the outer hip and buttock.
The back leg points straight back from the hip, not off to the side.

Variations

Reclining pigeon, or figure four (gentle version): lying on the back, knees bent, cross the right ankle over the left thigh, then draw the left thigh towards you. The safest version for knees and lower back.
Supported pigeon: a bolster or a block under the front hip and another under the chest.
Chair pigeon: seated on a chair, place the right ankle on the left knee and lean forward with a long back.
Eka pāda rājakapotāsana (advanced): the back knee bends and the hands catch the back foot, drawing it towards the head. Learn it with a teacher.

Contraindications

Knee injury or pain in the front knee: use the reclining or chair version.
Sacroiliac pain or acute low-back pain: support the hips well, or skip.
Hip replacement: deep external rotation may be advised against; ask your surgeon.
Pregnancy: support the front hip and avoid lowering the chest onto the belly; ask your midwife or doctor.

In the texts

Pigeon pose is a modern posture. Neither the Hatha Yoga Pradipika nor the Gheranda Samhita mentions the pigeon among its postures, although the Gheranda Samhita lists other birds: the peacock, the cock, the eagle (garuḍa). The pigeon postures appear in twentieth-century Indian teaching; kapotāsana and eka pāda rājakapotāsana are described, for example, in B. K. S. Iyengar's Light on Yoga (1966). The word kapota itself is very old: the Monier-Williams dictionary records it in the Rig Veda for the dove or pigeon, "often a bird of evil omen" in Vedic times, and also for "a particular position of the hands".

Good to know

If the front knee is unhappy, bring the front foot closer to the opposite hip, so the shin is more diagonal. Depth comes from the hip, never from the knee.

Pigeon pairs naturally with downward-facing dog, the lotus, which asks for the same outward rotation of the hip, and Hanumānāsana, the splits. Its backbending form prepares the bow and the wheel. Animal names are explained in the meaning of pose names. All the cards: the asanas chapter.

Questions people ask

Is pigeon pose bad for the knees?

It can be, if the hip is tight and the knee twists to make up for it. Keep the front foot close to the hips and flexed, put a cushion under the hip, or use the reclining figure-four version, which spares the knee.

What is the difference between pigeon pose and kapotasana?

In class, pigeon usually means the hip opener described here. In the Iyengar tradition, kapotāsana is a different, very deep kneeling backbend in which the hands hold the feet. The two share only the image of the pigeon's proud chest.

How long should I stay in pigeon pose?

Five to ten breaths in an active class. In a slower practice, one to three minutes supported by cushions, as long as there is no pain in the knee or the lower back.

Sources

Monier-Williams, Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899), entry kapota, Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries checked October 16, 2026
Gheraṇḍasaṃhitā, Sanskrit text, chapter 2 (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 16, 2026
Svātmārāma, Haṭhayogapradīpikā, Sanskrit text (GRETIL, University of Göttingen) checked October 16, 2026

Practise gently and within your limits. Yoga is learnt best with a qualified teacher; this page does not replace one.