Fire Log Pose

Agnistambhasana — "fire-log posture"

Also known as: Double Pigeon, Square Pose

Shins stacked parallel like two logs, one ankle over the opposite knee. One of the most direct outer-hip stretches in yoga — intense for most people, so build the shape with props rather than force.

Step by step

1Sit tall and place your left shin on the floor parallel to the front of your mat.
2Stack your right shin on top, right ankle over left knee and right knee over left ankle.
3Flex both feet to protect the knees.
4If your top knee towers upward, support it and stay upright.
5Lengthen your spine, then hinge forward slightly from the hips to deepen the stretch.
6Breathe into the outer hip for several slow breaths.
7Unstack and repeat with the left shin on top.

Benefits

✓ Strongly stretches the outer hips and glutes
✓ Prepares the hips for Lotus and other cross-legged shapes
✓ Counteracts long hours of chair sitting
✓ Deepens noticeably with a simple forward hinge

Make it yours

· Place a block or folded blanket under the top knee.
· Sit on a folded blanket to lift the hips.
· Practice Reclined Figure Four on your back as a gentler version of the same stretch.

Take care

Support the top knee, or switch to a gentler cross-legged shape, if you feel any strain in the knees.
Ease out of the forward hinge if the stretch turns sharp rather than deep.

This is general practice guidance, not medical advice. If something hurts, ease out of it.

Practiced in

Yin — as “Square”

Props that help here

Cork blocks (set of 2) — Bring the floor closer in lunges, folds, and triangle — and a block between the shoulder blades turns a backbend into something you can hold. find one
8-foot cotton strap — Extends your reach in hamstring and shoulder work — the honest substitute for grabbing a foot you can't yet reach. Get 8ft, not 6ft. find one

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