Reclined Figure Four

Supta Kapotasana — "reclining pigeon pose (supta = reclining, kapota = pigeon)"

Also known as: Eye of the Needle, Reclined Pigeon

Lying on your back, you cross one ankle over the opposite thigh and draw the legs in, stretching the outer hip. All the benefit of Pigeon Pose with the spine resting safely on the floor.

Step by step

1Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2Cross your right ankle over your left thigh, just below the knee, and flex the right foot.
3Let the right knee fall away from you, opening the hip.
4For more, thread your right hand through the gap between your legs and interlace your hands behind your left thigh (or on top of the left shin).
5Draw the left leg toward you until you feel a clear stretch in the right outer hip.
6Keep your head, shoulders, and tailbone resting on the floor.
7Hold and breathe, then release and switch sides.

Benefits

✓ Stretches the outer hip and glutes without loading the knees or lower back
✓ A friendlier route to the same territory as Pigeon Pose
✓ Easy to fine-tune the intensity by how close you draw the legs
✓ A reliable release after sitting, running, or cycling

Make it yours

· Loop a strap behind the thigh if reaching lifts your head and shoulders off the floor.
· Keep the bottom foot on the floor (or on a wall) and simply let the crossed knee open — plenty of stretch for many people.
· Rest your head on a folded blanket to keep the neck long.

Take care

If the bent knee feels strained, flex that foot firmly and reduce how far you draw the legs in.
In later pregnancy, prop your torso up on a bolster or practice a seated version rather than lying flat.

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

Props that help here

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
Yoga blanket — Folded under the hips in seated poses, under the knees in kneeling ones, under the shoulders for shoulderstand. A firm household blanket works too. find one

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