Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

King Pigeon Pose

King Pigeon combines a folded front leg, rear-knee bend and deep backbend with a foot-to-head reach. It is distinct from Pigeon preparation.

Type: Backbend
Focus: Backbend
Advanced ยท 10/10

Practise away from the screen with the Yoga Cards deck.

Explore the deck

How to do this pose

  1. Establish pain-free Pigeon preparation and controlled shoulder and hip mobility with a teacher.
  2. Explore the rear-knee bend and arm reach separately before combining them.
  3. Release the arm hold before lowering the rear foot and returning through a supported transition.

Before you begin

Avoid with knee, hip, back or shoulder injury; not suitable for unsupervised beginner practice.

What you should feel

Active back-body support without front-knee torque or lumbar pinching.

Benefits

Challenges advanced hip, shoulder and spinal mobility.

Common mistakes

Pulling the foot toward the head to force the backbend.

Modifications

Stay with supported Pigeon preparation or Reclined Pigeon.

Prep Poses

Pigeon preparation; teacher-guided backbend preparation

Follow-Up Poses

Neutral tabletop; constructive rest

Related Content

Stay with supported Pigeon preparation or Reclined Pigeon.