Lower back, hips and knees

Reclined Figure-4: Classic

A lying-down version that provides the same deep hip opening as pigeon without any kneeling or spinal demand: the preferred alternative for sensitive bodies.

How to do it

1. 1

   Lie on your back with both knees bent, feet flat

   Head and shoulders heavy on the floor, with a folded blanket under your head if that is more comfortable.

2. 2

   Cross one ankle over the opposite thigh

   The ankle sits just above the knee, and the foot stays flexed so the ankle rather than the knee takes the contact.

3. 3

   Draw the bottom thigh in towards you

   Thread your hands behind that thigh and pull gently. A strap looped around the thigh does the same job if reaching through is awkward.

4. 4

   Keep your whole back heavy on the floor

   Nothing lifts. If your tailbone starts to curl up off the mat, let the bottom leg come less far in.

5. 5

   Stay one to three minutes on each side

   Let the hip open on its own rather than pulling harder as the time passes.

What to watch for

The moment your lower back peels off the floor to get the knee closer, the position stops doing what it is for. Keep the back down and accept a smaller pull, because this version exists precisely to take the demand off your spine.

Ways to adjust it

• Strap
• Block
• Reduce hip flexion depth
• Foot flexed

If this one is too much today

Try the gentler version instead. It asks less of you and does much the same work.

• Reclined Figure-4: Seated Chair

Other ways to do this movement

Every version below is the same movement set up differently, so one of them usually suits. See all Pigeon Pose versions in one place, ordered from gentlest to strongest.

• Reclined Figure-4: Foot on Wall
• Reclined Figure-4: Seated Chair

Before you try it

Move within a range that stays comfortable. Stop if this brings on sharp pain, dizziness, or symptoms that travel down an arm or a leg, and speak to a clinician before repeating it.

From the clinically authored Vinys movement library.