Yoga for Chronic Fatigue: Dead Pigeon Pose

I admit, I could have called it ankle to knee pose, but I hoped Dead Pigeon would bring a smile to your face as you were trying out the pose. I love hip openers because my hips tend to get so sore from sitting for most of the day! They also just feel great and make sitting, walking, standing, and aging all much more pleasant.

So, how do you do the Dead Pigeon?

1. Lie on your back with your feet on the floor, knees pointing up.

2. Lift your right leg, and place the ankle just below the knee on the left leg. Keep the right foot flexed, especially if you have problems with the knees.

3. Put your right arm through the legs and hold the left thigh. Bring the left arm around the outside of the left leg. Clasp your hands around the thigh if possible, or just hold the leg

4. Pull back with your hands, lifting the legs off the floor, and feel a stretch in your right hip

5. Hold for 5-10 breaths and then switch sides!

Let me know how you find it!

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4 Responses

  1. I just love how it's called 'dead pigeon' That's what I feel like most of the time! I've given bed yoga a go a few times, I want to start practising yoga more :) Thanks for sharing this xx Hayley-Eszti from hayleyeszti.blogspot.com
  2. Avatar Cindy
    I did laugh after reading the name of the pose. After reading the instructions I like the name even more. I know this as "the stretch that helped relieve my siatica. In the future it will be The Dead Pigeon pose. How do you recommend pacing for CFS and yoga? I tend to overdo and then suffer the next day with fatigue.
    • Haha I always love hearing the name even though it's kind of sinister! So glad to hear it helped you Siatica! Good question about pacing! When I started doing yoga I found a class that was specifically for CFS and Fibro so it was very gentle. The teacher also encouraged us to move very mindfully. This helped me to learn me limits, and always have a very gentle practice to return to if I was having a rough day. There is no easy answer to the question! I think it differs for everyone! Starting out very slow and then adding in more poses one at a time can help you to discover where your limits are. Breathing techniques and mindfulness also help me a lot, because I'm tuned into my body instead of humming a song or thinking about my day like I tend to do when I'm walking or doing other forms of exercise. Do you practice mindfulness as well when you are doing yoga? I am also going to be publishing a new post this week about visualising yoga. If you are having trouble with regressions I think that would be a good place to start! Hope this answers your question!

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