It is better to practice yoga early in the morning. If you can not get up early or have a lot of shopping to do once you get up, you can practice this asana at night. Just make sure your stomach and intestines are empty. It is a good idea to leave an interval of at least four to six hours between lunch and practice.
How to do Rajakapotasana (pose of the king pigeon)
Begin on all fours, making sure that your knees are positioned just below your hips and your hands slightly in front of your shoulders.
Now, gently slide the right knee forward, so that it is just behind your right wrist. While doing this, place the right tibia under your torso and place your right foot in front of your left knee. The outside of your right shin should rest on the floor.
Slowly slide the left leg back. Straighten your knees and let the front of your thighs fall on the floor. Lower the outer sides of your buttocks straight onto the floor. Place your heels straight in front of your left hip.
You can tilt the right knee to the right, so it is outside the hip line.
Your left leg should extend out from the hip. Make sure it is not tilted to the left. Turn it inward so that its centerline is against the ground. Take a deep breath, and as you exhale, bend your left leg across your knees. Then, push back on your torso and stretch as much as possible so that your head touches your foot.
Raise your arms by bending them gently on the elbows. Use your hands to bring your foot to your head.
Keep the vertical position of your pelvis. Push it. Then, lift the lower edges of your rib cage against the pressure exerted by the push. To lift your chest, push the top of your sternum up to the ceiling.
Stay in this position for at least one minute. Bring your hands to the floor and drop your left knee. Gently slide the left knee forward. Exhale and come to Adho Mukha Svanasana. Take some breaths. Then come back on all fours and breathe. When you exhale, make an asana with the left leg forward and the right leg back.
Precautions and contraindications.
These are some precautionary points that you should keep in mind before doing this asana.
This asana should be practised under the supervision of a certified yoga instructor, as it is an advanced posture. A bad stretch could hurt you a lot. This asana should be practised only after several months of yoga. This is not for beginners.
It is best to avoid this asana if you have an ankle, knee or sacroiliac injury. This asana is not intended for pregnant women. Also, avoid it if you have tight hips or thighs.
Tips for beginners
Many beginners have trouble grabbing the back foot with their hands. It may be useful to use a belt with a buckle in such cases.
Slide the loop on the back foot and squeeze it around the sole of the foot, making sure it is against the sole.
While placing your legs in position, place the strap next to you. Once you have bent the knee in the back, take the strap with the same hand as the back leg.
Slide this arm over your head and back again. Hold the strap with both hands and place it on the strap, reaching the foot.
Advanced modifications of the pose.
In the first, the front leg must be in Ardha Virasana.
In the second case, the front leg and the pelvis should look like Hanumanasana.
Benefits of Rajakapotasana
These are some of the benefits of Rajakapotasana.
- This helps to stretch the entire lower part of the body.
- Massage the abdominal organs, improving digestion.
- Relieves back problems, especially sciatica. It also strengthens the back.
- This helps add a lot of flexibility to the hip area and opens the hips.
- Deep stretching relieves the body of stress and anxiety.