Kapotasana ( sa, कपोतासन;

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that emerged during ...

: ''Kapotāsana'') or Pigeon Pose is a kneeling back-bending

asana An asana is a body posture, originally and still a general term for a sitting meditation pose,Verse 46, chapter II, "Patanjali Yoga sutras" by Swami Prabhavananda, published by the Sri Ramakrishna Math p. 111 and later extended in hatha yoga ...

in modern

yoga as exercise Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of postures, often connected by flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by breathing exercises, and frequently ending with relaxation lying down or meditation. Yoga in this form has ...

. Asanas based on One-legged King Pigeon pose,

Rajakapotasana Eka Pada Rajakapotasana ( sa, एक पाद राजकपोतासन; IAST: ''Eka Pāda Rājakapotāsana''), Rajakapotasana, or ne-leggedKing Pigeon Pose is a seated back-bending asana in modern yoga as exercise. The Yin Yoga form of t ...

, are also sometimes called "Pigeon".

Etymology and origins

The name comes from the Sanskrit words ''kapota'' (कपोत) meaning "pigeon" and ''asana'' (आसन) meaning "posture" or "seat". A different (standing) pose is given the name Kapotasana in the 19th century ''

Sritattvanidhi The ''Sritattvanidhi'' (, "The Illustrious Treasure of Realities") is a treatise written in the 19th century in Karnataka on the iconography and iconometry of divine figures in South India. One of its sections includes instructions for, and ill ...

''. The modern pose is described in the 20th century in ''

Light on Yoga ''Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika'' (Sanskrit: योग दीपिका, "Yoga Dīpikā") is a 1966 book on the Iyengar Yoga style of modern yoga as exercise by B. K. S. Iyengar, first published in English. It describes more than 200 yoga posture ...

''. Asanas based on King Pigeon pose or

are sometimes called Pigeon; for example, ''

Yoga Journal ''Yoga Journal'' is a website and digital journal, formerly a print magazine, on yoga as exercise founded in California in 1975 with the goal of combining the essence of traditional yoga with scientific understanding. It has produced live events ...

'' describes a reclining (prone) variation of Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, One-Legged King Pigeon pose, as Pigeon. File:Sritattvanidhi pose called Kapotasana.jpg, The standing pose named "Kapotasana" in the 19th century ''

'' File:Raja-Kapotasana Yoga-Asana Nina-Mel.jpg,

, King Pigeon pose, is sometimes abbreviated to "Pigeon".

Description

A pose from the Ashtanga tradition, Kapotasana is an advanced asana which resembles

Chakrasana Chakrasana ( sa, चक्रासन, lit=Wheel Pose, translit=Cakrāsana) or Urdhva Dhanurasana ( sa, ऊर्ध्वधनुरासन, lit=Upward-Facing Bow Pose, translit=Ūrdhvadhanurāsana) is a backbending asana in yoga as exercise. ...

, or Wheel Pose. The shins and forearms are on the ground, the front body stretched upwards in the air. The pose is reached by going into a backbend with knees on the ground. It requires flexibility to bring the head back until it reaches the ground. Kapotasana helps to open up the chest, and strengthens the back and groin. It opens and increases the flexibility of the hips, at the same time strengthening the back, and stretching the thighs and the groin. In Iyengar Yoga, practitioners begin by lying in Supta Virasana, bending the arms and placing the arms beside the head. They then press the hands, exhale and raise the hips and trunk. The crown of the head can be placed on the floor, and hands can be walked towards the feet by raising the trunk higher.

References

Sources

* {{Yoga as exercise Backbend asanas

Etymology and origins

Description

See also

References

Sources