Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

The name comes from the Sanskrit words () meaning "one"; () meaning "foot", () meaning "king", () meaning "pigeon" The pose is described in the 20th century by two of Krishnamacharya's pupils, Pattabhi Jois in his Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, and B. K. S. Iyengar in his Light on Yoga. == Description ==

, as here by Lululemon in 2011. Starting from sitting in Dandasana (stick pose), one knee is bent, keeping the knee on the floor, so the foot is just in front of the groin, and the other leg is taken straight back. For the completed pose bend the knee of the rear leg, and grasp the foot or ankle with one or both hands. == Variations ==

Of Rajakapotasana I In Supported [King] Pigeon or Salamba Kapotasana, the rear leg is straight out and the hands are on the ground beside the hips, reducing the backbend. If comfortable, the back may be arched and the gaze directed straight upwards. In Sleeping Pigeon (or Sleeping Swan in Yin Yoga but it is a different pose from the advanced kneeling backbend of Kapotasana. In Aerial yoga, Flying Pigeon Pose is a hammock-supported variant with one foot hooked across the front of the hammock. The pose can be practised with the rear knee against a wall, the lower leg vertical with a strap around the foot, working towards the full pose. The strap is grasped with both hands, the arms reversed so that the elbows point upwards. File:Kapotasana-Yoga-Posture-Pigeon.jpg|In this variation, the rear foot hooks the arm on the same side. File:IMG 0585 2-- Swan.jpg|Swan Pose in Yin Yoga is similar to Salamba Kapotasana. For the 'sleeping' variant, the body is reclined forwards over the bent leg. In Eka Pada Rajakapotasana III, the hands and the rear foot are as for Rajakapotasana I, but according to Iyengar Yoga the front knee points forwards, with the front foot and lower leg on the ground beneath the thigh. For Eka Pada Rajakapotasana IV, the hands and the rear foot are as for Rajakapotasana I, but the front foot is stretched straight forwards along the ground. The pose may be practised using props: the rear lower leg vertically up a wall, a yoga block under the sitting bones, another block if needed under the front leg, and a strap between the hands and the rear foot. == See also ==