@catvaladezyoga on Flying Pigeon 🦆 ・・・ Is #FlyingPigeonPose a struggle (aka #EkaPadaGalavasana)? It takes practice, but it's not magic. Take a step back and break it down! Follow #anatomyofposes to see these poses in a new light. Remember, everything is connected. "Seeing" the other poses in this one and practicing them will help you feel and work THIS more effectively if that's your goal. Practice smarter, not harder! That's how you #bendstronger. . My back leg going that high is partly my hip anatomy--if my hips were super open, I'd have to fight against collapsing into flexibility and would need a TON more hip strengthening over stretching. It's also partly the physics of pressing my shin into my upper arm and reaching back through my lifted leg as I push. . Point is, don't worry how high or low the back leg is--do the work and you'll have your own expression, as with all poses. It'll look different on you, because all bodies are different. . So, look: the energy of extending my heart forward and toes back is Locust Pose! I'm protracting my shoulder blades as I push the earth away a la Crow Pose, which sits on plank and Chaturanga (as in virtually every arm balance). There's more Chaturanga in this pose than in Crow Pose, with the elbows more bent (but not always). But what's really "Chaturanga" here are the muscles I'm using to lift off and stabilize. . Finally, you can't have a flying pigeon without pigeon prep, right? It needs to be a strong, stable pigeon too, so rather than the end-of-class stretchy version, you want the ACTIVE version with inner thighs hugging to draw energy toward hips. If you practice with me, these are the "pigeon lunges" and lifts I often teach. . I'm thinking of creating an Arm Balance program for my Playbook. Breakdowns, drills, anatomy questions answered. All the stuff you need to know. . What do you think? Ready to practice with me? Download my app 👉 www.bendstrongerapp.com . . . . . #yoga #yogatutorial https://www.instagram.com/p/Br9pycEgvXT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wnw0p1kz5sc3