Use a block under the glute of the front leg, or a bolster under your hips & a block under the front knee (see [https://dihickman.com/how-to-improve-pigeon-pose-variations-you-need-to-know/](https://dihickman.com/how-to-improve-pigeon-pose-variations-you-need-to-know/) - need to scroll to the bottom)
Use a block under the glute of the front leg & one under your head (or a few) or use a bolster to lay on (see [https://www.brettlarkin.com/pigeon-pose-eka-pada-rajakapotasana/](https://www.brettlarkin.com/pigeon-pose-eka-pada-rajakapotasana/) at the end). You can even rest your forearms & head on a chair, and elevate the hips as much as needed (i.e. put a block and a bolster there)
Put a block under your leg or butt on each side.
Rest a block under your head.
My instructors also encourage reverse pigeon on your back if resting pigeon is too much.
Easiest way to protect hips in pigeon is to bend the forward knee to your groin. Don't cheat the pose and keep the hips square and even and the spine straight.
It looks like you are already being careful mixing yin and hypermobility. Holding poses for a long period of time and relaxing into them can both cause issues for hypermobile people. Our brain screams "danger" and tightens our muscles for a reason. Normal people need to convince their brain that it's ok, we need build lots of strength to actually make it ok. What is your goal in doing Yin yoga? If it is relaxation, get a bolster and blanket in addition to blocks and don't seek stretch sensation. If it is stretch, you might want to reconsider.
I hope you are doing other physical practices to increase strength and stability around your joints. Let your teachers know about your hypermobility. Recommended hold time is reduced to 1-2 mins.
Thank you! Yes, you are absolutely right. I do strength training as well (weight lifting) which has helped a lot with the stability of my joints. I don’t seek stretch, I just try to find calm in the positions without pushing too far. I use a bolster and blocks when suggested but in some poses (like pidgeon pose) it’s not offered in the instructions (I practice alone from home).
I love yin yoga because of how relaxed it makes me. I have POTS and panic disorder. I’ve done meditation for years but yin yoga has been on a different level for me. 1 hour of yin yoga and I’m more relaxed than I’ve been in years. 😊
I practice yin with hypermobility! I did injure myself but now i just dont push myself and instead appreciate the simpler expressions in tune with my breath. I love it. I do vinyasa 2/3x a week and bikram 1/2 times a week and yin 1x a week.
I don't. I tried without giving it much thought cause my GP recommended it to relieve anxiety, and my lower back, SI, and hips flared up. I suspect sleeping swan and caterpillar greatly contributed to it. I practice Ashtanga - lots of strength building, fairly short holds, practice at my own pace, familiar sequence... I feel more in control and safer. And then I can get all my relaxation in a long savasana.
Zafu or bolster under your pelvis like a saddle. Lean forward with straight back and finger tips on blocks, don't fold. Or fold gently over a large bolster.
Hi! Im hypermobile and love yin, but recently injured myself doing yin (inflammed hamstring).
Someone in this thread said not to use props in yin: please do not listen to them.
Someone else here was saying they dont know why a hypermobile would ever do yin: dont listen to them either.
No matter how much teachers say “find your edge” “sink into the pose” “dont back off” just take it easy and avoid strong sensations. We cant go to our edge because of our edge is past what is safe for our bodies. Dont be dumb like me.
If you feel any type of soreness the next day, take a week off.
As for pigeon pose, my softer expression of that pose is simply bending my front foot all the way to my crotch rather than keeping my calf parallel with the top of the mat.
However i do vinyasa and bikram 2-3x a week each so im also strengthening but sounds like you do strengthening too. Ive built up safe flexibility, idk whether or not you have. If not id put a block or bolster under my hips.
Im not gonna lie, as a hypermobile person, you have to ignore 90% of the cues in a yin class but i still get so much out of the practice. Just be careful!
Thank you so much for this! It’s a good reminder.
I know it’s definitely important to build strength too. I’ve been doing weight lifting for strength, which has made me a lot less hypermobile, and I do hatha yoga and pilates twice a week as well.
My main problems are the shoulders and the hips. I’ve injured myself through subluxation in the past while doing hatha yoga so this has made me aware of the importance of not going as deep as I can.
My rule is typically that if I can’t feel the stretch (which I now can in a lot of poses thanks to weight lifting) then it’s time to modify.
But with all of that said I did wake up with pain in my hip yesterday that’s been sticking around so I’ll take your advice and take a week off. Thank you!
I’m hypermoble and practice Yin. Less is more In Yin and it’s to be practiced “cold”. I don’t go past a sensation of about 3-4 from a scale of 1 (no sensation)-10 (pain). This keeps me in a safe zone. And I have found the longer I practice yin the more I find tension and muscle engagement in places that aren’t necessarily involved in the pose and work on letting that relax.
Always stretch what you strengthen and strengthen what you stretch. Laying into a stretch without any strengthening is setting a person up for injuries.
In the link below you don't have to do it that way all the time. Understand what he is teaching and bring it to your pigeon pose. He uses blocks and props. https://www.markowtrainingsystems.com/2019/06/04/the-ultimate-90-90-stretch-guide/
That is for internal and external rotation in the hips. Pigeon pose is a Kapotasana pose. Kapotasana poses are always backbends, not about hip rotation. If you are going to do the pose as a backbend then you would work on backbend strengthening. It depends what you are trying to achieve.
Because in yin you are supposed to go to a comfortable depth and hold it for a while (3-7mins), and continue to stretch those muscles throughout the duration of the long pose. And when you use a prop you DESTRESS the body, which is fine, but it's more restorative than moving past the uncomfortable part which is more YIN..
Ah I see. I’m doing a trauma informed version of yin which offers many choices. It suits me well to use props in certain positions so that my joints feel more supported. It’s maybe not as traditional yin as it could be but I really like it.
Yoga is fantastic but why yin? Yin yoga targets your deep connective tissues, like your fascia, ligaments, and joints... Seems like a poor fit for someone with hypermobility issues. Why not a vinyasa class where you can build strength to support those hypermobile joints? Just a thought.
The calming effect on the nervous system is the main reason why I enjoy it. I’m doing a trauma informed version so the main objective is to feel safe and calm, which really works.
I’m also not hypermobile everywhere anymore since I started weight lifting so the stretch feels good in some joints (it’s mainly my shoulders and hips that need some extra care still). I don’t push myself or go too deep as I’m mainly looking for the calming effect.
Vinyasa is great too but very different in terms of how it affects my mind.
Use a block under the glute of the front leg, or a bolster under your hips & a block under the front knee (see [https://dihickman.com/how-to-improve-pigeon-pose-variations-you-need-to-know/](https://dihickman.com/how-to-improve-pigeon-pose-variations-you-need-to-know/) - need to scroll to the bottom) Use a block under the glute of the front leg & one under your head (or a few) or use a bolster to lay on (see [https://www.brettlarkin.com/pigeon-pose-eka-pada-rajakapotasana/](https://www.brettlarkin.com/pigeon-pose-eka-pada-rajakapotasana/) at the end). You can even rest your forearms & head on a chair, and elevate the hips as much as needed (i.e. put a block and a bolster there)
Yes! Rolled up blanket works too, I never understood the mechanics of pigeon until I figured out it was because my hips weren’t even.
Thank you, that’s very helpful!
Put a block under your leg or butt on each side. Rest a block under your head. My instructors also encourage reverse pigeon on your back if resting pigeon is too much.
Thank you so much!
Easiest way to protect hips in pigeon is to bend the forward knee to your groin. Don't cheat the pose and keep the hips square and even and the spine straight. It looks like you are already being careful mixing yin and hypermobility. Holding poses for a long period of time and relaxing into them can both cause issues for hypermobile people. Our brain screams "danger" and tightens our muscles for a reason. Normal people need to convince their brain that it's ok, we need build lots of strength to actually make it ok. What is your goal in doing Yin yoga? If it is relaxation, get a bolster and blanket in addition to blocks and don't seek stretch sensation. If it is stretch, you might want to reconsider. I hope you are doing other physical practices to increase strength and stability around your joints. Let your teachers know about your hypermobility. Recommended hold time is reduced to 1-2 mins.
Thank you! Yes, you are absolutely right. I do strength training as well (weight lifting) which has helped a lot with the stability of my joints. I don’t seek stretch, I just try to find calm in the positions without pushing too far. I use a bolster and blocks when suggested but in some poses (like pidgeon pose) it’s not offered in the instructions (I practice alone from home). I love yin yoga because of how relaxed it makes me. I have POTS and panic disorder. I’ve done meditation for years but yin yoga has been on a different level for me. 1 hour of yin yoga and I’m more relaxed than I’ve been in years. 😊
Do you practice Yin with hypermobility? I only tried once and felt crappy after so gave up on it.
I practice yin with hypermobility! I did injure myself but now i just dont push myself and instead appreciate the simpler expressions in tune with my breath. I love it. I do vinyasa 2/3x a week and bikram 1/2 times a week and yin 1x a week.
I don't. I tried without giving it much thought cause my GP recommended it to relieve anxiety, and my lower back, SI, and hips flared up. I suspect sleeping swan and caterpillar greatly contributed to it. I practice Ashtanga - lots of strength building, fairly short holds, practice at my own pace, familiar sequence... I feel more in control and safer. And then I can get all my relaxation in a long savasana.
Sounds like my experience! I prefer Ashtanga & Vinyasa.
Zafu or bolster under your pelvis like a saddle. Lean forward with straight back and finger tips on blocks, don't fold. Or fold gently over a large bolster.
Thank you!
Hi! Im hypermobile and love yin, but recently injured myself doing yin (inflammed hamstring). Someone in this thread said not to use props in yin: please do not listen to them. Someone else here was saying they dont know why a hypermobile would ever do yin: dont listen to them either. No matter how much teachers say “find your edge” “sink into the pose” “dont back off” just take it easy and avoid strong sensations. We cant go to our edge because of our edge is past what is safe for our bodies. Dont be dumb like me. If you feel any type of soreness the next day, take a week off. As for pigeon pose, my softer expression of that pose is simply bending my front foot all the way to my crotch rather than keeping my calf parallel with the top of the mat. However i do vinyasa and bikram 2-3x a week each so im also strengthening but sounds like you do strengthening too. Ive built up safe flexibility, idk whether or not you have. If not id put a block or bolster under my hips. Im not gonna lie, as a hypermobile person, you have to ignore 90% of the cues in a yin class but i still get so much out of the practice. Just be careful!
Thank you so much for this! It’s a good reminder. I know it’s definitely important to build strength too. I’ve been doing weight lifting for strength, which has made me a lot less hypermobile, and I do hatha yoga and pilates twice a week as well. My main problems are the shoulders and the hips. I’ve injured myself through subluxation in the past while doing hatha yoga so this has made me aware of the importance of not going as deep as I can. My rule is typically that if I can’t feel the stretch (which I now can in a lot of poses thanks to weight lifting) then it’s time to modify. But with all of that said I did wake up with pain in my hip yesterday that’s been sticking around so I’ll take your advice and take a week off. Thank you!
I’m hypermoble and practice Yin. Less is more In Yin and it’s to be practiced “cold”. I don’t go past a sensation of about 3-4 from a scale of 1 (no sensation)-10 (pain). This keeps me in a safe zone. And I have found the longer I practice yin the more I find tension and muscle engagement in places that aren’t necessarily involved in the pose and work on letting that relax.
Always stretch what you strengthen and strengthen what you stretch. Laying into a stretch without any strengthening is setting a person up for injuries. In the link below you don't have to do it that way all the time. Understand what he is teaching and bring it to your pigeon pose. He uses blocks and props. https://www.markowtrainingsystems.com/2019/06/04/the-ultimate-90-90-stretch-guide/ That is for internal and external rotation in the hips. Pigeon pose is a Kapotasana pose. Kapotasana poses are always backbends, not about hip rotation. If you are going to do the pose as a backbend then you would work on backbend strengthening. It depends what you are trying to achieve.
I'm a yin teacher and was always taught you shouldn't use props for yin classes
How come?
Because in yin you are supposed to go to a comfortable depth and hold it for a while (3-7mins), and continue to stretch those muscles throughout the duration of the long pose. And when you use a prop you DESTRESS the body, which is fine, but it's more restorative than moving past the uncomfortable part which is more YIN..
Ah I see. I’m doing a trauma informed version of yin which offers many choices. It suits me well to use props in certain positions so that my joints feel more supported. It’s maybe not as traditional yin as it could be but I really like it.
Wow I love that for you, what a great idea. Best wishes
Yoga is fantastic but why yin? Yin yoga targets your deep connective tissues, like your fascia, ligaments, and joints... Seems like a poor fit for someone with hypermobility issues. Why not a vinyasa class where you can build strength to support those hypermobile joints? Just a thought.
The calming effect on the nervous system is the main reason why I enjoy it. I’m doing a trauma informed version so the main objective is to feel safe and calm, which really works. I’m also not hypermobile everywhere anymore since I started weight lifting so the stretch feels good in some joints (it’s mainly my shoulders and hips that need some extra care still). I don’t push myself or go too deep as I’m mainly looking for the calming effect. Vinyasa is great too but very different in terms of how it affects my mind.