I don't know many people who like pigeons. Especially not in Chicago. My friend Bill once referred to them as "flying rats," a term I took a liking to immediately. All this talk of flying and pigeons brings me to what might be my most feared yoga pose to date; Eka Pada Galavasana or Flying Pigeon pose.
This pose tops the list due to an encounter I had with it last spring. At the time, we were setting up the with a block to become familiar with the proper positioning. As I connected my folded leg with my triceps, I attempted to lean my weight forward to get my head out over my arms.
Then my shelved leg slipped and I went down. I heard a unique crunching noise as my nose made contact with the wood floor. As I pressed up off the mat with my hands, I wasn't sure what to expect. Would there be blood? Did I dislocate my nose?
I saw spots as I opened my eyes. Who knew you could fall so hard from 14" off the ground? Well, now I knew.
Flying Pigeon isn't a pose I'd ever encountered before, so I hoped that I might not run into it for some time. We were not off to a great start together. But shortly thereafter, over at The Lab, Flying Pigeon would make an appearance. Again and again.
I can't say that I've come to terms with it completely, but with each practice, I'm taking steps to get a bit closer to something like this photo (and hopefully nose injury free).
Here's a short video of how to get into Flying Pigeon:
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