THERAPIES & TRADITIONS · GUIDE
Hip Openers in Yoga: Pigeon and Others, Hip Anatomy and Cautions
Hip openers in yoga, including pigeon: what hip motion the poses involve in lab measurements, what is and is not known about knees and hips, and who should check first.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Back to Yoga & MovementWhat "hip opener" means
"Hip opener" is a common studio label for poses that ask the hips to move through wide or deep ranges, such as pigeon, cow face and seated cross-legged shapes. It is a popular term, not a medical one. In the pose-family scheme of one source, Gomukhasana (cow face) is the example of a hip-opening pose, first described in the 15th-century Hatha Yoga Pradipika. [1] Our other sources do not use or test the idea that a pose "opens" a joint, so this page uses the term only as a label. See What Are Asanas?.What the hip does in these poses
Hip motion has names: flexion (thigh moves toward the trunk), extension (thigh moves behind the body), adduction (thigh moves toward the midline) and rotation. In a motion-analysis study, 20 healthy, regular yoga practitioners performed 11 poses and the study measured hip range of motion. [2] Findings:| Pose(s) | Hip motion the study reported |
|---|---|
| Downward dog, forward fold, seated twist, pigeon | stressed the hip in flexion [2] |
| Warrior 1 and 2, crescent lunge, pigeon, triangle | stressed the hip in extension [2] |
| Eagle, seated twist | higher adduction [2] |
| Half moon, eagle, triangle | more hip internal rotation [2] |
The authors concluded that many poses reach extremes of hip motion, and that the information may help orthopedic surgeons advise people with hip impingement or hip replacements who want to return to yoga. [2] Pigeon appears in both the flexion and extension lists, so it asks a lot of the hip. This is a small lab study of experienced practitioners, not a safety study, and it doesn't say which poses are risky.
What research says about hips and knees
- Hip impingement. In a retrospective study of 42 yoga practitioners (90% women) who had hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, 71% had stopped yoga before surgery because of hip symptoms, and 93% returned to yoga after surgery, on average about 5 months later. [3] The study has no comparison group and says nothing about whether yoga caused the impingement.
- Knees. A nested case-control study of 819 women in China found yoga associated with higher odds of meniscus injury (odds ratio 1.62) than badminton, jogging and hill climbing; the authors called for more verification. [4] No source we read separates hip-opening shapes from other poses in this respect.
- General injury patterns. NCCIH says knee or hip injuries may call for modification in yoga. [5] A systematic review of case reports lists lotus position among the most commonly cited postures. [6]
- Benefit claims. Proper evidence not found for trials showing that hip-opening poses relieve hip pain, improve hip range or prevent injury. We searched PubMed for pigeon pose, hip impingement and yoga hip trials and found only the studies above.
Sensible handling
Many classes offer props and gentler variations; Yoga Props describes them. No source we read supports stretching to a target range or pushing through pain. Pain in a joint, as opposed to a muscle stretch, is a reason to stop and ask a clinician. Sudden severe pain, an inability to bear weight or a joint that looks out of place needs urgent care (911 in the US).This site does not give pose steps. For hip movement tied to osteoarthritis, see Yoga for Arthritis.
Frequently asked questions
What is pigeon pose?
It is a common hip-focused yoga pose. A motion study found it stresses the hip in both flexion and extension. [2]
What is hip impingement, and does yoga cause it?
Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome is a hip condition most commonly diagnosed in people who do activities with repeated hip flexion and rotation. [3] The study we read could not show that yoga causes it.
Are hip openers safe for knees?
It depends on the person. NCCIH lists knee injuries as a reason to modify yoga, and one observational study linked yoga to higher meniscus injury odds. [5][4]
Can I do yoga after hip surgery?
Ask your surgeon. In one small series of FAI surgery patients, 93% returned to yoga. [3]
Which poses stress the hip most?
In one study, many poses reached extremes of hip motion, including pigeon and warrior poses. [2]
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Who should check first
- People with hip or knee pain, past injury, impingement, hip replacement or recent surgery. The hip study suggests a surgeon can advise on returning to yoga. [2]
- People with hypermobile or unstable joints: see Yoga and Hypermobility and Movement for People With Hypermobility and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes.
- Older adults, who had higher yoga-related emergency-department injury rates in US data. [7]
- Pregnancy: see Prenatal Yoga.
References
- Wikipedia, Asana (encyclopedia article rated Good Article; a secondary summary of scholarly books such as Singleton, Sjoman and Mallinson, which we did not read directly). Read 2026-10-22.
- Position of the Hip in Yoga. Journal of Arthroplasty 2018. PubMed abstract read 2026-10-22.
- High Rate of Return to Yoga for Athletes After Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome. Sports Health 2018. PubMed abstract read 2026-10-22.
- Yoga is found hazardous to the meniscus for Chinese women. Chinese Journal of Traumatology 2012. PubMed abstract read 2026-10-22.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH, US), Yoga: Effectiveness and Safety. Read 2026-10-22.
- Cramer H, Krucoff C, Dobos G. Adverse events associated with yoga: a systematic review of published case reports and case series. PLoS One 2013. PubMed abstract read 2026-10-22.
- Swain TA, McGwin G. Yoga-Related Injuries in the United States From 2001 to 2014. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine 2016. PubMed abstract read 2026-10-22.