Intermediate

Firelog Pose

Also called double pigeon, Firelog stacks both shins to load both outer hips into external rotation at once, giving an intense stretch through the glutes and deep rotators. It targets exactly what pigeon does but symmetrically and in an upright seat. A superb opener for runners and desk-bound hips.

Equipment
Body Weight
Body part
Glutes, Thighs
Type
Stretching, Yoga
Muscles worked
Target
Gluteus Maximus, Gluteus Medius
Secondary
Adductor Magnus, Sartorius
Tertiary
Adductor Longus

How to do it

  1. 1

    Sit tall and bend both knees, placing one shin flat on the floor in front of you.

  2. 2

    Stack the other shin directly on top so the ankles and knees line up like two logs.

  3. 3

    Flex both feet strongly to protect the knees.

  4. 4

    Sit up out of the hips and feel the outer hips begin to open.

  5. 5

    For more, hinge forward from the hips with a long spine.

  6. 6

    Hold, then unstack and swap which shin is on top.

Tips

  • Keep both feet firmly flexed so the stretch stays in the hip, not the knee.
  • If the top knee floats high, slide a blanket under it and give the hip time to release.
  • Hinge from the hip crease, not the waist, when you fold forward for more depth.

Variations

Common mistakes

  • The top shin lands across the bottom thigh instead of on the shin below it, so the whole stack presses down on one knee rather than opening either hip.
  • Pushing the top knee down by hand to level the shins borrows range the hip has not offered yet, and the joint that pays for it is the knee.
  • Sitting on bare floor with the pelvis tucked under rounds the low back before the hips are involved at all; perch on a folded blanket so the pelvis can tip forward.
  • Once the stack feels settled most people fold forward straight away, but the fold only adds depth to a hip that has already begun to release, so stay upright for the first half minute.
  • The knees stack neatly while the feet do not, with the top ankle hanging out past the bottom knee; slide that foot back until the ankle sits over the knee.

Frequently asked

How long should you hold Firelog Pose on each side?
Two minutes a side is the useful dose for this one, starting at about 45 seconds while the stack is still new to you. Do one round on each side and then a second round on whichever hip sat higher. Two or three sessions a week is plenty, and it fits best after training or in its own floor session in the evening. Progress by the shins getting closer to level on their own, not by adding a third minute.
How do I make Firelog Pose easier or harder?
To make it easier, sit up on a folded blanket, slide the top shin a little forward of the bottom one so the stack is looser, and rest a cushion under the top knee if it floats. The chair version, with one ankle crossed over the opposite thigh, gives the same outer hip with none of the stacking. To make it harder, keep the true stack and walk the hands further forward until the forearms rest on the floor in front of the shins, keeping the spine long.
What is Firelog Pose good for, and when is it a poor choice?
It loads both outer hips and deep rotators at the same time from an upright seat, which makes it a tidy way to treat the two sides evenly rather than chasing one tight hip at a time. Runners and people who sit all day tend to feel it immediately. It is a poor choice if either knee objects to sideways load, since the shins carry each other across those joints, and it is wasted before a session in which you want the hips springy rather than loose.

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