Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Eka Pada Rajakapotasana- that's a mouthful! In English, that literally translates to One-Legged King Pigeon Pose.  

Pronounced: (aa-KAH pah-DAH rah-JAH-cop-poh-TAHS-anna), and the literal meaning of the name:
eka = one
pada = foot or leg 
raja = king

kapota = pigeon or dove.  

 This is my modification of the pose: 

The full posture, however, involves the arms and more stretching/bending in the legs. It looks like this: 

Now, you've probably noticed, this is a fairly complicated pose. It's important to follow the right order of steps to get in to the pose, or you risk being misaligned, which can be harmful.  I will outline the steps for you below: 

1. Start on all fours. Your knees should be directly below your hips, and your hands should be slightly forward of your shoulders. 
2. Slide your right knee forward to the back of your right wrist, then angle your right shin under your torso, and bring your right foot to the front of your left knee. 
3. Curl your toes under on your left foot, and press away from the ground while walking your knee away so that the leg is aligned and straight, with the shin, knee, and thigh in contact with the floor. 
4. Draw your inner thighs together, lifting your pelvis slightly higher off the ground. 
5. Make sure your hips are squared and your right hip is touching the ground, extending your left leg further back if needed. If necessary, you can use a blanket under your right hip. 
6. Uncurl your left toes, and check to make sure your ankle, knee, and shin are all aligned in a straight line. 
7. Inhale, and drop your tailbone toward the earth, while also raising the crown of your head upward towards the sky. 
8. Exhale, and place your hands on the ground shoulder-width apart, bringing your shoulder blades in toward your shoulders. 
9. Breathe in this pose for 5 breaths, then go into downward dog. 

There are more advanced stages of the pose, but they take years to build to, so the beginner's modification is a good place to start. 

The pose has many benefits, both physically and therapeutically. Therapeutically, the pose helps people with urinary disorders. Physically, the pose stretches the thighs, groin, the abdomen, the chest and the shoulders, and the neck. The pose accomplishes many stretches and beneficial movements, but it takes a lot of discipline to preform. 

When I preformed the pose, as you can see above, I did feel very aware and concentrated. The stretching was comfortable for me, but a little bit tight. It didn't hurt, my knee hinges were just a little awkward. The pose requires a lot of concentration and focus on technique and alignment, but once you're in it you can relax and send breath to the various parts of your body that are being stretched. 

sources: http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/863