Yoga pose
Prayer Squat is a wide squat with the hands together at the chest. It can gently open the hips and ankles while asking you to organise the spine and feet so the shape feels steady rather than collapsed.
Typical hold: 3 to 8 breaths
Timing: 3 slow breaths · 5 breaths · 30 to 45 seconds with even breathing
This pose is often used to explore a deep squat, but it does not need to be very deep to be useful. For many people, the main work is in the ankles and hips, not in getting lower. Keep the feet placed in a way that lets the knees track comfortably, and let your version of the pose match your current range.
If you keep falling backward, the issue is often not hip tightness alone. Try widening your stance a little and turning the toes out slightly more so the pelvis has somewhere to go.
Place a folded blanket or wedge under the heels. This reduces the ankle demand and often lets the spine stay more upright.
Stand facing a wall and lightly hold it as you lower into the squat. Use the support to keep weight balanced through the feet rather than gripping with the toes.
Pause well above your deepest range, with the thighs higher than the knees if needed. Keep the chest lifted and breathe there without trying to sink lower.
Stand in front of a chair and bend the knees until the hips lightly touch the seat, then rise again or hover just above it.
Useful if getting low is uncomfortable or getting back up from the floor-level squat feels difficult.
Sit on a folded blanket with the legs comfortably wide and the hands at the chest or on the floor for support while you practise upright posture.
Useful when knees or ankles do not tolerate the loaded squat position.
A higher variation where the heels lift and the body balances more on the balls of the feet. This changes the ankle demand and is not the best choice if balance feels uncertain.
The elbows press lightly inside the knees while the palms stay together, helping some people create a little more space through the inner thighs.
The feet step a bit wider apart to make room for the pelvis and reduce the feeling of being blocked at the front of the ankles.
If you feel sharp pain in the front of the ankle, inside the knee, or deep in the hip each time you try to squat, stop and get individual advice before continuing with deeper versions.
Use these related poses when you want a more accessible way to practise a similar movement or prepare for this pose.
These poses can help prepare the movement pattern or body position used here.
When this pose feels steady and controlled, these related poses may provide a logical next step.
These poses can provide a contrasting movement or a quieter transition after this pose.
Not necessarily. Some bodies can squat with the heels grounded quite easily, and some cannot without compensation. If the heels lift and you lose stability, place support under them or stay in a higher squat.
Choose a stance that lets your knees bend comfortably and your pelvis lower between the legs. If you feel blocked at the ankles or crowded in the hips, step the feet a little wider and turn the toes out slightly more.
Come up a little, check that the knees are tracking in the same direction as the toes, and avoid pushing them wider with force. A higher squat or heel support often helps. If discomfort stays sharp or localised, leave the pose.
They are closely related, and names are sometimes used differently. In practice, Prayer Squat usually refers to the squat shape with the hands at the chest, while Garland Pose often describes a deeper yogic squat variation.
A short hold is often enough. Try 3 to 5 steady breaths at first. If the shape feels stable and easy to breathe in, you can stay a little longer without forcing the depth.
Reviewed for yoga instruction
Certified Yoga Instructor with 5+ years of Teaching and Consistent Practice
Last reviewed: 2026-08-08
