Yoga pose
Staff Pose is a simple seated foundation that helps you organise the legs, pelvis and spine. It can look easy, but for many bodies it is clearer and more comfortable with a folded blanket under the hips.
Typical hold: 30 to 60 seconds
Timing: 4 slow breaths · 6 slow breaths · 8 slow breaths
Staff Pose gives you a reference point for many seated postures. Instead of trying to sit as upright as possible at any cost, look for a shape where the sitting bones feel grounded, the legs are active without becoming rigid, and the chest can stay easy. For some people that means sitting directly on the floor. For others, a little height under the hips makes the pose much more workable.
If you keep sliding back onto the tailbone, sit on a folded blanket before trying to straighten the legs more. In this pose, a small lift under the hips often gives a clearer spine straight away.
Sit on one or more folded blankets so the pelvis can tip forward more easily. This often makes it easier to sit upright without forcing the spine.
Bend the knees a little and place the feet on the floor if straight legs pull the lower back into a slump. Keep the spine long first, then gradually work toward more leg extension.
Place the fingertips on the floor behind you and press gently down if sitting upright without support is difficult. Keep the chest broad and avoid dropping heavily into the arms.
Sit cross-legged on a folded blanket with the hands on the thighs and find the same long spine and relaxed shoulders.
Use this if straight-leg sitting is uncomfortable in the hamstrings or lower back.
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor, then lengthen the back of the neck and let the ribs settle.
Use this if getting upright on the floor is tiring or if seated posture work feels too effortful today.
The hips are raised on folded blankets to reduce the pull on the hamstrings and help the pelvis tip forward.
Instead of keeping the inner legs together, the feet are placed hip-width apart to make the seat feel more stable.
The knees stay softly bent while the focus remains on the upright spine and grounded sitting bones.
If simple seated positions repeatedly cause sharp back pain, strong pain behind the knees, or numbness that does not settle when you change position, pause and get individual advice before continuing.
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.
Often the hamstrings are pulling the pelvis backward, which makes the lower back round. Sitting on a folded blanket usually helps more than forcing the chest up. A small bend in the knees can help as well.
Not necessarily. The aim is not to pin the legs down but to sit with steady support through the legs while the spine can lengthen. Different bodies will show the pose differently.
You may feel light work in the fronts of the thighs, a gentle stretch along the backs of the legs, and a clear sense of lift through the spine. You should not feel sharp pulling behind the knees or strain in the lower back.
Either can work. Feet together gives a more classic shape, but feet hip-width apart can make the pelvis and legs feel more even. Choose the version that lets you sit upright without gripping.
Reviewed for yoga instruction
Certified Yoga Instructor with 5+ years of Teaching and Consistent Practice
Last reviewed: 2026-08-08
