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Prayer Pose does not stretch or strengthen anything. Its function is to mark a boundary: the moment before a sun salutation starts and the moment it finishes. That sounds dispensable and is not, because a sequence entered without a pause tends to be rushed the whole way through.
What it is
You stand tall at the front of the mat with the feet together, weight even and shoulders soft, bring the palms together at the centre of the chest with the thumbs resting lightly against the breastbone, and exhale fully.
The full exhale is the working part. Emptying the lungs completely before the sequence begins means the first movement, which is an inhale sweeping the arms up, has somewhere to go. Starting a sun salutation on a half-full breath puts the breathing out of step from pose one.
It is also where the sequence closes. Returning to the same shape at the end gives the round an edge, which matters when you are running several: without it, rounds run into each other and the pace creeps up.
It is safe and welcome for everyone. If standing for a while is tiring, keep the knees soft and take the stance a little wider.
How to practise it
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Stand steady
Stand tall at the front of your mat with the feet together, weight even and shoulders soft. Feel steady and grounded through both feet.
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Join the palms
Bring your palms together at the centre of your chest, thumbs resting lightly against the breastbone. Let the shoulders relax down and the elbows soften.
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Centre and breathe
Exhale fully and take a moment to settle. Breathe smoothly and feel centered and calm before you begin to move, or as you close your practice.
How long and how often
The app holds it for twenty seconds, which is a genuine pause rather than a token one. That is long enough to feel steady before moving.
Use it at the start and end of every sun salutation round, and as a general centring posture before any standing practice.
There is nothing to build and no progression.
What usually goes wrong
Skipping the exhale. The full exhale is what sets up the first inhale of the sequence. Without it the breathing is out of step from the beginning.
Pressing the palms hard together. The hands rest together; they do not push. Pressing tenses the shoulders and chest, which is the opposite of what a centring pause is for.
Hunching the shoulders up. Let the shoulders relax down and the elbows soften. Bringing the hands to the chest often lifts the shoulders without anyone noticing.
Treating it as a formality. Moving straight through it is the usual reason a sun salutation is rushed. The pause is doing something even though it looks like nothing.
Who should take care
Practise safely. Safe and welcome for everyone. If standing for long is tiring, keep the knees soft and the stance a little wider for stability. See our full Health & Safety Disclaimer.
Twenty seconds before you move
PanchPrana holds Prayer Pose at both ends of each sun salutation round, which is what keeps the rounds from running into one another. It is one of the 66 techniques that are free to practise in full.
Common questions
Where exactly do the hands go?
Palms together at the centre of the chest, with the thumbs resting lightly against the breastbone, elbows soft and shoulders relaxed down.
Should I inhale or exhale here?
Exhale fully. That empties the lungs so the first movement of the sun salutation, an inhale sweeping the arms up, has room.
Do the feet have to be together?
It is the classical version, but a slightly wider stance with soft knees is more stable and perfectly acceptable if standing still is tiring.
Is it a religious posture?
The gesture has devotional origins and the name reflects that. In practice here it functions as a centring pause, and no particular belief is implied by using it.
How long should I hold it?
Around twenty seconds, or one full settled breath cycle. Long enough to feel steady before moving.
