Garland Pose

How to do Garland Pose

1. 1Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, angling your toes out about 45 degrees.
2. 2Bring your palms together in prayer position at the center of your chest.
3. 3Exhale and bend your knees deeply, lowering your hips into a full squat until your pelvis settles between your heels.
4. 4Wedge your upper triceps or elbows against the inside of your inner knees.
5. 5Press your palms firmly together, using the leverage of your elbows against your knees to widen your thighs and broaden your collarbones.
6. 6Draw your navel gently toward your spine while reaching the crown of your head upward and lengthening your tailbone toward the earth.
7. 7Hold the pose for five to ten deep breaths, maintaining equal weight across the four corners of both feet.
8. 8Press firmly through your heels and inhale as you straighten your legs to return to standing.

Benefits

• Deeply stretches the adductors, groin, and inner hips.
• Increases functional dorsiflexion mobility in the ankles and lengthens the Achilles tendons.
• Decompresses the lumbar spine to reduce tension throughout the lower back.
• Tones and stabilizes the pelvic floor and lower core musculature.
• Stimulates digestion and supports the natural downward flow of energy.

Common mistakes and cues

• Lifting the heels

  Keep your heels grounded to protect the Achilles tendon, placing a prop underneath them if they lift off the mat.

• Rounding the upper back

  Avoid collapsing the chest forward; press your palms firmly together to draw your shoulder blades back and down.

• Knees collapsing inward

  Actively track your knees in the exact same diagonal direction as your second and third toes.

• Dumping into the joints

  Engage your pelvic floor and inner arches slightly rather than resting entirely passively in deep flexion.

• Tensing the shoulders

  Draw your shoulders away from your ears to keep the sides of your neck long and relaxed.

Modifications and props

• Block under sitting bones

  Sit on one or two yoga blocks to support tight hips and reduce strain on the knees.

• Rolled blanket under heels

  Place a rolled blanket beneath your heels if ankle mobility prevents them from resting flat on the floor.

• Wall support behind back

  Lean your back against a wall while squatting to assist balance and support an upright torso.

• Holding a sturdy anchor

  Grasp a secure post, door frame, or chair in front of you to manage body weight as you lower your hips.

Cautions

• Knee injuries

  Avoid deep, unsupported knee flexion if you have acute meniscus tears, ligament sprains, or severe arthritis.

• Late-stage pregnancy

  Sit on a block for support and avoid deep unsupported squats if your baby is known to be in a breech position.

• Low back disc issues

  Refrain from letting your lumbar spine round excessively by sitting on a prop to maintain a neutral spine.

If you are working with an injury, pregnancy or a medical condition, check with a qualified professional before practising this pose.

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