15 Kneeling Yoga Poses, Sequence and How to Do It?

Kneeling yoga poses are proven to improve balance, flexibility and strength. Additionally, it works as a therapy for you if you have knee osteoarthritis, reduces pain, enhances mobility, and improves physical fitness and overall balance. Read this article to gain all information about these yoga poses and the benefits they carry.

To enhance the walking speed, posture and flexibility of the flexor muscles in your knees, you must practise certain kneeling yoga poses daily. To guide you, here are the following yoga poses that you can practise:

1. Toe Stretch Pose

A very simple yoga pose that strengthens your ankles and increases toe mobility. Additionally, it stimulates your liver, gallbladder, spleen, stomach and urinary bladder systems. Furthermore, this pose demands you to exert pressure on your toes which might be challenging for many. In that case, you can bring extra weight to your knees to reduce the pressure on your toes.

How to Do Toe Stretch Pose:

Step 1: First, start by padding your knees with a cushion or a folded blanket.

Step 2: Then, sit carefully on your heels, keeping your feet together. Try to bring the weight forward and push your toes under it gently.

Step 3: Bring back your weight on your feet again and hold this posture for about 5 minutes.

Step 4: Exit from this pose by bringing the weight forward and releasing your toes.

Step 5: To allow the sensations to fade, sit back on your heels comfortably, untucking the toes.

2. Hero Pose

Hero pose is a wonderful meditation pose and a great alternative to the Lotus pose. This energises your tired legs and stretches your feet, ankles and knees. Moreover, you can practise this pose with one leg at a time. In that case, you can fold one leg and stretch the other in front of you before forming a full posture. Additionally, if your ankles are stiff, you can place a cushion underneath to reduce the stretch.

How to Do Hero Pose:

Step 1: Start by kneeling comfortably on the floor.

Step 2: Pull your knees closer and widen your feet slightly. Try to point your feet aligned with your legs. Ensure that the bottom of your feet faces upwards.

Step 3: Sit comfortably back on your legs and exhale. Allow your hips to rest on your heels and thighs on your calves.

Step 4: Try to adjust your pelvis backwards and then forward to sit comfortably. You can place your hands on your thigh.

Step 5: Position yourself to sit upright, stretch, and straighten your spine. Inhale and exhale slowly. Use your head to move your body upwards carefully. Carefully press your tailbone on the floor.

Step 6: Now, straighten your head to view forward. Keeping your chin parallel to the ground, place your palms on your thighs and relax your arms.

3. Reclined Hero Pose

A restorative yoga posture, the reclined hero pose allows the front part of your body to stretch. This includes your feet, thighs and abdominal muscles. This pose eases muscle tension and initiates blood circulation improving the functioning of the nervous system. Furthermore, this pose helps to relax and reduces chronic low back pain without the need to consume any medicines.

How to Do Reclined Hero Pose:

Step 1: Start by placing your hands on the floor on either side of your thighs. Then try to lean your torso backwards as you place your hands on your hips.

Step 2: To come down on your forearms, try to bend your elbows. If you are sitting on a blanket or cushion, try to use taller blankets to ensure support to your spine as you come down comfortably.

Step 3: Ensure that your knees are closer and remain in that position for about 10 minutes.

Step 4: Come out of your pose by raising yourself with the help of your forearms. Press onto your hands to come back to the original sitting position.

4. Semi-Kneeling Yoga Pose

This pose is also known as Bharad bhajasana and is a bit complex pose that requires expert supervision. It improves your body posture and enhances mobility in your spine. As it initiates movement through your peristalsis or the digestive tract, it also improves your digestion and relieves you from constipation.

How to Do Semi-Kneeling Yoga Pose:

Step 1: Start with a staff pose and make yourself comfortable before beginning this exercise.

Step 2: Then, gently lean onto your right hip and move your legs towards the left. Bend your knees gently and place your legs outside your left hip. This ensures that your left ankle arches properly to your right foot.

Step 3: Gently place your left hand under the right knee. Ensure that the fingertips are pointed towards the knee. Now move your right hand on the ground behind the right hip.

Step 4: Straighten your spine and inhale. Twist your torso and exhale, allowing your left sitting bone to be heavy.

Step 5: Twisting from your torso, view to the right.

Step 6: To release yourself from this posture, gently unwind and exhale.

5. Child Pose

Child pose is also known as Balasana and is a wonderful way to stretch your body and relieve yourself from chronic back pains. Additionally, it helps reduce fatigue, stress and anxiety, thereby boosting mental health.

How to Do Child Pose:

Step 1: Begin sitting on your heels and knees on the floor mat. Now, bring your head slowly down to the floor.

Step 2: Gently stretch your arms to the front, under your forehead or by your side.

Step 3: Breathe slowly and stay in this posture for about 30 seconds.

Step 4: To release yourself from this posture, exhale slowly and sit back, gently straightening your spine.

6. Table-top Pose

Also known as Bharmanasana, this is one of the best kneeling poses that tones and aligns your spinal nerves. It relaxes your sciatic nerves, grounds your energy level, massages your lower abdomen and the reproductive organs and engages the core muscles. Additionally, it improves digestion and stimulates blood circulation as well.

How to Do Table-top Pose:

Step 1: Start by coming down to your knees and hands.

Step 2: Bring your knees closer to hip-width laying them down behind your knees.

Step 3: Now, bring your palms under the shoulders and face the fingers forward.

Step 4: View down between your palms, allowing your back to be flat.

Step 5: Press through the palms keeping your shoulders away from the ears.

Step 6: Finally, stretch the tailbone towards the wall and the head towards the front, thus lengthening your spine.

7. Cat/Cow Pose

The cat/cow pose, also known as Marjaryansana, is a combination pose of two stretches to warm up the spine. This pose helps to synchronise your breath and benefits your body and mind. It does so by empowering your brain, improving its mental stability and coordination. Moreover, it enhances blood circulation in the vertebrae of your spine, ensuring reduction of back pain and calming you down.

How to Do Cat/Cow Pose:

Step 1: Start with a table-top pose keeping your hips on your knees. Keep your hands shoulder distance apart, creasing your wrists parallel to the floor.

Step 2: Now press slowly with your hands.

Step 3: Twist your spine to the ceiling and exhale slowly. Bend your tailbone and head down and press your lower abdomen up and in.

Step 4: Broaden across your shoulder blades by pushing the floor away with your palms.

Step 5: Allow movement in your spine by keeping your hips on your knees and straightening your arms.

Step 6: Remain in this posture for about 5 minutes until you release the pose and return back to the sitting position.

8. Balancing Table Pose

Just like the table-top pose, the balancing table pose enhances stability and improves your balance, memory, coordination and focus. It is a good posture that helps to build your body strength apart from stretching and lengthening your spine. However, you can allow support in case you are not able to balance.

How to Do Balancing Table Pose:

Step 1: Start by balancing your hands and knees in a table pose. Next, inhale slowly and pull up your right leg parallel to the ground. Now reach your toes to the wall in the backside for support.

Step 2: Gaze between your palms and gently inhale, keeping your left arm parallel to the floor. Reach the wall in your front with your fingers for support.

Step 3: Breathe and hold that position for 5 minutes.

Step 4: To exit from this pose, exhale slowly and put your left arm down. Gently lower your knee and come back to the table position. Repeat this pose on the other side.

9. Tiger Pose

Also known as Vyaghrasana, this pose is a wonderful exercise that opens up your hips and thighs to the maximum. So, this asana is ideal for you if you are at a desk job and suffer from consistent lower back pain. This pose balances your body, toning the spinal nerves and relaxing your sciatic nerves. Additionally, it massages your lower abdomen and the reproductive organs just like the table-top pose.

How to Do Tiger Pose:

Step 1: Begin by inhaling slowly and stretching your legs backwards.

Step 2: Now gently exhale and swing your knees towards the forehead. Then gently come to the cat pose and look straight. Relax your mind and body.

Step 3: Bend your body backwards, straightening your right leg and swinging it up.

Step 4: Slowly bend your right knee, raising your head upwards. Bend your right leg up to twist it and point the sole to the backside of the head.

Step 5: Hold your breath and remain in this posture for a few seconds.

Step 6: Straighten the right leg moving it under the hips. Bring your head down and allow the forehead to touch your right knee, forming a curve in your back.

Step 7: Hold this position for a few moments and exhale outwards.

Step 8: Move your leg, stretch it gently and straighten it. Finally, move the right knee down on the floor and return to the cat pose.

Step 9: Repeat this with the left leg.

10. Retreating Warrior Pose/Side Lunge Pose

Retreating warrior pose, also known as Skandasana is a great hip-opening pose. This yoga pose increases flexibility in your hips and improves body balance along with strengthening the core muscles around your shoulder, arms, back and calves. In addition, it tones your thighs, legs and ankles and hamstrings.

How to Do Retreating Warrior Pose:

Step 1: Start by practising the Prasarita Padottanasana or the wide-legged forward bend pose.

Step 2: Now, bend your knee in the formation of a half squat keeping the right leg straight. Now twist your foot, leaving the toes on the floor in a posture that you are kneeling towards your right heel.

Step 3: As you lift the spine, push the hips backwards.

Step 4: You can place your arms on the floor if you wish to or bring your arms together as in Anjali mudra. Now, keep the left elbow inside the left knee. You can also extend the arms wide to provide more balance to your body.

Step 5: Repeat the same with the other side.

11. Camel Pose

Camel Pose or Ushtrasana is extremely beneficial as it stretches the abdomen, chest and quadriceps. In addition, it allows you to develop better body posture as you twist the body backwards in the opposite direction and promises spinal mobility. Moreover, you can extend your spine, so you don't have to support your body weight with your hands.

How to Do Camel Pose:

Step 1: Keep your body upright and place your hips on the knees.

Step 2: Push your hips outwards, so it hinges. Bring the elbows to close, keep them parallel, and open up your chest.

Step 3: Now pull up the pubic bone and push the hips forward. As you feel a stretch onto your thighs, bring the feet closer.

Step 4: Lift the chest slowly and rotate the hands outwards to hold the heels. You can move the shoulder blades further to open up the chest more.

Step 5: Remain in this position for about 10 minutes and inhale slowly and deeply.

Step 6: Lift any arm to exit from this pose and return to the original posture.

12. Butterfly Pose

One of the best kneeling asanas, the butterfly pose improves pelvic health and enhances flexibility. If you have the tendency to sit for a longer duration and have high-intensity work, practising this yoga asana reduces lower back pain. Moreover, the butterfly poses encourage inner peace and eases stress. In addition, it is a simple pose, ideal for pregnant women.

How to Do Butterfly Pose:

Step 1: Begin by sitting comfortably on the floor mat.

Step 2: Now gently bend the knees pressing the soles closer together.

Step 3: Now interlock the fingers of the feet. You can also place your hands on your ankles.

Step 4: Stretch your spine and open up your chest. Inhale slowly while doing so.

Step 5: Now, pull the shoulders back and down. Then remain in this position for some minutes.

Step 6: Exit from this posture by resting on your arms and stretching your legs forward.

13. Bridge Pose

Also known as Setu Bandha Sarvangasana, the Bridge pose enhances your body posture and relieves you from lower back pain. It also strengthens and stretches the spine, abdomen, chest and shoulder muscles. Additionally, it strengthens your hips, thighs, ankles and back muscles.

How to Do Bridge Pose:

Step 1: Slowly lie down on your back, bending your knees and legs. Keep your feet parallel and widen your hips.

Step 2: Bring the feet closer to the hips and press down gently through your feet. Slowly inhale and lift your hips.

Step 3: Now, interlock the hands beneath your back. Widen your collarbones and strengthen your outer thigh to move it inwards.

Step 4: Now, press gently through the heels and move the backside of your thighs and the bottom of the hips keeping your shins parallel.

Step 5: Finally, to come out of the pose, exhale and release the hands. Rest on your back on the floor mat.

14. Half-hero Forward Bend

A part of the hero pose, this is a semi-kneeling yoga posture that improves the ability to practise the former. Similar to the hero pose, it stretches your legs, thighs and ankles and enhances your body posture.

How to Do Half-Hero Forward Bend Pose:

Step 1: Start with the hero pose and sit comfortably on your floor mat.

Step 2: Bent your right leg and stretch your left leg forward, bending your head downwards slowly.

Step 3: Inhale slowly and extend your hands parallel to each other, providing proper balance to your body.

Step 4: Remain in that position for 5 minutes and then release yourself from this position.

15. Pigeon Pose

Pigeon pose, also known as Eka Pada Rajakapotasana, is an excellent hip opener that stretches your groyne, thighs, piriformis and psoas. It increases hip mobility and helps to reduce chronic lower back pain.

How to Do Pigeon Pose:

Step 1: Start on all fours as you bring the right knee gently closer to the right wrist.

Step 2: Without causing much discomfort to the knees, stretch the outer hip and place the right ankle in front of the right hip.

Step 3: Now gently slide the left leg backwards, pointing the toes. Move your legs closer to each other, keeping your hips stiff.

Step 4: Open your chest, press your navel inside, and straighten the spine as you inhale gently.

Step 5: Exhale and move the hands to the front. Now, gently lower the upper body to the floor. Place the arms and head on the floor mat.

Step 6: Remain in this position for a few minutes and exhale as you try to remove the pressure from your right hip.

Step 7: Repeat on the other side.

Before you practise this yoga pose, try to keep in mind certain safety precautions that will ensure balance and flexibility. This will prevent any injury or discomfort that might happen while doing these exercises.

• The primary thing to remember is that you must not force yourself into any posture that you feel is uncomfortable or causing pain.
• If you are pregnant, there are certain postures that you are not allowed to do. In that case, you must consult your trainer or the doctor.
• Do not overstretch or push your body to the maximum. This will cause strain and injury.
• Take help from a trainer while doing any particular complex posture. Additionally, you can take support of any wall, cushion or chair too.
• Immediately stop doing any pose if you feel fatigue, weak, shaky or numb.

The following people must avoid practising these yoga poses for kneeling:

• If you have recently undergone any surgery, sprain or fracture, do not practise these yoga poses as they can cause more discomfort.
• If you are going through menstruation, avoid performing some complex yoga poses.
• Avoid practising kneeling yoga after having a meal. Instead, wait for 3-4 hours before performing one.
• Do not perform yoga in acute stress conditions, as this might make your posture wrong.
• Avoid continuing yoga poses when there is an increase in knee pain. In that case, always consult your doctor.

So, here are some kneeling yoga poses that you must practise to increase mobility and stability. Ensure to perform these exercises by following the steps and always consider the safety precautions to avoid sudden injuries.