Steps
- From Plank or knees-down plank, shift forward slightly.
- Lower the knees, then the chest and the chin. Elbows hug in.
- Keep the hips a little higher than the chest if that is comfortable.
- Either slide forward to Cobra or press back to Child’s Pose.
What this pose may help with
These lines describe why people practice the shape. A pose may help with ordinary stiffness or with settling your attention. They are not claims that the pose treats or cures a condition.
- Builds arm strength without a full push-up shape.
- A safer stepping stone than Chaturanga on the toes.
- Connects Plank and Cobra in a slow sun-salutation style flow.
Common mistakes
- Collapsing so fast the chin hits hard.
- Elbows flaring straight out.
- Holding the breath.
Modifications
- Lower all the way to the belly and skip the hover.
- Knees stay down the whole time.
Safety
- Wrist or shoulder pain: lower to the belly from hands and knees instead.
- Do not drop the chin. Control the descent.
- Pregnancy: lower the knees and chest only if it still feels spacious, or skip to hands and knees.
If you are pregnant, injured, or dealing with back pain, consult a doctor before you follow this page. Stop for sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or chest pain. This is movement education, not a diagnosis or a treatment. Read the medical disclaimer.
Knees, Chest, and Chin (Ashtanga Namaskara, said ahsh-TAHN-gah nah-mahs-KAH-rah) is listed here as a Beginner Prone pose. The body area it emphasizes is Core. A low hover on the way toward the floor: knees, chest, and chin touch, hips stay a little lifted. It replaces a full Chaturanga for most beginners.
Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Collapsing so fast the chin hits hard. That line is there because the usual error is doing too much, not because a tighter shape is a better practice. The modifications keep the same idea when the full shape does not fit today. Use them on purpose. They are part of the pose, not a demotion.
People practice Knees, Chest, and Chin for a plain reason: Builds arm strength without a full push-up shape. That “may help” is a description of why the shape is in a beginner library. It is not a claim that the pose treats, cures, or prevents a condition. Wrist or shoulder pain: lower to the belly from hands and knees instead.
If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Knees, Chest, and Chin. A safety note on a website is education. It is not clearance. Sharp pain, numbness, dizziness, or pain that runs down a leg is a reason to stop and get care, not a reason to hold the shape longer. The medical disclaimer on this site says the same thing in more detail.
When you are done, come out slowly. One calm repetition you can repeat tomorrow is the point of the page. Pair Knees, Chest, and Chin with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.