Steps
- Stand with the feet a little wider than the hips, toes turned out.
- Bend the knees and sit down between the feet. Heels can rest on a folded blanket.
- Bring the palms together and let the elbows nudge the inner knees, or hold a counter.
- Lengthen the chest. To stand, press the feet down and unfold.
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.
- A hip and ankle pose that mimics a natural squat.
- Useful if you want hips without kneeling.
- Easy to support with a block under the pelvis.
Common mistakes
- Forcing the heels down so the knees twist.
- Rounding into a ball and holding the breath.
- Knees caving far inward.
Modifications
- Sit on a block.
- Hold a doorway and stay higher.
Safety
- Knee or hip pain: stay higher or skip.
- If you cannot control the descent, use a chair behind you.
- Do not bounce at the bottom.
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.
Garland Pose (Malasana, said mah-LAHS-uh-nuh) is listed here as a Beginner Standing pose. The body area it emphasizes is Hips. A deep squat with the heels supported if they lift. Elbows press gently out against the knees. Heels up on a blanket is a real version.
Read the steps in order. Set the pose up before you try to deepen it. The first mistake called out on this page is: Forcing the heels down so the knees twist. 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 Garland Pose for a plain reason: A hip and ankle pose that mimics a natural squat. 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. Knee or hip pain: stay higher or skip.
If you are pregnant, returning from an injury, or your back has been painful, consult a doctor before you practice Garland Pose. 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 Garland Pose with a short routine from this site if you want a sequence, and keep the timer as a guide you are allowed to pause.