Difficulty

Intermediate

Type

Seated

Muscle Group

Upper Body

Instructions

Step 1 Begin in Easy Pose or Mountain Pose Step 2 Take the arms behind you and bring the palms together behind your back in prayer Step 3 Pull the core muscles in and sit/stand tall.

Repeat on the other side

Benefits

This pose improves posture, strengthening the upper back whilst opening the chest and shoulders.

Modifications

Hold the elbows, forearms or wrists behind the back if the hands do not come to a reverse prayer.

Deepen your practice

Precautions

Take caution practicing this pose if you have a shoulder or arm injury. Take caution if you have low blood pressure.

progression towards the reverse prayer pose

you can start by trying and in time by moving the hands higher and higher while trying to keep the base of the thumbs together. if you can't do it at all (due to wrists and shoulders tightness) you can start by placing the fists against each other behind the back.

Start by placing your hands behind your back, palms together, fingers facing down. If you're good there try rotating your hands towards the body until fingers point upwards.

You can work one arm at a time using a corner, if you can't touch your hands at all yet.

You can also start with interlacing your fingers, palms out, and then spin them in and up, until your palms are in position and you streighten the fingers