Kneeling Rest Poseप्रणामासन

Kneel with the knees together and place a folded blanket between the calves and the thighs. Sit back so the weight rests on the blanket rather than directly on the heels. Roll a second blanket under the ankles if the tops of the feet complain on the mat. Bring the palms together in front of the chest with the elbows heavy and the shoulders down. Sit tall without effort, close the eyes if you like, and stay for the hold. Hold for 2–5 minutes.

Primarily the spinal erectors, quadriceps, with the ankles, shoulders, chest assisting or lengthening. In mechanical terms: gives an upright resting shape where the legs support the whole body with no balance to manage.

Knee injury or recent meniscus surgery — build the blanket under the seat much higher, or sit on a chair. Ankle pain from the tops of the feet on the floor: roll a blanket underneath them. Pregnancy, where sitting on the heels is usually more comfortable with the knees apart. Circulation problems in the legs that make long kneeling uncomfortable — change to a cross-legged seat. This is general information, not medical advice — if any of these apply to you, ask your doctor and learn the pose with a qualified teacher rather than from a page.

Yes. Kneeling Rest Pose is a beginner-level pose on this site, which means it is learnable in a first class and has a version that works for most bodies. The cautions above still apply.

The honest answer is that nobody has measured a single asana. The 2024 Adult Compendium of Physical Activities publishes MET values for styles of yoga, not for individual poses. Kneeling Rest Pose sits closest to Compendium code 02170, yoga, Nadisodhana (seated, quiet practice), at 2 MET — about 74 kcal for 30 minutes of that kind of practice for a 70 kg adult. Holding one pose for a minute is a rounding error either way.