Bowing in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Poyasny ("little bow", literally belt bow) zemnoy poklon ("great bow", literally "ground bow") and 'Naklon' Serbian Bowing, are different kinds of bows used in an Eastern Orthodox worship service. The different kinds of bows one could encounter at an Eastern Orthodox service are shown in the adjacent picture. Only types 2 and 5 have their own independent meaning and rules of usage; the other types are either "lightened" or "weighted" versions of these three "basic" versions.

Bowing in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Poyasny ("little bow", literally belt bow) zemnoy poklon ("great bow", literally "ground bow") and 'Naklon' Serbian Bowing, are different kinds of bows used in an Eastern Orthodox worship service. The different kinds of bows one could encounter at an Eastern Orthodox service are shown in the adjacent picture. Only types 2 and 5 have their own independent meaning and rules of usage; the other types are either "lightened" or "weighted" versions of these three "basic" versions.