According to the Gemara (Megillah 22b), and according to the RaMBa"M (Hil. Tefillah 5:13) (and apparently R' Avraham ben HaRaMBa"M was adamant), when we pray we are supposed to bow down ON our knees (not merely bending our knees) and in certain places, particularly Tahanun, we are supposed to lie prostrate on the floor with our arms and legs outstretched and our faces flat on the ground (so long as the ground is not a stone floor; prostrating on stone is explicitly prohibited).
Rather than go into depth with descriptions and all the sources for the different movements and when to do them, for simplicity, see the following videos:
http://youtu.be/xJYvBJFb8CQ
http://youtu.be/0aHWASyMjwg
Why don't we do this?
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