Pope Shenouda III
 
        Prostration is in fact a series of  successive prostration accompanied by short prayers.
  The Church  combines prostration with  abstinence from food for a number of hours.  Thus, on days when  abstinence is not allowed, -e.g. feast days,  Saturdays, Sundays, and  the fifty days following Easter- then  prostration are also not  permissible. A belly full of food is not fit  spiritually or bodily for  prostration. Prostration are therefore better  observed in the early  morning or at any time during  fasting before  food is eaten.