Malasana: Know How to Squat

This entry was posted on May 2, 2018 by Charlotte Bell.

Malasana
One of my favorite things about writing about asana practice is that in the process of researching poses, I often learn something new. Even as I head into my 36th year of practice, I’m well aware that I know only a small fraction of what there is to know about yoga. So I’m always delighted when I uncover something that helps me understand the practice a little better.

What’s In a Name?

Such is the case with this blog’s featured pose, Malasana, commonly known as “Garland Pose.” I’ve always wondered about its name. I figured it came from the Sanskrit word “mala”—those little round rosary-like beads used for meditation—but I could never figure out what squatting had to do with a necklace. So I embarked on some Google research to see if there was a mythological reference that might help me make the connection.

As it turns out, Malasana’s name has nothing to do with garlands or beads. Due to a mistranslation that doesn’t take into account the subtle differences between Sanskrit’s long and short “a,” the word that would be correctly transcribed as ”maalaa” (garland) was confused with the word “mala” (excrement). According to the Indian ashram Jaisiyaram’s website, Malasana properly translates to “Pooping Pose.”

Even though “Garland Pose” sounds so much more genteel, the latter translation makes a whole lot more sense. India’s potties are different from ours. Traditional toilets are at ground level, making squatting the number one position for accomplishing number two.

Benefits of Malasana

Malasana supports apana, the downward-flowing energy that governs elimination. Apana energy grounds agitation, making Malasana a great counterpose for stress. Not surprisingly, Malasana relieves constipation. In addition, it stretches the ankles, groins and lower legs, and tones the abdomen and pelvic floor.

In an online article, provocatively titled “Stop Doing Kegels:  Real Pelvic Floor Advice for Women (and Men)” Nicole Crawford claims that squatting is far more helpful for strengthening your pelvic floor muscles than are traditional kegel exercises. Kegels, she says, only serve to tighten—not strengthen—the pelvic floor, as they tilt the sacrum under and weaken the glutes. Squatting, she says, creates a posterior pull on the sacrum that balances the work of the pelvic floor muscles.

How to Practice Malasana

Practicing Malasana is simple, although depending on the flexibility of your ankles, knees and lower legs, it may require some helpful props. Have handy a foam or cork wedge (as in the photo), or a folded blanket, in addition to a nonskid mat. If you’ve had knee surgery, or are contemplating knee surgery, the knee flexion required for Malasana may be too extreme. It’s best not to practice Malasana if your knees are compromised.

  1. Start by squatting on a nonskid yoga mat with your feet hips-width apart and parallel. Let your heels descend toward the floor. If they don’t reach the floor, place a wedge or folded blanket under your heels so that they are evenly grounded. You may need as much as three or four inches of height under your heels.
  2. Spread your heels, balls of your feet and your toes, grounding evenly across your feet.
  3. Once you feel stable, widen your legs so that your torso fits snugly in between your thighs. Place your hands in Anjali Mudra (Prayer Position).
  4. Take five to ten deep breaths to settle into the pose.

Saving the SI Joint

In recent years, dysfunction of the sacroiliac joint (SI joint)—the meeting of the two posterior points of the pelvis with the sacrum, the triangular-shaped bone at the base of the spine—has become a common injury among female yoga practitioners. Since the hip joints, legs and SI joints are symmetrical in Malasana, I find that practicing it can be helpful when my hypermobile sacrum becomes rotated inside the joint, causing a painful pinching sensation.

The following simple variation can help reset the SI joint—depending on the way in which it’s structurally out of integrity—and can help relieve sciatica pain. It also tones your abdomen.

  1. While in Malasana, squeeze in on your shoulders with your knees and inner thighs. As you do this, note how your abdomen tones back toward your spine and your back body expands.
  2. Take five or so breaths before releasing the squeeze.
  3. Repeat a few more times.

Even though Sanskrit is an ancient language that is largely unspoken these days except among its scholars, some of its root syllables are familiar to us in English and in the Romance languages. This is true for the root “mal,” which when used as a prefix turns a perfectly nice English word into something contrary. (Think “malfunction” or “malcontent.”) The word also has rather wicked connotations in Italian, Spanish and French. But knowing the truth about Malasana’s etymology only increases my appreciation of it. If the key to freedom is letting go of what is no longer needed, then Malasana just might be one of yoga’s most auspicious asanas.

Updated article from February 6, 2013.

About Charlotte Bell
Charlotte Bell discovered yoga in 1982 and began teaching in 1986. Charlotte is the author of Mindful Yoga, Mindful Life: A Guide for Everyday Practice and Yoga for Meditators, both published by Rodmell Press. Her third book is titled Hip-Healthy Asana: The Yoga Practitioner’s Guide to Protecting the Hips and Avoiding SI Joint Pain (Shambhala Publications). She writes a monthly column for CATALYST Magazine and serves as editor for Yoga U Online. Charlotte is a founding board member for GreenTREE Yoga, a non-profit that brings yoga to underserved populations. A lifelong musician, Charlotte plays oboe and English horn in the Salt Lake Symphony and folk sextet Red Rock Rondo, whose DVD won two Emmy awards in 2010.

6 responses to “Malasana: Know How to Squat”

  1. Avatar Joanna Colwell says:

    When I was 25 years old, I overheard my yoga teacher giving some advice to a student who was in the early stages of pregnancy:”Want to have a fantastic childbirth? For the rest of your pregnancy, whenever you have to poop, get up on the toilet seat and squat.” This was intriguing to me, and I decided I would start early. From that day on, I squat to poop. Seven years later, I had the most amazing, fast, pain free childbirth! So I heartily recommend squatting in all stages of life!

    • Avatar Charlotte Bell says:

      Thanks so much for your comment and confirmation! I find squatting to be so comfortable. It’s very grounding for me and it seems to set things right in my pelvis, hip joints, SI joints and guts.

  2. Avatar Althea Moynihan says:

    Fascinating article. Since I was little one of my favorite positions is “garland (shitting) pose!” It is absolutely one of my go-to postures for low back pain, and taking malasana with my back against a wall is so supportive and grounding. I have recommended it to my pregnant students!

    • Avatar Charlotte Bell says:

      Althea, it’s always been a go-to pose for me too, no pun intended. I also think it’s great for building strength in the pelvic floor, and as you say, against the wall, a great pose for pregnant yoginis.

  3. Avatar Kasturi says:

    Thankyou for writing this! As an Indian who studied Hindi in school, I have been so confused about every Indian yoga instructor called it the Garland pose, when the word ‘mal’ (pronounced: mull) itself translates to poop in sanskrit. ‘Mal-mutra’ is a term we learnt in school which translates to ‘poop-pee’. And maladana is how people squat to poop in Indian toilets. We have doing it most of our lives, till the time western comodes took over.

    Garland in Hindi is ‘mala’ (pronounced: maalaa). I can see where the confusion in translation came from but it really is common sense that Indian yoga practitioners surprisingly overlook.

  4. Avatar Charlotte Bell says:

    Thanks for sharing your insights on this!

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