Squat

I think I'm noticing a theme in recent posts- "poses I used to hate..."

Because I REALLY used to hate to squat. I remember when I was pregnant with my son folks kept suggesting that squatting was a terrific and traditional position for labor. That seemed crazy to me- I couldn't get my heels on the floor, and I could hold it for about 5 seconds if I was working hard. 

Once that drama was over, I figured I should make friends with the squat. (or malasana if you want to get fancy) The first piece of advice I got was to ground my heels into a blanket or block. It was pretty embarrassing how big I had to roll that blanket, but I obediently kept one handy.  The second insight was that I could move my feet as far apart as I needed to get the heels down. My heels were pretty far apart I can tell you, but the pose changes completely when the heels are on the floor. Then a teacher suggested that some women need to widen their knees far apart as they descend, then can allow the knees to come in a little once they are fully in the pose. The teacher had noticed that some women have a curved rather than straight path into the pose. (I can't attest to the physiology of this, but darned if it didn't work).

But the real key was just to do the pose all the time. If we are between poses in class, or I arrive early and am warming up, I try to remember to include some time just breathing or twisting in squat. Over the years I have been able to lengthen up through the spine more and more, and even have seen my feet creep in so that I can get both big toes on my mat! If the feet need to be close together or parallel, though, I still have to reach for my blanket to prop the heels. The important thing is that I've been able to begin to enjoy Malasana by making it my own, by making it my friend. And as is true in all friendships, the key to a good relationship is spending quality time together.