Beginner Yoga • Yoga • Yoga Pose
August 23, 2022
Our Korean halmeoni (grandma) stood all of 4’10”. She’d whisk her way up to the tops of our 9-foot windows, then drop it like it’s hot into a perfect yogi squat to dust the baseboards.
I was astonished by her zippy nimbleness. A little jealous, too.
Yogi squat (malasana or garland pose) looks effortless when someone grew up squatting for meals, the bathroom, and everything else. But if you grew up in a chair-sitting culture? Your ankles lock up. Your knees shout. Your lower back rounds like a question mark.
Good news: your body isn’t broken.
You just need the right modifications to meet yourself where you are, and that’s exactly what this guide is for. Below, you’ll find a step-by-step on how to do the pose, 5 modifications for the most common sticking points (tight hips, cranky knees, stiff ankles), three variations to keep it interesting, and a full anatomy breakdown for the curious (and for yoga teachers who need a quick reference).
Whether you can already drop into a deep squat or you can barely get halfway down, your version of yogi squat is in here.
(And if you’re wondering why you’d want to bother in the first place? Halmeoni cleaned her baseboards well into her 80s, but more on that in a minute. 🧹)
What a visual aid? Watch the video.
Malasana doesn’t look impressive or difficult to do, but it is far from easy. There are a few contraindications for doing malasana, but with one-on-one support from a knowledgable professional, many (but not all), people can find comfort in garland pose after some time. If you have had the following please speak to your physical therapist, yoga therapist, or physician before attempting the pose:
*CAUTION* It is not possible (nor is it safe) to achieve malasana for a posterior hip replacement.
If you haven’t already guessed, malasana has many names. Typically “garland pose” is the English translation, but you’ll hear people reference it as “yogi squat.”
No matter what you call it, when done traditionally, malasana is one of those poses that allows you to feel supported while stretching, but also strong all at the same time. Once you get into the pose, sitting in it for some time should feel comfortable.
Find out what’s going on… You know you want to… Privacy is important, I won’t sell your info, I promise.
Lowering from standing is the easiest and most accessible way to move into malasana. You don’t have to work against gravity, and you can maintain the symmetry of the pose.
Important things to note:
There are so many ways to get out of malasana. You can have fun, or keep it strictly functional, but here are a few ideas to get you started.
Option 1:
Option 2:
Option 3:
Option 4:
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Malasana is not easy or comfortable for many people. Chances are if you are struggling to get into the pose you will find yourself in one of the two options below. You might even bounce back and forth between the two until you’ve gained the right flexibility in the appropriate places.
Try walking your feet out a little bit wider.
Try walking your feet closer together. You can also try turning your feet in (or out) a little to see if it makes a difference.
Lifted heels and hips are not the only difficulties people find in yogi squat. Sometimes you CAN get all the way down but you feel uncomfortable. And sometimes you are trying to adjust to correct one of the above 👆but find yourself seesawing between the two. Here are a few ways to prop and adapt the pose to meet your needs.
There isn’t a lot of room to move in malasana, but below are a few ways to switch up malasana so it’s more versatile and exciting.
An easy twist in malasana is a great way to mix it up, it’s also a precursor to taking the bind. For a visual description check out the video.
From malasana:
The bind is never necessary but it can be an excellent way to stretch the chest. So the directions are easier I will describe how to take the bind on one side, swap “left” with “right” to do the bind on the other side. You can also watch this variation of malasana demonstrated in the video.
Start in malasana:
Notes:
Compression work is key for press entrances to inversions.
Psss: If you have no idea what that means, it’s ok. The following exercise is accessible for all and you’ll still find the benefit.
It’s easy to work the compression. All you have to do is engage the core (transverse abdominis) and psoas to pull the thighs close to the core in malasana. Here’s how to experience it:
Note:
You may not be aware of what you feel when garland pose is a challenge for you. Below is a guide of what you should feel when you’re fully in the pose. If your muscles are tight and you’re unable to get all the way into malasana some of the things below may not be felt, and that’s O.K. If you’re more mobile the list below may only feel like slight sensation (also OK).
This section is to help you know EXACTLY what’s going on. Honestly, this would have been nice when I first started teaching yoga. These days my husband always asks for stretches/exercises for specific muscles. This section is also for that.
You don’t need to be an anatomy expert, this can help you general understand your body and its specific anatomy.
Malasana is mostly a pose for stretching, but like in those compression drills above 👆these muscles are engaged to help support the spine or work the compression:
As you guessed many muscles are stretched in garland pose. Your flexibility has a great impact on what muscles will be stretched when you’re in malasana. The pose itself is not a deep stretch but for some, the stretches may feel intense.
I drop into yogi squat almost every day. Something usually pops in a good way on the way down. My spine loosens. My hips let go. After a few breaths I’m more energized than when I started, with a spine that feels 2 inches longer and hips that move freely in all the ways.
Halmeoni was onto something. She was 80-something and still dropping into a perfect yogi squat to dust her baseboards, and I’m convinced that’s part of why she moved the way she did. The pose isn’t really about the pose. It’s about giving your body a position it was always meant to do, and feeling the difference in everything that happens after you stand back up.
Some days that difference even makes me want to clean my baseboards. Almost. 😉
How about you? Are you ready to pop a yogi squat next time those baseboards need dusting?
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