Squat Trust — How One Goal Can Improve All Areas of Your Life

Yoga Squat position is also known as the Garland Pose or Malasana in Sanksrit (Mala=Garland, Asana= Posture). It is a sitting pose that affects your ankles, digestive system, lower back, hips, and the reproductive part. There are many Yoga Squat benefits that can impact your lifestyle extraordinarily.

The above explanation comes courtesy of Yoga Pandora. My definition of the pose, however, is much shorter. In fact, one word most aptly describes my experience with this Asana: “Ouch!”

You see, my middle-aged ankles, digestive system, lower back, hips and, yes, reproductive part, are not currently compliant with the idea of me getting down into a proper looking squat, let alone holding the pose long enough for those awesome mind and body benefits to kick in. About the best I can do, whenever I take a class and we’re encouraged to squat, is to bend over at the waist, dip my knees until I hear snapping, and stick my behind out as if ready to dive into the deep end of a pool.

And that’s okay. In fact, it’s better than okay. It’s reality. It’s where I’m at flexibility wise at this moment. But hope springs eternal, especially for those who accept where they are and know where they want to go.

For me, that’s one day performing a Yoga Squat without requiring a pre-dosing of Advil, a coating of Ben Gay, and a hydraulic system to lower me into place. Okay, I’m joking about the hydraulics, but you get my point — I want to achieve this goal on my own, without artificial help or medical intervention to shortcut the achievement.

So I’m up for the journey. Which, in my opinion, is always the most important part of any challenge undertaken. It certainly is the most beneficial for the short-term, and the most lasting for the long run.

In terms of me accomplishing a Yoga Squat as traditionally outlined, if I can pull it off, it means that I practiced and practiced and practiced, that I was not daunted whenever my knees screamed out in rage or my hips locked up like a bank vault. It means I kept myself healthy, perhaps lost weight around my midsection and strengthened my core. It means I worked to improve my joints by eating right and hydrating, by moving and stretching and staying fluid. It means I accepted pain as a benchmark to push forward, and not a wall to turn back from. It means I never gave up, never gave in, and never let doubt turn into defeat. It means I evolved — physically, mentally, and spiritually.

And all that goodness would come to me, and stay with me in mind and muscle memory, before I ever did that “perfect” squat. Which, of course, doesn’t exist. But that’s a topic for another day.

Namaste.

Originally published at https://goodmenproject.com on December 2, 2020.