Wholistic Fitness

RE: STUDENT ASH’s BIRTHDAY…ARE GIRLS NATURALLY WORSE AT YOGI SQUAT THAN GUYS?

Ananda gives some love to Charlie while giving some lumbar love to her lower spine, hips, knees, and ankles courtesy of her command of the yogi squat (malasana). this natural squatting position is often a clear status indicator of lower chakra work. my ongoing endorsements of the Yogi Squat – formerly known in pre-furniture days as Just The Natural Posture Which Humans Are Supposed To Eat In, Poop In, Garden In, and Hang Out In – as a pivotal Life Enhancing Aid always generates some interesting responses. The following was one of a half dozen. Because the yogi squat is so easy to become frustrated in, it is really, really important to keep a sense of humor as you refine both the technical artistry of the pose and more importantly the functionality of it in our Daily Life. As i reported in DL, it required 9.5 years of daily, often quite annoying practice and diligence for me to keep my heels on the ground and toes pointing foward. Enjoy:

“Dear Coach,
Student Ash�s b-day (DL; 8/14) reminded me of a question:

Is there something about the male physiology that allows them to more easily attain toes-forward yogi squat as opposed to female anatomy?

COACH:
sorry.
guess again.
in fact, quite the opposite seems to be the reality.
first, we are speaking of general anatomical deviations within the genders, not physiology. SUNRIDER HERBS and Pranayam affect positively the physiology (both gross and subtle), while asana, exercise, bodywork, and occupational kinesthesia affects the structure of our bodies (anatomy).

worldwide and historically, the female pelvis is graced anatomically with something known as a “Q” angle (relationship of upper femoral head with its articulation within the hip joint) that makes it MORE conducive to the Yogi Squat than guys. in Asiatic cultures, this angle is such that malasana is as easy to drop into and out from as is eating a slice of Bannana Cream Pie is for me. Remember, skeletal tissue is the highest concentration of spiritual energy we embrace during our lifetime. The way our bones are shaped are living manifestations of past spiritual work (or lack thereof) done in previous lives. Thus, the yogis say that if we sit in pasciomottoasana (seated forward fold/Western extended stretch; see TBT) and our back is rounded like a camel hump instead of a flat, elegant spine, that rounded hump is a karmic indicator of resistance to lifelong Practices in former lives. Address the hump through abyhasa (steadfast Practice) with sweat and commitment during this lifetime, and there is going to be great spiritual gain. Ignoring the fact that your spine is rounded is a spiritual/energetic sin. Laziness is never rewarded in the Bardo.

one of the many reasons why sirsasana (headstand) is considered by yogic Masters to be one of the most medicinal of all asana’s is because of the obvious requirement for the spine to be straight; this inspires nadic (subtle energy conduits) fitness. This is all because the inner, subtle spine (sushumna) must be straight as an arrow to channel the kundalini. A rounded back cannot carry prana (life force) very well, thus there will not be much spiritual ‘spark’ to tempt the kundalini into Awakening. this vital importance of a straight spine is why i created “Breath and Posture” as the WF #1 Lifestyle Principle.
the inverted position also enkindles agni (digestive fire) another facet for spiritual ignition.

STUDENT:
I started to ponder this observing {my husband} G. I�ve been yogi squatting since I traveled in Asia in 89-90. My toe positions still make me quack every time I look down. My darling G started yogi-squatting in February, doesn�t do it nearly as often as I do, can�t stay in it nearly as long as I, yet � toes? Straight ahead, baby! Then I started looking at the hero shots of your (all male) students on DL and in TBT in yogi squat � toes pointing forward. And then I saw a pic of Ananda on DL � hmm � toes almost quacking, certainly not straight ahead. And I started to wonder if the female physiology required more training to reach the sought-after toes straight ahead asana?

COACH:
nope. you probably are referring to this shot of Ananda at “the Pran Hole” at Wupatki:

as you can see the difference between the opening pic of this column and the one above is related to the amount of clothing we were wearing on a cold day at Wupatki. the restrictions of clothing required her toes to be slightly turned out. this is absolutely fine. one, her toes are ‘tracking’ directly in alignment with her patella (kneecap). thus there is no damaging torque at the knee capsule. Remember me coaching you in Back Squats in the gym? Very few bodybuilders can do narrow stance squats (though they should). Instead, they assume a wide, toes-out position. Fine, as long as the knees do not ‘collapse’ inward or ‘bow’ outward. Straight in line over the ankles/toes. Now, the most important aspect about Ananda’s posture in this impromptu shot, however, is her functional knowledge of attaining her main priority while doing pranayam (which is what we were doing at the Pran Hole; getting High on Ma Earth’s direct Pran from deep within a volcanic fissure): an elegant, flat spine. Remember the priority of Patanjali’s yoga sutra; it is NOT a yoga pose unless the spine is an Energetic One; flat. Also, see her hand position? functional. no strain. So, focus on finding a ‘backbend’ sensation as you continue to work your Yogi Squat and that will help the toes to eventually point forward.

As far as your husband’s yogi squat; it is futile and damaging to compare your anatomy with someone elses. bone length, bone magnitude, shaft densities, bony processes, all these skeletal characteristics are genetically and karmically imbedded. the yogi must spend many, many years creating tensile suppleness before giving up on what is their compressive (bone on bone) limitations. both male and female, Easterner and Westerner, come into Malasana (Yogi Squat) with our past and present life choices imbedded within the ligamentous, tendinous, and bony structures. Also, just because someone can drop easily into Yogi Squat does not promise functional strength throughout the hips and lower back. i know scores of limber yogis that find Yogi Squat totally easy, yet their tensile suppleness is not strong enough to Back Squat, hammer out long cardio workouts, run downhill, do lateral and explosive sports, et. al. In HP Yoga, our maxim is: “Strength must deliver suppleness.”

***

May all Fitness Warriors spray their conscious breath (pranayam) into their genetic, karmic and WONDERFULLY unique edges within the sacred temple of their souls; their bodies.

May this DL have helped someone re-discover the magic of the natural squatting position; yogi squat!

i squat before you, as humble Server, from beneath the Sacred Mountain,

coach ilg, ryt/uscf/cpt
author/Total Body Transformation
founder/www.wholisticfitness.com