Malasana – Squat – is a Mandatory Asana for Women (and Men).
Malasana – Squat – is a Mandatory Asana for Women (and Men).
We all seek peace and strive for harmony with the world, or at least with ourselves. However, there are millions of factors that prevent us from doing it to the fullest: stress, pain, life’s adversity, anxious thoughts, and much more. Only by getting rid of them can we achieve harmony. There are many ways to do this, and one of them is to practice yoga.
Malasana (squat) got its name from its resemblance to a garland. The practitioner receives a huge charge of vivacity, a surge of strength and energy, which calms, grounds and improves physical health.
This pose gives a feeling of peace, confidence and relaxation, so it is recommended to perform it in stressful situations. With regular performance of malasana, a person ceases to be disturbed by minor problems, he becomes calmer and more balanced.
Malasana also helps invigorate and refresh the brain. This asana is good for women, because it helps to eliminate menstrual irregularities and establish a cycle. Malasana perfectly copes with all age-related changes in the body such as excess weight and fat deposits in the lower abdomen.
In addition, the garland pose allows you to get rid of arthritic pain in the back and ankles, strengthen the spine and feel at ease.
How to perform :
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Stand up straight, put your feet hip-width apart. Next, make a deep bend forward, turning your feet outward with your toes. Then begin to slowly squat, bending your knees. The buttocks descend to the floor as much as possible, and the heels do not come off the ground.
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The knees should be turned out wider. Ideally, they should be on the same level as the toes. Stretch your arms forward, then press your elbows to the insides of your knees and put your palms together. The tailbone should be pointing down, the back is straight.
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Breathe evenly and deeply. It is important to feel good about your body. Start pressing your elbows to your knees, and resist it with your knees. Stretch the chest, taking it away from the navel.
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Stay in the asana for 5-10 breaths. Release your hands, raise your body and rest.
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Advanced version of the asana for real yogis. Maintaining balance, bring your hands back and clasp in a lock. If flexibility allows, with an exhalation lower your head to the floor. At the same time, the hands are wound behind the back.
Useful tips:
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If you can’t keep your heels on the floor, place a rolled towel under your feet. You should not feel tension, everything should be easy and without strain.
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After taking the starting position, try to go lower with each breath.
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Heels should point inward, toes point out to the sides.
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Feel the stretch in your lower back and spine.
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Pull your neck forward, do not press your shoulders to your ears.
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Breath evenly.
Benefits
Malasana is effective and with regular training you can feel that it:
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Stretches the lower back, sacrum, groin and thighs.
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Works on the opening of the hip joints.
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Improves the functioning of the digestive system.
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Stimulates the cleansing processes in the body.
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Improves posture, strengthens the spine.
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Has a calming and grounding effect.
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Improves knee and ankle flexibility.
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Relieves back pain.
Effect on the psyche:
Malasana or the garland pose has a grounding effect, it helps to connect to the downward energy, which in yoga is known as apana vayu. In addition, this pose is great when you need to find peace.
The garland pose helps improve blood circulation in the pelvis, raising the level of consciousness to the higher centers.
Malasana activates the root chakra – Muladhara, as well as the sacral chakra – Svadhisthana, due to which a sense of security and creativity is revealed.
Contraindications
The pose has its contraindications: injuries of the knees and lower back, as well as
feeling of discomfort in the abdomen and back.
In case of eye disease, do not perform the version with your head down.
Malasana for pregnant women
Geeta Iyengar, author of Yoga for Women, described this asana as a boon for women. It is not recommended to perform the advanced variation of malasana for pregnant women with their hands behind their backs. The light version will be just as effective if you practice the asana regularly and correctly after consulting your doctor and yoga teacher.
Malasana (squat) for men’s health:
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The effect of squats on erectile function:
Squats for potency are good because there is an intensive activation of blood flow in the pelvic area. The tissues of the genital organs receive enhanced nutrition and a large amount of oxygen. As a result of regular exercise, the capacity of blood vessels increases, metabolism accelerates, and the work of the prostate and testicles is stimulated.
The positive effect of squats on potency also lies in strengthening all intimate muscles.
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Increase of testosterone
Physical exercise activates the transmission of nerve impulses that cause the testicles and adrenal glands to intensively synthesize the hormone. The amount of testosterone released depends on the total volume of muscle being loaded. Squats are multi-joint exercises, in which, among others, the largest muscles such as buttocks, abs, lateral wide and biceps actively work.
The release of testosterone increases when doing squats with weights (dumbbells, barbell). The most effective reps per set are 6 or 8. If the weight is too high (resulting in no more than 2-4 squats), the exercises will increase muscle strength and mass, but much less testosterone will be released.
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Prevention of hemorrhoids and diseases of the genitourinary organs, including the prostate.
See also: Erectile Dysfunction and Ayurveda
Malasana (squat) for athletes:
Squats are one of the best functional exercises for athletes.
When you perform squats you:
Build muscle throughout the entire body.
Burn more fat.
Maintain mobility and balance.
Prevent injuries.
Jump higher and run faster.
Tone your butt, abs and entire body.
Help with waste removal.
TODAY’S TIP:
Look at children, they naturally squat to full depth. But as soon as they go to school and start sitting in chairs more often, their natural flexibility begins to decrease. However, it is possible to return to our original ability to squat. Start small, but do it every day. You can use props like a chair, a medicine ball, yoga block, or a wall. Try to go down a little more each day. Before you know it, you will be in perfect Malasana.
See also:
The thirty reasons to start doing yoga
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