In the exercise realm, squats are considered one of the most important functional movements. This means, we really, really, really need to be able to move in this way to function well in our mechanical world. Can you imagine if you couldn’t pick anything up off the ground or get up from a seat? These are, essentially, variations of squatting. Luckily for us, yoga has many types of squats: utkatasana, or chair pose; utkata konasana, goddess pose; malasana, or garland pose; horse stance; toe squat – heck, happy baby (ananda balasana) even looks like a squat if you flipped it over!
This sequence is designed to explore the ways we can refine our squatting practice and energize the muscles in the lower half of the body. The practice (photos below) and playlist were designed as part of a fall series to bring people into their roots. With changing seasons, we can sometimes feel off or unsettled and by connecting to the foundation of our legs and hips, we can elevate our sense of grounding as the environment around us continues to shift.
