Photo by Anna Petrow

If you only practice a few asanas each day, this should be one of them. I’ve been teaching yoga long enough to be witness to the movements that tend to vacation if we don’t explore them regularly. I also know that as we age, it is really tough to get up and down off the floor, unless we have these movements within our daily routine. Malasana is unique in that getting into it involves a lot of pelvic and lower back movement and once you’re there, there’s an incredible amount of stretch around your hips and ankles. All of these things make it such a great position for keeping your back healthy and make it an essential daily asana.

The Sanskrit name malasana translates to “garland pose” in English because a mala is what the string or garland of beads used for meditation or japa is called. Now, if you look at this, it doesn’t really look like a garland or necklace, does it? You could try squinting and using your imagination, but nah, it really doesn’t. Because of this, I have another theory. The word mala is also a word that translates into “waste product” from Sanskrit to English and is used in Ayurveda to talk about waste (read: bowel movements). Now take a look at the photo of malasana. Ahhh, makes more sense now, doesn’t it. It doesn’t have the glam of garland pose, but it is really definitive of the supreme position for moving your digested food through your colon. With each leg putting slight pressure on your intestines and the tilted position of the pelvis and sacrum, it allows for easy elimination. Thus, if you want healthy digestion, a well-functioning spine and the ability to get up and down off the floor for life, malasana is your pose.

Here’s how to practice Malasana:

Take your feet slightly wider than your hips and turn your feet out about 45 degrees. Make sure that your toes, shin, knee and thigh are all pointing the same direction on each side. Begin to squat down. You’ll feel your pelvis start to tuck under slightly–go with this movement. If your heels begin to lift off the floor (most often this means you need stretchier calves), roll up a towel or a blanket and put it under your heels and try again. Once you come into a full squat, bring your elbows to the insides of your thighs and begin to press out, leading you to a lengthened spine. Can’t make it past 90 degrees with your knees? Abort and come onto your back. You can do this same thing on your back without the pressure on your knees. Bring your knees towards your chest and then use your elbows to press your thighs out. Try anchoring your pelvis and tailbone to the floor. Stay in this for 10 energetic breaths.