Let me take you back to when I was a student in school, first learning yoga. One of the first poses we were taught was Malasana—the yogic squat. Our teacher, a wise and witty man, always had something memorable to say, and this pose was no exception. As we all got into the squat, he would say with a cheeky grin, "Do you know what ruined our backs? The Western toilet!"
I remember we all laughed, but he wasn’t entirely joking. He went on to explain that, in the past, most homes in India didn’t have what we now consider "modern" toilets. Instead, they used the traditional Indian toilet, which was just a hole in the ground. To use it, you had to squat—just like in Malasana. He would tell us that people didn’t have the back issues we see today because squatting was a natural part of their daily routine.
But it wasn’t just the toilets. He pointed out that our grandmothers did everything in a squat position—cooking, cleaning, doing laundry. They’d be bent over the floor, sweeping, mopping, grinding spices, and washing clothes by hand, all while squatting or sitting close to the ground. Our teacher would say, "They didn’t need gyms, because their daily lives were their workout." And you know what? He was right.
The Wisdom in Squatting
Our grandparents were onto something. All that squatting kept their hips open, their core strong, and their spines elongated. They didn’t need to “exercise” because their lifestyle naturally kept their bodies flexible, mobile, and strong. You’d see grandmothers well into their old age still squatting, standing, and moving without a hitch in their back.
But then modern conveniences came into play—like the toilet, the vacuum cleaner, and the washer and dryer. These inventions certainly made life easier, but in making our tasks less physically demanding, they also took away some of the natural movement that kept our bodies in balance. The more we sat in chairs and bent over less, the stiffer our backs became.
I didn’t fully realize the genius behind my teacher’s words until I saw the effects of sitting and slouching on my own body years later. We sit for hours at desks, in cars, and on the couch, and it’s no wonder we’re plagued by lower back pain!
Why Malasana Is So Good for the Back
Malasana, or the yogic squat, brings us back to that natural alignment our bodies crave. This simple pose helps to reverse all the harm that comes from sitting in chairs all day.
When we squat, we:
Open our hips, releasing tension in the lower back.
Elongate our spines, creating space between the vertebrae.
Engage our core, giving extra support to our lower back.
Align our pelvis, which reduces pressure on the lower spine.
Squatting puts us in a position our bodies were designed to use, which is why it feels so relieving. It’s the same movement pattern our ancestors used for thousands of years before modern conveniences slowly took it away.
The "Old Ways" Were Good for Our Bodies
My teacher’s joke about the Western toilet being responsible for our bad backs had a ring of truth. When you think about it, squatting and moving close to the ground was efficient, both for getting tasks done and keeping the body strong. In a way, life itself was a form of "exercise" back then.
Today, we have all the gadgets—vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and ergonomic chairs—but while they’ve made life more comfortable, they’ve also removed much of the movement that once kept us healthy. It’s no surprise that back pain, especially lower back pain, is so common today.
A Simple Practice for Modern Life
That’s why I’m such a big advocate for Malasana. It’s like giving your body a reset—a way to reconnect with the natural movements we were designed for. When I incorporate Malasana into my daily routine, I can feel my hips releasing and my lower back sighing with relief. It reminds me of the wisdom of my teacher and the generations before us, who moved through life in a way that kept them functional and healthy well into old age.
So the next time you feel tightness in your lower back or hips, remember that this simple pose, a squat, can do wonders for your body. Our modern lives may have moved us away from these natural movements, but it’s never too late to bring them back.
How often do you move like our ancestors?
What’s one natural movement you could add to your routine today?
Love
Sumit Banerjee
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