Picture me sitting on my haunches atop a conference table, assigned to perform an entertaining Toastmasters speech titled, “Benefits and Politics of Squatting”…
The subject first piqued my interest years ago, when my mom moved in with us. To make things extra comfy for all (including for when I’ working on my novels H-E-R-E), we had some construction done on our snug home.
Each morning, a crew of men assembled under our backyard gazebo. Aged from early twenties to eighties, they all immigrated to here in the United States from Cambodia.
The way they waited for each other to show up amazed me! In totally relaxed full-squats, the gentlemen sipped coffees, munched pastries, chatted, and smoked. Once all arrived, they stood; none of them groaned or complained of creaky bones.
Lunch involved more of the same. They full-squatted as they passed around freshly steamed rice with fragrant grilled meat and veggies. Afterward, still squatting, they finished with smokes and maybe a bit of candy.
Fast forward to some time later, when I broke my knee twice in the same year. Torn cartilage, fractured bone, stretched tendon, blah, blah, blah. Ouch!!!! and Ohno!!! don’t begin to cover it.
Enter, Francisco Rufino, a gifted yoga instructor who pointed out that squatting keeps people in India free of knee, back, and digestive problems.
Thanks to his suggestion that I squat for thirty seconds, five times a day, as I watched TV, my knee is so restored that I never needed the surgery that two doctors beforehand prescribed! Yesterday I went for a long jog and experienced no problems whatsoever!
Full squats align muscles and organs from toes to neck. The aid in…
- Getting rid of hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and hernias.
- Preventing heart attacks caused by straining on European-style toilets.
- Alleviating incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse.
- Making pregnancy easier.
- Guarding reproductive organs, including protecting against prostate cancer.
So why don’t we do it more? When I gave the speech, at least one audience member expressed disgust. My h-a-unch is that we believe we’re too good for it — and that includes politically. This Korean woman, married to an Anglo man, explains his chagrin when she and her family squat while socializing.
Would people you know feel embarrassed if you squatted while you relaxed?
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I do 25 squats every time I brush my teeth–really tightens up the abs!
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I’m impressed!
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I don’t do squatting, however I do diddly squat…..but for some reason, my wife doesn’t appreciate it. 😉
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Lolol
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Thank you. I’d never thought about this, but yes it’s a cultural bias. We, in the western world, always so sure we know better.
I would give squatting a try, but I’d probably fall flat on my face 🙂
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First time, maybe — but be patient 🙂
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Thank you for bringing up the topic of squatting da-AL. I have been thinking a lot about the squatting position that I adopted as a child when using the Asian toilet. Nowadays we all including me, use the European toilet 🚽. Hence when people rush to buy toilet paper 🧻 to protect themselves from the Coronavirus, I had a nostalgia of my childhood days. We used water to clean ourselves, not toilet paper.
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It is my pleasure, Anita, to remind you of good things 🙂
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Thank you too.
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Very informative, da-AL and inspiring post. I too was having difficulty in squatting but I try my best to sit on the floor and have just started yoga from three months and am finding a great difference.
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Me too – I started off terrible but improved quickly
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That’s great doing yoga is really helpful 😊😊👍👍👍👍
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My grandmother in Argentina lived to a healthy 95 doing it — & she started in her 70s!
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That is great to hear and those days they were so strong also. My mother in law is with us and she is 93 years old and not bad at all.
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