Malasana is one of those poses that can communicate so much about what’s going on in your body. We all have different body proportions, mobility, areas of tension, strengths and challenges and these all play a big role in how you feel and look in this posture.

In English we call Malasana garland pose or yogi squat and yes it’s a get-your-knees-wide, bottom-close-to-the-ground squat 😊 Unless squatting is a daily part of life (which for most of us it isn’t!), Malasana can feel a little awkward and clunky. It’s important in this asana to pay attention to bringing fluidity to the ankles, knees and hips so you can find your most comfortable, stable Malasana.

And this might mean your feet are facing the sky! Try exploring Malasana as both a standing, grounded asana (with prop options to support your body) and a supine, fire building core asana.

Being the Vata season of autumn, practice should continue with the qualities of nurturing and centering but also warming, staying with the focus of activating your parasympathetic nervous system so you feel tranquil and balanced after practice.