Lynda: Toe squats are a very challenging, albeit rewarding yin yoga posture and without question, it is one worth investing your time and energy on. You will soon discover that Toe Squat is rather stimulating in nature. On an energetic and physical level it stimulates, nourishes and improves the health of many organs and areas in the body. I like to Toe Squat daily, often before my yoga or exercise practice. I sit in this posture for up to three minutes and generally it is where I contemplate the three things that I am grateful for and why.
How Toe Squats Benefit You
- Stimulates and nourishes all meridian channels of the lower body.
- Works on the kidneys which helps restore energy levels and reduce fear.
- Stimulates the stomach and spleen, our primary organs of digestion and often the organs that when out of balance are associated with excessive worry.
- Stimulates the liver and gallbladder, supporting our ability to detoxify and breakdown foods well.
- Helps to reduce frustration, cloudy thinking and instead improves our ability to make decisions well.
- Strengthens and nourishes the ankles, feet and and opens the toes
- Traditionally the Taoist also known as Daoist, believe that those with “open toes” have an “open mind”.
Getting into a Toe Squat
- You may want to pad under the knees with a blanket
- With you feet together, sit onto your heels
- Tuck the toes under and press out through the balls of the feet, not the tippy toes
- Stay in this posture for 1 minute. Build up to 3 minutes.
Coming out
- This posture is intense so take your time coming out
- Lean forward onto your hands, move the hips forward and release the toes
- Sit back onto your heels and rest for a moment
- When ready move, move into a child’s pose and rest for 1-2 minutes.
