In the western world we spend very little time in a squat position…to the point that we tend to lose the ability to do so sometime during childhood. I know i did, and it’s taken years to get it back. It is great for the pelvis and internal organs to squat, and it’s very common throughout Asian countries to see women in their 70s and 80s sitting in a squat position at their doorways, watching the world go by. Lots of household chores are performed in a squat position. Cooking on a stove-top which sits on the floor, for example.
It isn’t entirely natural to sit on a high toilet seat whilst doing our business. Rather, being in a position where our knees are above our hips encourages the bowel to empty completely. You’ll be surprised at how easy it feels…unless you can’t get your knees that high, in which case, even getting your feet a little higher off the floor will do wonders. The long edge of a yoga block may be all that you need.
It can be helpful to sit against a wall or a couch with your knees above your hips before you even feel the urge to “go”. You might do this in the morning, with a hot cup of herbal tea, doing some deep breathing and relaxing. Heat, hydration, breathing and knees above hips are the ultimate colon emptying combination! However, if your body chooses not to go, no big deal. Move on with your day. If it does, great! Use your “squatting” implement on the loo. And don’t forget to breathe! Exhale and gently bare down. You are not birthing a child (hopefully). The combination of the squat, the breathing, and being gentle on yourself protects your internal organs (e.g. from uterine or rectal prolapse) and guards against hemorrhoids.
A quick note about uteruses. If yours is retroverted (tilted back towards your rectum), the loo squat should be helpful, but sitting with knees above hips beforehand may not be. If your hamstrings are short, or hips tight, you will likely tilt back onto your sacrum. This will increase the weight on your rectum and possibly create an obstruction. In this case, practicing child’s pose may act as a welcomed counterbalance, and may be your bowel-encouragement position!
Working on squatting like an Indian grandmother would be a worthy goal for us all!