I’ve been asked this before, too, and it’s almost instinctual. And I did it with super baggy salwar-kameez. As you squat and pull your pants down you kind of tuck the excess with your knees, and so your highs and part of your thighs are exposed, but not your ankles. The material being tucked behind your knees means none of it drapes on the ground.
It’s almost a little hard to explain unless you actually see someone doing it. I find it difficult in jeans because they don’t give, but soft Indian cotton gives very nicely.
My feet are un-bendy (like the rest of me)… or I am back-heavy, or something. If I squat down I can get to the point where I’m down with my weight thrown forward, but as soon as I try to tilt my torso to the upright position, I fall over backwards. And it puts tremendous strain on my shins.
I can do a kind of poor-man’s full squat, where I move my feet to the side, tilt them forward so I’m resting on the front edge, then bring my elbows in and shove backwards on the inside of my knees to force my torso forwards. That’s the only way I can get forward enough to stay upright.
I remember trying this in primary school. Couldn’t do it then, can’t do it now
(I also can’t do a head stand, because the yoga teacher’s first instruction was “put your head down in front of the wall, then walk your butt up till it’s close to the wall.” Um…how about 50cm. Is 50cm ‘close’? I’m REALLY not bendy)
I can’t yet. My daughters both started doing squats a few months ago and first they couldn’t go all the way down ten times without falling over. Now they do 30 flat footed. I think it’s really helping my younger daughter’s balance.
I’m still relying on a table to keep from tumbling down.
Yes, but I’m built like those skinny Asian men who are comfortable that way for hours. I first saw it in Beijing in 1984, and adopted it (also we had only squatty toilets in our dorm). Nowadays my knees won’t let me do it for long.
yes? I didn’t know there was any other way to squat. Why would you squat on your toes only? That sounds far more difficult. I can even walk around in a squat position. I suppose if your legs are weak you might have trouble getting back up OUT of a squat.
No, not at all. The best I can pull off is balancing precariously on the balls of my feet. I have heard the main secret to a successful Asian squat is practicing it repeatedly as a natural activity during one’s physically formative years. However, I have known newbie farangs (Westerners) – and I mean fresh off the boat – who can drop down into an Asian squat with no problem whatsoever, feet completely flat on the ground, and not all of these guys are little either.
This is different if you are carrying anything in your back pockets. The pants have to be pulled far enough down that the pockets remain vertical or whatever is in them can get shaken out either when you’re squatting or getting back up. It’s actually easier with jeans because the fabric is stiff enough that you can just pull them down to your knees and they still don’t get onto the ground. I keep the top of the pants just right on my knees.
For the suit pants we missionaries had to wear, you have to tuck them in, like you say, but again, keeping the pockets vertical so your iPhone doesn’t go plummeting into your mess.
I’ve been trying to train myself for a couple months now by trying to get into the position every day but I still can’t get my heels to stick to the ground. If I put my heels on the ground I’d fall backwards without something to hold on to. No matter what I do I can’t get everything to bend forward enough to get my center of balance forward enough to keep me upright. Maybe it’s just impossible for me. I’ve never been very flexible at all, even if I stretch every day.
I might be able to if I kept trying, but the whole thing is really uncomfortable. My center of balance is completely off, so I’m constantly fighting not to fall over. Getting on your knees is so much easier.
Used to be able to, back in the longed-for days of flexible joints and slender waistlines. Today I might roll on my back or require a support team to pull me back upright – it has been a while, might require a bit of a training regimen to get back there.
I don’t think flexibility is much of an issue. I am in my early 50s, have always had very poor flexibility and never ever been able to touch my toes. I was sure I wouldn’t be able to do this but turns out it is pretty easy for me, albeit the center of balance feels a bit weird. Perhaps weight is more important? I am quite slim now (BMI of 22) but when I was 40 pounds heavier my stomach would probably have gotten in the way. I am going to practice this and see if it becomes natural.
