Singing Tips | How to do the Flat-Footed Squat

Today’s singing tip is one of my three favorites and something I do during every vocal training workout. In yoga this is called the Malasana pose. There are other names for it in English, such as “Garland pose”, “Yoga squat”, “Relieving Pose”, and “Excretion Pose”.

Essentially, you squat down, with an emphasis on keeping your heels on the ground. If you can’t keep your balance with your heels on the ground, you can put a folded towel under your heels. Even if you can get your heels onto the floor without falling, your knees may not last too long in this pose.

I now do the squat by placing a yoga block underneath me at a height such that I can sit on it, take most of the weight off my knees, while still keeping 90% of the posture in tact.

The primary benefit you should feel right away is that the air support improves instantly. I’m not sure what causes this, though I have some ideas. I think it’s best to simply give it a try and see for yourself. Remember, you can put something underneath you to sit on, but do it in a way to maintain the integrity of the pose as best you can. If you are doing a full workout sitting this way, don’t slouch or get lazy. Stay active. You will be training your breath and breath support so that when you do vocal exercises or sing songs while standing, these new habits will eventually translate into your standing sound.