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How do we transition from a seat to a squat without using our hands?

I share a lot of creative yoga sequencing ideas on social media, and I'm often asked about tips for certain transitions that I include.

But there's one transition I receive more questions about than any other, and it's this one right here:

I don't know of an official name for this move, but I usually call it transitioning "from a seat to a squat."

This move involves starting in a seated position with your pelvis on the floor, then transitioning into a squat with your feet on the floor – without using your hands.

For many people, this transition is much easier said than done, though! Instead of easefully shifting our weight from our pelvis into our feet and arriving in our squat smoothly, we often find ourselves "stuck" and unable to lift up off the floor at all.

I find that some specific mobility and skill work can be quite helpful when it comes to this transition.

Here are a few of my key tips for the elusive seat to squat!

The first tip involves the ankle joint.

Do you see how the angle of the ankle changes from the beginning of the transition to the end? In the beginning, our shin is approximately vertical, but by the end of the movement, our shin has angled significantly forward relative to the ankle, which is a position called dorsiflexion.

Having access to a good amount of dorsiflexion is important for the seat-to-squat transition.

If our tibia (shin bone) can't angle forward relative to our ankle, we can't access the forward lean we need in order to shift our weight from our pelvis to our feet and arrive in our squat.

Therefore, my first tip for improving your ability to move through this transition is to work on dorsiflexion mobility!

Here are 3 of my favorite ways to do that – both passively and actively:

1) Half kneel half squat:

This passive stretch mimics the ankle position we use in the seat-to-squat transition.

Sit on one heel (the kneel) and lean forward into the other thigh (the squat).

Hold for 30-60 seconds and practice frequently throughout the week!

2) Deficit calf raise:

This is a great calf raise variation that builds strength through a fuller range of motion than a traditional calf raise does.

By elevating our feet on a higher surface, we can descend our heels down lower than the balls of our feet, which brings us into that position of dorsiflexion we're trying to mobilize!

I'm using two stacked weight plates here, but a stair or a curb works perfectly for this move as well!

3) Tibialis anterior raise:

This is a less well-known but very potent move!

We lean against a wall and step our feet several inches forward from the wall. (The farther forward the feet step, the tougher this will be.)

Then we lift and lower the balls of our feet off the floor, actively moving through a full range of motion in dorsiflexion.

**But wait – there's more!**

These 3 tips involve improving dorsiflexion, which is an integral element of the seat-to-squat transition.

But there are also essential alignment pointers and some strategic ways to use props that can be key for accessing this move in your body.

I cover all of these tips in my brand-new 3-minute video. Check it out, and happy seat-to-squatting! ;)