Kuch - Chakkiasan : Mill Churning Pose

I grew up hearing my grandma tell me stories of how they manually ground their own grains and spices. A feat involving lifting and moving heavy stones, which was usually mandatory for a pregnant lady, to facilitate natural childbirth. When I was told I might have c section due to pre-diabetes, she told me to do these chores. We had lost these stone grinding implements by then, however moping the floor while squatting was something I could theoretically do. Needless to say, I didn’t do it, given my urban body, used to a tech job, but thanks to lots of walking I did end up with natural child birth. But today after practicing yoga for years, I now know the significance of these age old benefits.

I am not advocating for gender stereotypes, but my painting depicts a real grandma native of Kuch, a region bordering Rajasthan as a mark of honoring my own grandma and women of her generation. On the wall of the hut, you see a modern woman doing the Chakkiasan with a weight in her hand to simulate the actual act of grinding.

This pose is good for stretching the inner thigh muscles which is usually required for women since “good” women seldom spread their legs, while strengthening the core and activating the digestive system.