Brand & product dossier · Rooted in an ancient posture · Confirmed by modern science
Sit less. Squat right. Let your body finish the job.
A footstool that restores the natural squatting angle on any western toilet — the posture the human body evolved to use, and the one colorectal research keeps circling back to.
The Tattwas Malasana Stool · Ergonomic Arched Toilet Footstool · Non-Slip Textured Surface · Reflexology Foot Bar · Fits Most Western Toilets
Rs. 499
MRP Rs. 699
28% OFF
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2.5×faster average time to satisfactory emptying¹
~137°anorectal angle reached vs. ~100° sitting²
9peer-reviewed studies cited in this dossier
01 · Key benefits
Four reasons it works.
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Opens the angle, without the floor squat
Raises your knees above your hips to bring the anorectal angle from roughly 90–100° to around 115–120° — most of the benefit of a full squat, none of the joint demand.
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Less time. Less pushing.
In the most-cited study in this field, squatting cut average time to satisfactory emptying to under half that of standard sitting, with significantly less reported strain.
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Reflexology while you sit
Three ridged rollers let you gently work the soles of your feet — a small comfort ritual built into a two-minute habit.
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Steady on any bathroom floor
Four wide-set legs and a dimpled non-slip top hold their footing on tile, stone, or vinyl. No rocking, no sliding, even with bare wet feet.
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An evidence page that shows its own counter-evidence
We publish the one rigorous trial that did not confirm the effect. Most brands in this category quietly leave it out.
Who this is really for
Older adults. Anyone recovering from a knee or hip procedure. People with arthritis. Women in later trimesters of pregnancy.
That is precisely the group a full squat is hardest for — and precisely the group a footstool helps most, because it delivers most of the angle change while keeping both feet supported and the body seated and stable.
~115–120°anorectal angle with the stool, vs. ~90–100° sitting unaided
2 minto learn the posture — no installation, no plumbing changes
Low-costa low-cost, low-risk thing to try
02 · Why a footstool?
A body built for the ground, living on a pedestal.
The pedestal toilet is barely two centuries old. It holds the hips, knees, and ankles at roughly 90 degrees — comfortable for almost everything the body does, except this.
A band of muscle called the puborectalis wraps the lower rectum like a sling and stays partly contracted at rest, creating a deliberate bend that helps you stay continent the rest of the day. Sitting upright doesn’t fully release that sling. To empty the bowel from this position, most people push against the bend rather than simply opening it.
Anatomists have described this since at least the 1960s as a hose bent sharply at the tap: contents can still pass, but only with extra pressure behind them (Tagart, 1966). Straightening the hose removes the need for that pressure entirely — and that is the whole mechanical idea behind this stool.
Squatting never actually disappeared. It remains the everyday standard across large parts of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, and sanitation researchers still study the "sitters vs. squatters" divide as a live, ordinary difference in how the world uses the bathroom. In the yogic tradition this posture has a name — Malasana, or garland pose — long practised as a hip-opener and, in Ayurvedic thinking, linked to healthy elimination. We named the stool after it, because the mechanical goal is identical: bring the hips into a fuller squat than any chair allows.
A note on tradition vs. evidence
Malasana’s place in yoga and Ayurveda is a matter of tradition and lived experience — we present it honestly as that.
The clinical claims in this dossier come from a separate body of peer-reviewed research, covered in the sections that follow. We keep the two clearly apart throughout.
90°typical hip angle enforced by a standard pedestal toilet seat
1960scolorectal anatomy literature first formally described the anorectal angle mechanism
03 · How it works
Three postures. One mechanical difference.
Schematic, x-ray-style views of the lower digestive tract in each posture — not literal photographs, but faithful renderings of the angle measurements published in the videofluoroscopy research alongside. The coloured line traces the path stool has to travel; the sharper the bend, the more pressure required to pass it.
Malasana, the full squat traditionally used over an Indian-style floor toilet, opens this angle the most — but it asks for healthy knee, hip, and ankle mobility that not everyone has. The footstool is the accessible middle path.
Fig. 1 — The anorectal angle across three real-world postures. Schematic rendering, not a medical scan. Angle ranges follow Sakakibara et al. (2010), LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms — a videofluoroscopy study measuring this angle directly under X-ray at three hip-flexion levels.
Abstract
Background: Hip flexion during defecation affects the anorectal angle.
Method: Videofluoroscopy under simultaneous X-ray, abdominal, rectal and sphincter pressure (n=6).
Result: Angle straightened from ~100° at rest to ~126–137° at full squat.
Conclusion: Greater hip flexion → straighter canal → less straining required.
— condensed from Sakakibara et al. (2010), LUTS
04 · Benefits backed by research
Measured in seconds, not guesswork.
The most-cited study in this field is refreshingly simple: 28 healthy volunteers, ages 17 to 66, timed themselves with a digital timer across six bowel movements in each of three positions. The differences were large enough to reach statistical significance in every single subject.
| Position | Avg. time to satisfactory emptying | Relative effort |
|---|---|---|
| Sitting — standard toilet (41–42 cm) | 130 sec | Highest straining |
| Sitting — lower toilet (31–32 cm) | 114 sec | Reduced, still elevated |
| Squatting | 51 sec | Lowest (P < 0.0001) |
Figures from Sikirov D. (2003), Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 48(7):1201–1205.
The sensation of satisfactory bowel emptying in the sitting position necessitates excessive expulsive effort compared with the squatting posture. — Sikirov D. (2003), Digestive Diseases and Sciences
- 2.5× faster average time to satisfactory emptying, squatting vs. standard sitting.
- 28 healthy volunteers, ages 17–66, each tested across all three positions.
- 6 consecutive bowel movements recorded per position, per volunteer.
How to read this
This study compares a full squat to sitting — a larger postural change than a footstool alone provides. The stool delivers a meaningful share of that change, not all of it. The footstool-specific evidence is in the next section.
05 · What changes, and what doesn’t
The full picture — including the study that didn’t confirm it.
What footstool-specific research found
A 2019 clinical study looked at exactly this device category — not a full squat, but a footstool used on a normal toilet.
Use of a defecation posture modification device positively influenced bowel movement duration, straining patterns, and completeness of evacuation among the healthy subjects studied. — Modi RM, Hinton A, et al. (2019), Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology
A related line of research on leaning forward while seated — the "Thinker" position, elbows on knees — found it may also help versus upright sitting, though a footstool goes further by changing hip angle directly.
What a stricter trial found
In a randomized trial using simulated defecation in patients with undifferentiated constipation, using a footstool did not significantly aid the outcomes measured, compared with standard sitting. — Trieu K, et al. (2022), Gastroenterology
A real, published null result in this exact product category, in a harder population — people with existing constipation. We show it because a fair dossier includes the study that didn’t work, not just the ones that did.
3outcomes improved in the 2019 footstool cohort: duration, straining, completeness
2022year of the null-result RCT — the most rigorous single test of a footstool alone
Low-riskhow we’d frame it: worth trying, not a guaranteed fix for a diagnosed condition
Our position, plainly
Inexpensive, low-risk, and well worth trying if you’re generally healthy. Not a treatment, and not something we’d ask you to substitute for medical care if you have a diagnosed condition.
06 · Why choose Tattwas
For when a full squat isn’t an option.
Malasana is the mechanical ideal, but it asks a lot of the body: deep ankle dorsiflexion, full knee flexion, and hip mobility that arthritis, joint replacements, pregnancy, or simply ageing can take off the table. The Tattwas Malasana Stool is built for exactly that gap — it can’t fully replicate a floor squat, but it opens the same angle far enough, without asking you to leave the seat.
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Arched, toilet-hugging shape
Curves around the toilet base so it tucks in close instead of sitting awkwardly out in front.
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Non-slip textured top
A dimpled surface keeps bare or socked feet secure, even in a humid bathroom.
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Reflexology roller bar
Three ridged rollers let you roll your feet for light pressure-point stimulation while seated.
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Stable, sturdy stance
Four wide-set legs hold their footing on tile, stone, or vinyl — no rocking, no sliding.
Who this is really for
Older adults, anyone recovering from a knee or hip procedure, people with arthritis, and women in later trimesters of pregnancy are exactly the group full Malasana is hardest for — and exactly the group a footstool helps most, because it delivers most of the angle change while keeping both feet supported and the body seated and stable.
Which posture is right for you?
| Posture | Anorectal angle | Physical demand | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western toilet, sitting | ~90–100° | Lowest | Baseline — not recommended as the only option |
| Western toilet + Tattwas Malasana Stool | ~115–120° | Low | Most people, most days |
| Indian toilet, full Malasana | ~125–137° | Highest — needs full joint mobility | Those who can comfortably squat |
Rs. 499
MRP Rs. 699
28% OFF
Add the Malasana StoolFits most western toilets — no installation, no plumbing changes.
07 · How to use it, and when to check first
Three steps. A few sensible checks.
1
Place it
Slide the stool against the toilet base so the arch wraps around it — flush, without wobbling.
2
Rest your feet
Sit normally, then place both feet on the stool. Your knees should rise noticeably above your hips.
3
Lean and relax
Lean slightly forward, elbows near your knees. Let the position do the work — avoid pushing or holding your breath.
Safety & suitability
🩺 Check with your doctor first if…
· You’re managing a diagnosed bowel condition (IBD, diverticular disease, rectal prolapse) — this is a comfort aid, not a treatment. · You have significant hip, knee, or pelvic joint limitations. · You’re in late pregnancy or have balance concerns on the toilet.
✅ Good practice, every time
· Let the posture do the work — avoid straining or breath-holding even here. · Make sure the stool sits flat and doesn’t rock before stepping onto it. · See a doctor for persistent constipation, bleeding, or pain — this is a habit, not a diagnosis.
The benefits, in short
- Reduced time and reported straining to reach satisfactory bowel emptying (Sikirov, 2003)
- Improved bowel movement duration, straining patterns, and completeness of evacuation in a footstool-specific study (Modi et al., 2019)
- A more open anorectal angle, measured directly by videofluoroscopy (Sakakibara et al., 2010)
- Fits any western toilet — no plumbing changes, no installation
08 · Reviews & testimonials
What people say — once they’ve actually said it.
This section is reserved for verified customer reviews and is deliberately left empty until we have them. The research book’s own instruction is that every sample entry must be replaced with a verified customer review before the page goes live: publishing invented testimonials as genuine is a consumer-protection violation in India (CCPA Guidelines on Dark Patterns, 2023; BIS IS 19000:2022 on online consumer reviews) and would undermine the one asset this dossier has that competitors don’t — an evidence section honest enough to publish a study that contradicts the product.
Layout specification
Star rating · reviewer name and city · verified-purchase badge · 2–4 lines of copy · date. Sort by most recent, with a "most helpful" toggle.
Collecting real ones
Send the review request at day 14, not day 2. This product needs a week of use before anyone can judge it. Suggested prompt: "You’ve had the Malasana Stool for two weeks — long enough to know. Did it change anything? Tell us honestly, including if it didn’t."
Keep the four-star ones
A page of nothing but five-star reviews reads as bought. The lukewarm ones are what make the rest believable — and they pre-empt the refund request from someone expecting a cure.
09 · Frequently asked questions
The questions people actually ask.
Will it fit my toilet?
It fits most standard western toilets. The arch is designed to curve around the base of the pedestal so it sits flush. Measure the width of your toilet base against the stool dimensions if you have an unusually wide or wall-hung model.
Is this a medical device?
No. It is a wellness accessory, not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you have a diagnosed bowel condition, speak with your doctor before making this a regular habit.
Will it cure my constipation?
We won’t claim that. Research on healthy adults shows reduced time and straining, but a 2022 randomized trial found a footstool did not significantly help people with undifferentiated constipation. It’s a low-risk thing to try; it isn’t a treatment for a diagnosed condition.
How long before I notice a difference?
Many people notice it immediately; others take a week or so to adjust to the posture. Give it 7–10 days of consistent use before deciding.
I have arthritis, a knee replacement, or limited hip mobility. Is this for me?
This is arguably the group the stool helps most, because it delivers most of the angle change while you stay seated with both feet supported. That said, if you have significant hip, knee, or pelvic joint limitations, check with your doctor first.
Can I use it during pregnancy?
Many women do, particularly in later trimesters. Because balance on the toilet becomes a real consideration then, please check with your doctor first.
Is it safe on a wet bathroom floor?
The top surface is dimpled and non-slip, and the four legs are wide-set for stability. Always check that the stool sits flat and doesn’t rock before stepping onto it.
Can children or multiple family members use it?
Yes. It isn’t sized to one person and requires no adjustment between users.
How do I clean it?
Wipe down with a regular bathroom cleaner and a damp cloth.
What is the reflexology bar for?
Three ridged rollers sit at the centre of the stool. You can roll the soles of your feet across them for light pressure-point stimulation while seated. It’s a comfort feature — we make no clinical claims for it.
Why is it called Malasana?
Malasana, or garland pose, is the deep yogic squat. We named the stool after it because the mechanical goal is identical: bring the hips into a fuller squat than any chair allows.
Why do you publish a study that says it didn’t work?
Because it exists, it’s peer-reviewed, and leaving it out would make everything else on this page less trustworthy.
10 · Evidence pack — studies & references
The evidence
Including the one that didn’t confirm the effect — a fair dossier shows both.
Core clinical studies
1Comparison of Straining During Defecation in Three Positions
Sikirov D. (2003). Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 48(7):1201–1205.· Read source →
2Influence of Body Position on Defecation in Humans
Sakakibara R, Tsunoyama K, Hosoi H, et al. (2010). LUTS: Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms, 2:16–21.· Read source →
3Implementation of a Defecation Posture Modification Device: Impact on Bowel Movement Patterns in Healthy Subjects
Modi RM, Hinton A, Pinkhas D, et al. (2019). Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology.· Read source →
4"The Thinker" position — forward-lean posture and defecation efficiency vs. upright sitting
Takano S, Sands DR.
The honest counterpoint
5Using a Footstool Does Not Aid Simulated Defecation in Undifferentiated Constipation: A Randomized Trial
Trieu K, et al. (2022). Gastroenterology.· Read source →
Association & hypothesis-level research
6Squatting and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Case-Control Study
Sohrabi M, et al. (2012). Middle East Journal of Digestive Diseases. — Association only; case-control design.
7Etiology and Pathogenesis of Diverticulosis Coli: A New Approach
Sikirov BA. Medical Hypotheses. — A hypothesis paper, not a controlled trial.
8Health Promotion and Prevention of Bowel Disorders Through Toilet Designs: A Myth or Reality?
Bhattacharya S, et al. (2019). Journal of Education and Health Promotion. — Review article.
Foundational anatomy
9The Anal Canal and Rectum: Their Varying Relationship and Its Effect on Anal Continence
Tagart REB. (1966). Diseases of the Colon & Rectum. — Classic description of the anorectal angle.
Footnotes
1. Sikirov D. (2003) — 51 sec squatting vs. 130 sec standard sitting. 2. Sakakibara R, et al. (2010) — anorectal angle straightened from ~100° at rest to ~126–137° at full squat.
11 · Shipping & support
What you’re buying, and what backs it.
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Shipping
Shipped across India in discreet, unbranded outer packaging. Dispatch and delivery timelines, the free-shipping threshold and Cash on Delivery availability are confirmed at checkout.
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Support
Write to us at connect@tattwas.com and we will come back to you.
An old posture, made to fit a modern bathroom.
One stool. Two minutes to learn. A habit backed by real, if still-developing, research — and honest about what it can’t promise.
Add to BasketThis product is a wellness accessory, not a medical device, and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you have a diagnosed bowel condition, are pregnant, or have joint or balance limitations, speak with your doctor before making this a regular habit. Prices exclusive of GST. Specifications subject to change.