The traditional squatting posture for elimination has a real, if modest, mechanical case behind it — this is one of the few traditional health claims with genuine supporting research.
Squatting straightens the anorectal angle more than sitting does, which several small studies have found reduces the strain needed to pass stool and shortens the time it takes. This is plausibly connected to lower rates of haemorrhoids in populations that squat habitually.
You do not need to give up a sitting toilet to get the benefit — a simple footstool placed in front of a sitting toilet, to raise the knees above the hips, approximates the same angle and is a well-known low-cost adaptation.
Everything on this site is a personal account and a record of traditional practice. It is shared for information and reflection. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a treatment for any disease.
If you are unwell — and particularly if you have a serious illness such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease — please stay under the care of a qualified doctor. Nothing here should replace that care or delay it. Talk to your physician before changing anything about how you eat, fast or treat yourself.