Yoga For The Feet
Our feet carry us through every day of our lives. From the moment we can walk until the end of our days our feet support us. It’s easy to forget about your feet and neglect them, but there are so many benefits to paying attention to your feet. Today, we are going to talk about yoga for the feet, but also some of the benefits we can receive from paying attention to our feet.
Toe Smashers
If you stand a lot or run, walk etc. toe smashers are a great way to give attention to the feet. The plantar fascia is a band that connects the heel to the ball of the foot. Stretching it can help reduce pain, prevent future injuries and can reduce inflammation. Also, in Chinese medicine we have several meridians that are in the feet. So, when we create this space we are stimulating these meridians.
With Bare feet and sitting on your knees. Curl all 10 toes under and sit your hips back on your heels. Stay seated like this for as long as you feel comfortable.
MFR (Myofascial Release)
MFR for the feet can help alleviate pain and improve movement in connective tissue. It is something that you can do well watching TV or any time you are seated.
Using a lacrosse ball or tennis ball, place the ball under your foot one at time. Roll the ball around focusing on any areas that feel uncomfortable or tight.
AChilles Tendon Stretches
An injury to the achilles tendon can be life changing. The recovery time, the surgery can be excruciating. So making sure that you take time to give it a proper stretch is important. When the achilles tendon is tight it can restrict movement in the ankle and cause other issues in the joint, pain in the foot and even possibly knee issues.
In Downward facing dog simply bend one knee and lengthen the other heel to the floor. Hold for a few breaths and than switch legs. You can also elevate your toes on a blanket or other slightly elevated surface and sit down into malasana. A stretch in the achilles tendon is going to vary by person and the mobility in the ankles and knees.
Massage or accupressure
Finally, my last recommendation to add to your yoga for your feet, is massage or accupressure. This is a great way to give your feet and your body a little love. You can either do it yourself or higher a professional. However, it’s easy to incorporate some accupressure points into seated yoga poses. Here is a guide to accupressure points in the foot. To incorporate into your practice add some accupressure to your seated baddha konasana.
