Our feet are our foundation, our connection to the earth. They keep us mobile, aligned and balanced, yet they are often one of the most neglected and abused parts of the body. How often do we actually stop and think about our feet and what we put them through EVERY DAY? Probably only when they start aching after standing or wearing uncomfortable shoes all day.
Our body reflects everything we do with our feet. When our feet are tired, our whole body is tired. When our feet hurt, even the simplest of tasks might be hard. Whether we realize it or not, because of the way we treat our feet, most of us have feet and ankles that are no longer in balance. Because of the misalignment of our feet, our body now has to make adjustments in order to keep its balance. This means that our overall posture changes. When our posture changes to compensate for foot problems, our joints become misaligned which in turn, can lead to chronic joint inflammation in addition to other health related problems.
The good news is that practicing yoga helps bring flexibility and strength to our feet, toes and ankles, leading to overall better alignment and health of the body.
- Awakening & Integrating the Feet with Mary Taylor: When we wake up the feet, the pelvic floor automatically comes on line. Grounding through the feet and integrating movement from deep in the core in this way is how we learn to move in a graceful and rhythmical movement in and out of postures. In this class we will draw from poses in the Primary and Intermediate Series to embody this important integrating pattern. Props Suggested: A blanket and wall space.
- Stable Foundation with Marla Apt: Using the feet to align and enliven. The feet can be the gateway to alignment of the joints, balanced action in the muscles and ease in the asanas. In this practice you will mindfully focus on the actions of the feet as well as balancing the weight on the feet as the foundation of the standing poses to bring evenness to the legs, hips, pelvis and back. Prop Suggested: A block.
- Show Your Feet Some Love with Giselle Mari: We spend a lot of our time on our feet and rarely give them the love they so deserve. In this brief session give your tootsies some attention that can increase awareness of your feet while giving them some release and relief. Props Needed: Two Blocks, One Blanket, One Tennis Ball and Wall Space
- Healthy Feet and Ankles with Tara Judelle: The key to a healthy back is smart feet. The foundation sets the tone for the entire body from the base up. In this short class we will work to open up the stability and mobility of the feet, ankles and knees for a healthier body. Props needed- a blanket, and a block.
- Root Chakra Flow with Jo Tastula: This is a grounding class that focuses on the earth element, creating strong foundations and the 1st Chakra. Anatomically we’ll concentrate on the feet, legs and base of the spine as our pillars of support. We start with seated meditation followed by seated postures and simple sun salutation with crescent moon (anjaneyasana) to warm up. Our flow plays with balancing poses such as Tree, Warrior 3 & dancer (vrksasana, virabhadrasana & Natarajasana) and floaty transitions that help to really find your feet! Lots of forward bending to promote the grounding process. There’s a side plank with variations for good measure. Guided meditation in (reclined cobbler) supta badhakonasa and savasana to finish. Optional Prop: Blanket
- On Your Feet All Day? with Felicia Tomasko: Do you stand on your feet all day? Nurses, teachers, doctors, firefighters, restaurant workers, veterinarians, flight attendants, retail salespeople? This is the yin practice for you. Get grounded and rebalance the body with this slow yet powerful yin practice. We begin on the earth, supine, on our backs, with a sequence that works with flexibility and mobility of the feet, legs, and hips. The second part of this practice involves some seated feet stretches, cat stretch variations on our hands and knees and then ends with a pigeon pose to continue to allow ourselves to release the tension stored in the body after standing all day. By the time we get to savasana, we’ll be ready to stand up again.
