Do you get any requests for asanas or Yogic techniques to heal the feet? Most of our students ask us about techniques for reducing stress, back pain, and body weight. As essential as our feet are to Yoga, we give them little thought. Maybe we would treat them differently if we realized how great an impact they have on the rest of our body and the clues they hold to its general condition.
The foot and ankle are made up of 26 bones, 33 joints and a myriad of blood vessels and nerves that extend to the spine and organs. To the trained eye, early signs of diabetes and other health issues can be found through careful examination of the feet.
On the other hand, neglecting and abusing the feet can lead to problems in other areas of the body. When our feet hurt, we compensate by changing our gait, increasing our chances of falling. Reduced activity caused by discomfort contributes to sedentary life styles and weight gain, and overuse and strain cause inflammatory conditions like plantar fasciitis and tendonitis, making exercise difficult and painful. On a systemic level, poor circulation complicates existing illnesses and creates new ones.
In Yoga, we rely on our feet for grounding and maintaining proper alignment, but we also use them to move and propel our bodies. For the feet to work properly, weight must be distributed evenly throughout the entire body. Yogic exercise elongates the spine, tones and stretches the muscles, and increases flexibility. Just as parts of the body have special jobs but work together, so do the poses in Yoga.