The Yoga Foot

This blog post is entitled 'The Yoga Foot' but I believe in giving credit where credit is due, so I believe it should be called 'The Iyengar Foot'. 

It is the foot position that is key to making several poses in the syllabus of yoga accessible. It is also the foot position learnt in many beginner Iyengar classes and perfected at the advanced level.

At this point let me emphasize that I am not yet a certified Iyengar teacher.  To be one requires a series of rigorous examinationsto be undertaken and I have only just begun that process.  I have however been a student of the Iyengar method for over a decade and it is from that exposure that a lot of the observations documented in this blog are drawn.

So to sense for yourself the importance of 'The Yoga Foot'. Sit with the leg extended as shown in the pictures below.

1) Point your toes like a ballerina and notice how that stretches the top of the leg.

 Foot With Toes Pointed

2) Flex your foot and notice how that stretches the underside of the leg.

Foot With Heel Flexed

That leads us to the purpose of 'The Yoga Foot'.

The Yoga Foot - Metatarsals Pressed Forward, Toes Fanned Wide, Tops of the Toes Pressed Back Towards the Shins

One of the main benefits I have observed with 'The Iyengar foot' is that both the top of the leg and the bottom of the leg extend as foot is in this position.  It consists of a stretch neither through the toes nor the heel but through an area called the metatarsals or the balls of the feet.

Red Circles Outlining The Metatarsals

Try this...

Press the balls of the feet, especially the ball of the big toe, forward.  To help you get this action, have someone point their index finger one inch from the ball of the big toe so you have a sense of direction. Fan the toes wide, let air come in between them and bend them back towards the shin. Keep the leg poker straight, open the backs of the knees and ground the femur bone (otherwise known as the thigh bone) towards the hamstring.

Inactive Leg

 Active Leg with the Yoga Foot

Notice that the surface area of the entire leg is now extended at the same time...  The top of the leg, the bottom of the leg and the skin at the very sole of the feet.

In my previous blogpost on 'Thoughts on Improving downward dog' I alluded to the importance of moving the skin.  In this case , with the sensation of 'splitting the sole of the foot open' the hole leg becomes active.
 
That alone gives access to important actions like sending the femur (or thigh bone) into the hamstring.  In fact without it a lot of very important leg instructions are a challenge to comprehend.

This foot position is fundamental.  It will profoundly improve just about all poses where the leg is extended and the sole of the foot is exposed.

I have included a list here but it represents a mere few of the dozens of poses that can benefit from these actions:

1.Upavishta Konasana (Wide-Angle Seated Forward Bend)
2.Dandasana (Staff Pose)
3.Ardha Chandrasha (Half Moon Pose)
4.Salamba Sarvangasana (Supported Headstand)

It is my pleasure sharing yoga with you. Do make sure to check out my free learning videos and stay tuned for more!

Namaste