A while ago someone asked me to share yoga care for feet. What better time to take care of our feet now that the temperatures are warming up and we are pulling out our flip-flops and sandals and noticing our feet more often. While all major foot care should be overseen by a podiatrist, there are several yoga poses and stretches to relax and help take care of our feet. Even though many of us may not like the idea of dealing with feet - we need them to help us move around each day. It truly is amazing all of the bones, glands, nerves and blood vessels that run through our feet. Considering how much we use our feet and their importance in our bodies - we need to give them some love.
Some common foot issues we may encounter in which yoga can help with are plantar fasciitis, muscle cramping, bunions and heel/ankle pain/weakness. I know when I first began taking yoga classes regularly, I would find myself in various positions that would induce cramping in my feet and toes. I remember right after my first year of taking yoga I went to a yoga class while on vacation and the instructor went through several stretching exercises for the feet - before we even began class - and I remember my feet feeling amazing the rest of the day (those stretches are included in the video below).
Taking care of our feet helps our ability to walk straight - which in the process - allows our knees and hips to be more stable as we walk, and in finding balance. There are many ways to take care of our feet - from soaking them - to stretching them - to cleaning the entire foot (including toenails) - they are all very important. Stretching the feet helps to increase circulation, reduce numbness and pain in the feet and should be a part of our daily lives - especially if our footwear creates more soreness in the feet.
The video shows several stretches - beginning with hand to foot manipulation - and ending with relaxation đđŁđ§đźââď¸âŽď¸
Some of the stretches in the video are in the pic below -
The video shows moving from hand massaging foot stretches, foot stretches in butterfly, downward dog, broken toe pose, half-pyramid ankle flexion, legs-up-the-wall, and ending with butterfly - all helping release tension in the feet and stretching parts of the foot that don't receive much attention in our daily lives. The video shares just a few of the more accessible and common foot stretches. Some other yoga poses to build strength in the feet and the ankles - Balancing Chair Pose (even rocking back and forth from toe-to-heel is helpful), Balancing Tree Pose, Hand-to-Big Toe Pose (seated, reclined or balanced - with or without a strap. If using a strap you can even use the strap as leverage to push and pull with the balls of the feet - similar to the foot stretch in the video in half pyramid), and of course - all lunges and warrior poses build strength in the ankles and feet.
While not necessarily a typical yoga prop, I have found variations of toe separators to be helpful in releasing toe cramping and allowing the feet to find a more natural alignment. These are especially beneficial with bunions and releasing out the toes from wearing pointed-toed shoes. The pic below shows one brand, but there are multiple options from several companies - google toe separators and you will find lots of choices.
Enjoy these fun stretches as we work on self care with the body. There are multiple stretches to help in relaxing the feet in each yoga class. Please let me know of any area of your body you'd like some extra information on ways yoga can help you find relaxation each day. Namastè đđť
