Over the last year and a half through the medium of video classes, I have endeavored to share thematically, mentally, physically, experimentally what I’m exploring in my own practice. I wanted to allow space of process to unfold, and for the unfolding to have a laboratory that expands beyond the physical classroom. My hope is that through this medium things can be practiced again and again, and addressed with questions and answers to lead us collectively into greater awareness.
Through this blog, it is now my intention to offer more insight and information. Since a 90 minute, or one hour class can only hold so much information, I would like to begin adding additional information for those of you who are diligently following some of the through lines of the classes.
Heel foot, Ankle foot. Maybe this teaching should have come first. But in the circuitous nature of self discovery it occurs at the time that I learned it. If we understand how the feet function, authentically, the structure as it is designed to be utilized, it not only shifts our understanding of the foundation of movement but also clears most back pains. We, as a human race, created feet that are meant to be all terrain vehicles. They were designed to climb barefoot up mountains and to run across vast planes. And in truth they are a phenomenal invention. They have a stability component and a mobility component. The stability side is called heel foot, and it consists of the calcaneus (heel) and the fourth and fifth metatarsals. The mobility component consists of the talus, which lies on top of the calcaneus and glides towards the third toe, second toe, big toe. When we walk, move, or balance we can utilize the feet by relating them to the pelvis. The stability foot relates to the outer hip, and the mobility component relates to the inner pubis. Because we wear shoes and walk, for the most part on flat pavement, our feet are not now allowed to move in the way that they have evolved over hundreds of thousands of years. They, instead have a tendency to take on the shape we’ve asked them to. Some feet look like they are still in high heels, or ballet shoes, or ski boots. The good news is, that the potentiality of our bones, and muscles is never lost. If we reclaim the original pattern/function, the equanimity and healing will be restored. And your body wants that.
I’ve included a small video here about the foot. The words are very technical. I didn’t use the video for the words but for the visual. The way I find my way into experiential anatomy is by seeing the form first, and following the way the form functions in my body. It’s like looking at a map and then discovering the territory. Notice in the video how mobile a foot is, and how an ankle is really just a tibia and a talus working to glide like an elliptical machine. Many of us have jammed our taluses because we over grip with our feet and so the sliding function of the talus does not achieve full movement. I’ve watched this video over 10 times, just tracing the shape of the bones in my mind, grokking in my own way the base floor of the heel and the top shelf glide of the talus. To date I know of runners, soccer pros, dancers and bikers who have reformed their feet based on this basic information. I’ve felt the way that by shifting my feet, I’ve realigned my femur bones in my hip sockets. And I’ve noticed that this learning is an ongoing discovery that continues to unfold.
This insight & additional learning will help deepen your experience of Tara’s Relearn Your Feet class.
As you all know, this online yoga video class medium of ours is unique. It allows you to take classes with teachers that may never travel to your area and allows you to take classes whenever it suits your schedule, wherever you may be in the world.
From time to time, there are additional reference materials, insights and thoughts our YogaGlo teachers have about a specific class. What better way to use this online medium than to share that added information with you here?
Consider it official: our YogaGlo teachers will occasionally post on the blog whenever they have a video clip, a cool chart or additional thoughts that may help to deepen your knowledge and enjoyment of a specific class on our site. We will be filing these posts under the Global Classroom category so you can easily find them in the future.
The first of these posts begins tomorrow, with some foot wisdom from Tara Judelle. Stay tuned!
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