Stretching Your Feet For Yoga & Why It Matters

In the spirit of our monthly Pillar + Poses focus of grounding and planting seeds, let’s turn our attention to the feet. Practicing barefoot we develop a greater sense of grounding to the earth, and the feet build a foundation for standing and balancing postures.

Here are some stretches to care for your feet!

From Table, lift the right leg + shin.

Place the front of the right ankle (not the top of the foot) to the arch of the left foot.

Sit bodyweight back onto feet. Your right knee will be behind your left knee. If this bothers the front of the foot on the bottom, place a blanket under your feet or double up your yoga mat for some additional support.

Feel the sensation in the bottom of your left foot, gently place the seed of your attention there.

Stay here as long as you like and in your time, transition to the second side.

Take a few breaths in Downdog, brining your awareness to the bottoms of the feet.

From Downdog, shift forward to Plank and lower to the knees.

Keeping the toes curled under, sit back onto the heels.

Take some deep, grounding breaths and place your awareness and attention into the bottoms of the feet.

This one can become intense quickly for some bodies, modify the intensity by bringing your weight forward a little.

Follow up with a few breaths in Downdog, feel what you feel in the feet.

Shifting the focus from the bottoms of the feet to the tops of the feet.

From seated, extend your legs out in front of you and point your toes.

Begin to gently fold forward over the legs, continue to point the toes forward and down, stopping when you reach a point that is sustainable for you and breathe. Invest your attention in the feeling on the top of the feet.

Follow up with Downdog for a few cycles of breath.

Written by: Amy Koenig

If you have any questions about this blog post, email Amy at amyking413@gmail.com.

Here’s Why Your Seated Meditation Posture Matters

The mindfulness practice of seated mediation can have a grounding and calming effect on the nervous system. Stillness can be the most challenging part of the practice and sensations within our physical body can make it more difficult to stay present. Good posture is important in meditation, if the goal of meditation is increased focus and awareness, how we sit should reflect that.

Here are some options that may work to help you settle in to a relaxed and alert physical state for your meditation practice.

As we sit for longer periods of time, the attention may drift and we can find ourselves rounded forward which takes the spine into flexion and rounds the lower back. Placing a block on the lowest, widest level under your pelvis can help the spine to maintain it’s natural curves. Some practitioners have restriction on the front of the hip, elevating the pelvis above the knees, can help to alleviate that. This is Virasana, also known as Heros Pose.

Sit up tall and relax the shoulders.

Draw the chin back slightly so the head, neck and spine are aligned.

Find a comfortable place to rest the hands, palms up or down.

The block will give you something to lengthen up from and as you prepare, rock the front of the hips a little bit forward.

If the block has some rough edges, place a blanket over the block. This can also provide some comfort for the front of the knees, shins and the tops of the feet.

If you have restrictions on the front of the ankle, sitting cross-legged might be more your style! Please remember that this is probably because of the shape of your bones and the ankle joint and less about flexibility. We’re going for an alert, attentive but comfortable position that we can maintain for a period of time.

A round meditation cushion can also provide a firm source of comfort for your practice. Over time it’s easy to start rounding into the lower back, especially as we relax, keep sitting tall and tilting your hips slightly forward until the curves of the spine feel natural for your body.

For longer practices or if you need a little more support, try sitting against a wall. Rest the back of the head and shoulders on the wall while maintaining the natural shape of your spine.

A daily meditation practice can be a wonderful complement not just to your yoga, practice but your life beyond the edges of your mat. Just a few minutes a day of stillness and attention to your breath can have a profound effect on your physical and mental landscape. A little bit goes a long way when it comes to meditation, don’t be afraid to begin with small periods of time. And there is no one size fits all approach so you may need to experiment along the way to find what works best for you and your body.

Written by: Amy Koenig

If you have any questions about this blog post, email Amy at amyking413@gmail.com.

Yoga Teacher Training Poem

What a journey this has been,

From the beginning, and now we end,

Coming together from the start,

Sharing our stories with open minds and hearts,

We listened and learned, we laughed and cried,

We expressed our feelings, or at least we tried,

So many questions, while finding our way,

Paying attention, learning to play,

Feeling uncomfortable, cuing new flows,

Embracing mistake, helping us grow,

Learning together, wishing we had longer,

Just by trying, getting stronger,

Turning inwards, setting intentions,

Meditation and breath, paying attention.

Differences shared, but still we related,

Feeling gratitude for the bonds we’ve created.

Written By: Katie Hosbach, RYT-200, Yoga Shelter Teacher Training Graduate 2021