4 poses to keep your ankles healthy
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august 2017yogajournal.comANATOMY
practice well
OUR PROS Writer Jill Miller is the co-founder of Tune Up Fitness Worldwide and author of The Roll Model. She has presented case studies at the Fascia Research
Congress and the International Association of Yoga Therapists Symposium on Yoga Therapy and Research, and she teaches at fitness and yoga conferences world-
wide. Learn more at yogatuneup.com. Model Dayna Seraye is a yoga teacher and holistic-health coach in Boulder, Colorado.Vrksasana
Tree Pose, variation
Standing on one leg improves
balance and ankle stability, which
means it’s a good idea to practice
single-leg standing poses often. This
Vrksasana variation promotes agility
in your lower legs, ankles, and feet,
while transforming your lifted foot
into a sensor of sorts (which pro-
vides feedback on the wobble situ-
ation in your standing ankle). This
modification is particularly great for
those who have trouble balancing
on one foot.
HOW TO Stand on your left foot
and bring your right foot to the
inside of the left ankle, so the
right foot becomes a stabilizer and
“sensor” to monitor the left ankle’s
movement. If it’s wobbly, home in
on the ankle (see “Why Wobbling
Can Be a Good Thing” on page 60)
while remaining connected to your
core and breath. Stay here for 5–10
breaths, then switch sides.Namaste and Reverse
Namaste for the feet
This exercise strengthens the
side-to-side motion of your ankles
by alternating between inversion
and eversion without the added
strain from your body weight that
occurs when standing. These kinds
of unloaded lateral ankle movements
improve range of motion and deepen
your understanding of how your
ankles move—ultimately helping
prevent injury should you turn
your ankle.
HOW TO Sit in Dandasana (Staff Pose)
with your ankles pinned together and
actively dorsiflexed. Turn the soles
of your feet inward (inversion) as if
to say Namaste with your feet. Then,
reverse the action, turning the soles
of your feet outward (eversion) as
if attempting Reverse Namaste with
your feet. Repeat both movements
10–20 times.Virasana
Hero Pose, variation
When you improve the front-to-back range of
motion in your ankles, their side-to-side abilities
will also benefit. Wrapping a strap around your
ankles in this pose encourages the optimal stretch
across multiple ankle joints, while minimizing the
“sickle effect” (when your toes turn in toward one
another) that often happens when we sit on our
feet in Virasana.
HOW TO Wrap a strap around your ankles and pull
it taut like you would a bandage (don’t fasten or
buckle the strap). Position your ankles in dorsiflex-
ion so that the balls of your feet are on the ground,
and sit on your heels while pulling the strap as snug
as possible. After 5 breaths, begin to actively point
(plantar flexion) your ankles and toes by trying to
push the floor behind you, as if your toes are like
a falcon’s talons clutching a branch. Stay here for
another 5 breaths. (If you are unable to manage the
pressure on your feet and ankles, lean forward and
place your hands on the floor to redistribute some
of the weight.) Then, point your toes and actively
press the tops of your feet and ankles into the
ground (attempting dorsiflexion), pulling the strap
snugly again if the inner ankle bones have drifted
apart. Stay here for 5 breaths, then repeat all of
these movements once more.