Yoga as Therapeutic Exercise: A Practical Guide for Manual Therapists

6

Chapter

The basic exercises

10. Basic exercises for the feet 10. Basic exercises for the feet


11. Basic exercises for the feet 10. Basic exercises for the feet


12. Perform point 5 5–10 times.


13. Stand for a few breaths and feel the contact of
    your heels with the floor.

Variation

Perform points 1–7 standing.

Refined work

Instead of tilting and moving the heels a subtle shift

of weight is performed.

1. Sit on a chair or stand upright.
   2. Maintaining the knees stable and the big toes
   firmly on the floor, shift the weight onto the
   outer heels.
   3. Feel the change in the transverse and inner
   arches of your feet.
   4. Maintaining the knees stable and the little toes
   firmly on the floor, shift the weight onto the
   inner heels.
   5. Feel the change in the transverse and outer
   arches.
   6. Perform points 2–5 5–10 times, about one
   movement per breath.
   7. Maintaining the knees stable and the big toes
   firmly on the floor, shift the weight onto the
   outer heels.
   8. Feel the effect on the inner ankles and the
   subtle upwards movement through the inner
   legs.
   9. Hold points 7 and 8 for 3–5 breaths.
   10. Maintaining the knees stable and the little toes
   firmly on the floor, shift the weight onto the
   inner heels.
   11. Feel the effect on the outer ankles and the
   subtle upwards movement through the outer
   legs.
   12. Hold points 10 and 11 for 3–5 breaths.
   13. To finish stand upright for a few breaths; feel
   the toes and the centers of the heels on the
   floor and the lifting of the arches of the feet
   and the ankles.

Exercise 10.9: Foot seesaw

Aims: strengthening the foot and ankles, balance.

1. Stand facing a wall or holding a column with
   both feet parallel and one foot width apart.
   Stabilize yourself with one or both hands on the
   wall or column. Lift your left foot off the floor.


2. Raise your right heel until you are standing on
   the ball of your right foot, with the knee slightly
   bent (Figure 6.213).

Figure 6.211

Figure 6.212