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Uttanasana

(Standing Forward Bend)

From Tadasana (Mountain Pose), inhale to lengthen your

spine, then exhale to hinge from the hips to fold. When

the pelvis drifts back in this pose in yoga class, the

teacher often will come by and gently push it

forward to align the legs perpendicular to the floor.

When the teacher walks away, the pelvis tends to

drift back again. Correct this yourself by gently

pressing the fleshy part of the big toes into the mat,

which can help bring your femurs into a more

upright position over your ankles. Then press

the outside edges of your feet into the mat to

activate your arches. You should feel grounded. Hold

for 5 to 10 breaths before returning to Mountain Pose.

Utthita Hasta

Padangusthasana

(Extended Hand-to-

Big-Toe Pose)

Stand in Mountain Pose.

Balancing on your left foot,

elevate your right knee. Wrap your

right index and middle fingers around the

right big toe and actively flex your toe against

your fingers as you slowly work to straighten your

leg. Bring your awareness to the connection

of your right big-toe flexor’s origin on the

back of the lower right leg. This pose actively

strengthens and stretches your big-toe muscles.

Hold for at least 5 breaths before switching sides.

Utkatasana

(Chair Pose or Fierce Pose)

With your big toes together and heels slightly apart,

inhale to extend your arms along your ears and

bend your knees, lowering your glutes into Chair Pose.

Press the fleshy part of the big toes down, then add

the outer edges of the feet to balance the arches.

Work your way up the body, pressing the knees

together (all while holding the action in the feet),

then engage the buttocks. Note how this connects

the big toes to the core, through the kinetic chain

of muscles and fascia, or connective tissue, from the

soles of your feet through the back of the legs.

Hold for 5 breaths.

Chaturanga Dandasana

(Four-Limbed Staff Pose)

This is a counterpose to stretch the toe flexors, especially the FHB.

Come to Plank Pose and slowly lower down, making sure your elbows

are over your wrists, your upper arms are parallel to the floor, and that

your shoulders don’t dip lower than your elbows. Reach back through

the heels and make sure you are stacking them over your toes, and

that your toes are curled under. Then press your big toes down to rock

forward, loading the stretch. Go slowly, and if you experience pain in the

MTP joint, back off a bit. Hold for 5 breaths before releasing.

PHOTOS: RICK CUMMINGS; ILLUSTRATION: MICHELE GRAHAM;MODEL: NICOLE WIENHOLT; STYLIST: GEORGIA BENJOU;HAIR/MAKEUP: BETH WALKER; BRA AND BOTTOMS: FABLETICS

Tap the power of your toes

Try the yoga postures below for building strength and mobility in the muscles supporting

the big toes,then observe the shifts in your perception of feeling rooted and balanced.

Becoming more familiar with the

anatomical structures in the soles of the

feet, also called the plantar surface, will

help refi ne your awareness of how to

engage the big toes.

Your big toe is comprised of two joints:

The metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint

connects the long bone (metatarsal) of the

front of the foot with the fi rst bone in the

big toe (phalanx). It forms the mound at

the base of the sole of the big toe. The

interphalangeal (IP) joint is the big-toe

knuckle. Capsules (ligamentous sacs that

enclose joints) and ligaments cover and

cross both joints, providing static stability.

Finally, let’s look at how these joints

move. Flexing your big toe is governed by

two muscles: the fl exor hallucis longus

(FHL) and the fl exor hallucis brevis (FHB).

They are assisted by the abductor and

adductor hallucis muscles. The FHL

originates in the deepest part of the back of

the lower leg, under the calf, and connects

via tendon around the bottom of the foot to

the base of the IP joint. The FHB fl exes the

MTP joint. All of these muscles support

your arches. Lightly pressing down with the

big toe maintains stability in the MTP joint

and activates the kinetic chain of muscles

from the soles of the feet to the hamstrings

and glutes. While you can’t change the

ligaments, capsules, and bones consciously,

you can work on moving the muscles to

build strength and stability in standing

balance poses.

OUR PROS Teacher Ray Long, MD, is an

orthopedic surgeon in Detroit and the founder

of Bandha Yoga, a website and book series

dedicated to the anatomy of yoga. He trained

extensively with B.K.S. Iyengar. Model Nicole

Wienholt is a Boulder, Colorado–based yoga

teacher and the co-founder of Yoga Pod, a

national chain of studios. 81

july 2016

yogajournal.com.au