Arches of your feet

Reading from August 11 and 12, 2015 yoga class

"The support for your breath, your diaphragm and everything starts in the arches of your feet."
                                                                                   
                                                                                                 Leslie Kaminoff

I have recently had a few students come in with plantar fasciitis, and having suffered with this myself, it is no fun.  The following is from the book Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews.

"The arches of the feet are engaged and connecting with the support of the pelvic floor, lower abdomen, rib cage, cervical spine, and crown of the head.  Nothing lasting can be built on a shaky foundation.  This may be why Tadasana is considered by many yoga traditions to be the starting point of asana practice.  This body position is also uniquely human, because humans are the only true biped mammals on the planet.  Humans are also the least stable of creatures, possessing the smallest base of support, the highest center of gravity, and (proportionately) the heaviest brain balancing atop it all.

The base support of Tadasana--the feet--offers a beautiful image of how the forces of yielding and support operate in the human system.  The essential structure of the foot can be represented by a triangle.  The three points of the triangle are the three places where the foot's structure will rest on a supporting surface: the heel, the distal end of the first metatarsal, and the distal end of the fifth metatarsal.  The lines connecting these points represent three of the arches, lines of lift through which postural support is derived.

The foot has evolved over millions of years in a world with no roads or sidewalks.  When the adaptability of the foot is no longer needed during locomotion, the deeper muscles that support the arches can weaken, eventually leaving only the superficial, nonmuscular plantar fascia responsible for preventing the collapse of the foot.  The stress this places on the plantar fascia frequently leads to plantar fasciitis and heel spurs.

The practice of standing postures in general, and tadasana in particular, is one of the best ways to restore the natural vitality, strength, and adaptability of the feet.  Once your foundation is improved, it is much easier to put the rest of your house in order."