Your ankles and feet are important sources of information that the brain receives and relies on about where your body is in space. Many of us lose precise awareness of where our feet and ankle are when walking on unfamiliar or uneven surfaces.
Try this short exploration to rediscover awareness of your feet and ankles:
- Stand on the floor with your feet about hip width apart.
- Feel how your feet make contact with the floor or carpet.
- Is there more weight in your right or left foot, in the heel, middle of the foot or in toes?
- Are your knees locked or softly bent? How does changing the organization of your knees contribute to your comfort in standing?
- Focus on your right foot. Roll your foot toward the outside arch and then back to centre, paying attention to the movement through your entire foot. Notice how you use your ankle to facilitate the movement and try to keep your knee relatively quiet.
- Repeat a few times. Pay attention to how the movement resonates through your whole being and how you are breathing.
- Then make the opposite movement – moving your foot toward the inside arch, again through your foot and using your ankle while keeping your knee quiet.
- Combine the two – moving outside and then inside. Is there an echo from the movement into your hip joint and pelvis?
- Pause for a few moments in standing.
- Repeat the movements with your left foot.
- Stop and rest. Notice how your feet make contact with the floor and how much of each foot you can sense.
- Walk around a bit. How does walking feel different now?
In our weekly Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement ® classes we learn about how to find comfort, and reduce effort, for all activities. Please join us.
