My valued customers know it: The importance of the subject “feet” has increased in my lessons. One could say that feet became the basement of my teaching.
Today I read in the local nwespaper: “Human foot more flexible than expcted”. Sience (the “Royal Society”) detected: Our feet preserved more flexibility from their tradition as “ape feet” than expected. 25.000 footprints were evaluated, there you are: some of them touched the ground with the mid-foot region – of normal, healthy people! Great, I think – and now? The announcement on the Royal Society´s webpage doesn´t offer much.
Therefore I start summarizing my experiences here (and will most likely need more than one article for this). I will start with the most persistent, foot-restricting belief sets:
- “The arch has to be supported.”
The miracle of the arch of the feet – as mentioned above – exists because of ist elasticity, which means that our feet have a in-built springiness. Continuous contracting of the arch, footbeds andinsoles can eliminate this function. Of course – there can be concrete medical necessities for wearing insoles (e.g. for strain relief with heel spur or when the arch has „quit“ to function). But when sometimes food bed an arch support is worn since childhood, the „forgets“ how an elastic arch works – or simply lacks the musculature.Again and again I meet people who can´t even tell, WHY they are wearing them, besides „I have worn them forever“.
So here come my tips for a gentle, friendly rediscovery of your feet :
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- every now and then walk without arch supports, preferebly barefoot or with thin, flexible soles. What´s that like? Can you notice aflattening of the arch as you ut weight on it and a rebounce when the weight releases?
- Sitting on a chair: Lift your thigh with your hands, so that the lower leg and foot hangs from the knee. Then lower the foot slowly the leg so that the foot releases and rests on the ground. Notice and enjoy how the foot huddles against the ground.
- Play with your toes, move your feet like inchworms forward and back, lift things with your feet (e.g. socks), grab soft balls – feet appriciate this! (see above)
- And most important: Enjoy your feet und be in nice, sensitive communication with them…
Maybe you will soon be climbing trees again!
