Your feet (might) make you tense

Trust me and try this: stand as naturally as possible, and close your eyes for ten seconds. Do you notice anything about your feet?

Do you lean more on one foot? Do you feel your toes gripping? Or maybe your ankles seem to collapse towards the center?

We rarely think about our feet when our back hurts. But they are literally your foundation. And when your base is unstable, the rest of your body has to compensate: knees, pelvis, lower back, shoulders, even your jaw.

Your feet hold a ton of sensory receptors that tell your brain where you are in space (this is called proprioception), and research suggests it plays an important role in your posture and ability to balance.

One of my clients expressed something really profound when we were talking about her feeling unstable on her feet: she feels the ripple effect all over her body.

And that makes sense: a body that doesn't feel stable tends to hold on to tension. It stays ready to catch itself, in case it falls. Which means that sometimes, the way to relax isn't to stretch more, but to feel more grounded.

If you'd like to test your feet, give this little routine a try. I'm sure you'll be surprised :)

Flat Feet Clinic - 13 minutes of yoga to feel stable and grounded

Your challenge this week will be to do one of the exercises I show every morning, while you're brushing your teeth 😁

Let me know how it goes.

Clem