Flat Feet

Yoga Discussion Structural Yoga Therapy
#1

Hi Mukunda Stiles,

Q - I got your name from a website dedicated to people with Flat Feet.

http://www.yogandrew.com/info/feet/

I?m suffering greatly and would like your advise on this: I?m 28 years old and have been doing yoga for the past 2 years. I?ve been concentrating on Bikram (sweaty) yoga for the past year and am loving it. I would like to one day teach and have benefited in ALL aspects of life from it ? eventually I would like to pass this on to others. I was born with flat feet and I?ve always been active (running, swimming, gym member, etc).

I?ve been doing Bikram for about 11 months now…the first 7 were great…and then I started getting a lot of pain in my left foot/ankle on the inside. Specifically where the arch should be and the ankle above it. I?ve seen a Chiropodist, who has given me a new pair of orthodics. My problem is that now ? after every yoga practice ? I?m experiencing a GREAT DEAL of discomfort in the left foot. I?m doing all that I can ? loosening my calves, concentrating on planting the 4 corners of my feet, I?m even taking it very easy on my left leg and not doing half the poses. I love yoga so much and it will be hard for me to quit (although, if I can?t remedy the situation, I?ll have to). Do you have any advice on what I should try doing? I?m thinking of taking 2 weeks off and not doing any yoga. But I?m scared that when I go back, it will be the same old story. Do I just suffer through the pain and eventually it will go away?
Help!

#2

A ? First I need to know how much practice you do and how much is class how much is on your own. The more you do on your own the more you can adapt to the Bikram challenging program. The problem with too many classes is that you are not given personal adaptations suited to your changing body. I would suggest that you work with standing on a stair and going into plantar flexion and dorsiflexion as you identify the muscles becoming toned (not those being stretched) in an anatomy book (or in my Structural Yoga Therapy book) while you do this. Once yuou learn where the muscles are that should engage to promote strength then you can find where your body is and isn?t efficient. If you feel sensations in other muscles than those being toned you are likely to increase misalignments. To build the arch you especially need to tone not just this point and flex the ankle motions but also inversion motion muscles. Focus on the tibialis anterior at first. Also consider having some connective tissue bodywork massage as this can facilitate changes in your foot structures more specifically than yoga alone would do. Blessings.