By Karen Allgire, MFA, RYT

The human foot is beauti-fully designed to carry us through the 70,000 miles we may walk in a lifetime. Yet, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, one in six people in the United States, or 4.3 million people, have foot problems. The feet tend to be neglected until they hurt. They are often bound in poorly designed or improperly fitting shoes, asked to walk on hard, unyielding surfaces and demeaned by negative cultural biases. The result is that the feet are subject to pains and disorders caused by poor alignment, weakness and inflexibility. These problems curtail our ease of locomotion and create limitations in our movement practices, whether we enjoy yoga, sports, dance or other activities.

Fortunately, there are some simple ways to enhance the awareness and function of our feet. The first step is to get familiar with their basic structure. The foot has three arches, creating a structure that is both stabile for standing and mobile for locomotion. The most familiar arch is the medial longitudinal arch – the one that runs from the inner heel to the ball of the big toe. The lateral longitudinal arch goes from the outer heel to the ball of the little toe. The metatarsal or transverse arch goes across the foot from the ball of the big toe to the ball of the little toe. These three arches are suspended between three points that create a tripod – the heel, the ball of the big toe and the ball of the little toe. Your feet are balanced when the weight is evenly distributed on the three points of the tripod and when all the arches are lifted without being tense. The arches give spring to our step, act as shock absorbers and help us adapt to uneven surfaces.

Here are some simple yet effective ideas to bring awareness and balance to your feet.

Stand with Awareness
Stand with bare feet and feel the way they contact the floor. Observe carefully and see if your two feet touch the floor in the same way. Most likely, you will find differences between your feet. See if you can press your heels down evenly, pressing both the inner and outer heels. Look at your ankles and notice if they protrude in or out. If they fall in, press the outer heels more, and if they bow out, press the inner heels more. Then observe the balls of the feet. The big-toe side and the little-toe side should press evenly. As you work on the balls of the feet, find out what has happened to the heels. Keep working on spreading the contact and standing evenly.

Lift the Toes
Lifting your toes can help you learn proper foot alignment. Lift all ten toes equally while keeping the balls of the feet evenly pressed to the floor. You may find that the big toes lift up much more easily than the little toes. Lift the big toes less so you can lift the little toes more. Lifting the toes helps you to balance the weight on the full foot. It also lifts your arches. Notice that when you lift your toes and your arches, your whole body moves up. Even your spirits are elevated when the arches are lifted. Practice this often, even within your shoes, and you may experience more buoyancy of body and spirit.

Foot Massage with Toe Spreading
Several times a week, give yourself a foot massage. Trace each arch of the foot and massage the feet with the amount of pressure that feels good to you. Holding two toes at a time, spread the toes wide apart. Then take the opposite hand and interlace the fingers with the toes. At first this may be uncomfortable, but eventually you will be able to get a deep interlock with the webbings of the toes and fingers close together.

You can use lotion to help. Once the fingers are in as far as possible, clasp the hand around the foot and curl the toes around the hand. Do this five to six times. Then stand up and feel the difference between the two feet. This practice will keep your feet supple and improve your balance.

Walk Barefoot
The human foot evolved to walk on yielding, uneven surfaces. Being bound in shoes and walking on hard surfaces cause the feet to lose their ability to adapt. When possible, walk barefoot outdoors on sand or grass. At home, leave your shoes at the door. Your home will be cleaner and your feet more aware and relaxed.

Choosing Shoes
It is interesting to note that women are nine times more likely to develop chronic foot problems than men. While the design of women's shoes is certainly a culprit, the main reason for these problems is that women more frequently wear shoes that are too small.

Look at the shape of your feet, especially across the toes. You will notice that your foot is a rectangle. First and foremost, your shoes should be shaped like a foot, with a broad, square toe box rather than a narrow, pointed one. The sole of the shoe should be flexible. The heel of a shoe should fit snuggly so there is no rubbing, while the toe box should be wide enough to allow your toes to wiggle freely. Finally, shoes should require little or no “breaking in” but should be comfortable from the beginning. High heels cause numerous foot problems as well as exert a negative influence on posture. Avoid them as much as possible and explore the fashionable yet healthy alternatives that are becoming more available.

Taking care of your feet will help you feel more balanced, calm and grounded. Feet that are pliable and aligned give a spring to your step and help improve your posture. Through massage, awareness and alignment practice, you can have feet that are both functional and happy!

Karen Allgire, MFA, RYT, is a Certified Iyengar Yoga Instructor. She has been teaching dance and movement since 1983 and yoga since 1998. Karen is co-director of Green Tara Yoga & Healing Arts in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. You can reach her at info@greentarayoga.com or (216) 382-0592.