In last week’s video, we looked at standing poses in a more detailed way. Students were encouraged to approach the class with an attitude of curiosity about the poses and all the tiny actions that are involved in them. Also, we saw the way in which the actions in the soles of our feet influence the posture overall.
Today, we will see that the feet also affect the quality of our sitting postures. By relaxing the soles of our feet and letting our toes flower out, we can help ourselves achieve a greater range of motion and extend further. We will see that, as our toes spread out, the rest of the body follows suit: the calves, the backs of the knees, the hips, the ribs…
Spreading is an important theme of today’s class. As we spread, we begin to notice imbalances in our bodies more clearly. When practising today, try to visualize a crumpled-up piece of paper or dry cloth that has been thrown into a pool of water: the more liquid it soaks up, the faster the wrinkles begin to smooth out and the more readily the crumpled object regains its “original” shape. Follow your breath as you go through today’s practice; let it guide you and help you let go of the tension that stands in the way of your going into a deeper forward bend.
