Yoga for lower legs
How are your lower legs and your feet? They’ve been a recurring theme in our group classes recently, since several of you have had problems with dodgy knees, sprained ankles, varicose veins, plantar fasciitis…the list goes on! This set of three 10-minute (ish) practices are designed to help you practice yoga without aggravating such an injury or condition, and possibly find some relief from pain too.
N.B., I don’t often share longer videos free of charge, and this post will only stay live for a few weeks: it’ll transfer to being an on-demand course at some point in October. If there are other injuries/niggles that you’d like me to address in longer videos such as these, let me know and I’ll add them to the on-demand library.
Standing practice at the wall (12-15 minutes)
In my recent reading about lower leg and foot pain, one theme kept returning: the importance of a comfortable, supportive stance. As Kaminoff and Matthews explain,
The practice of standing postures in general, and tadasana in particular,
is one of the best ways to restore the natural vitality, strength, and adaptability of the feet.
Once your foundation is improved, it is much easier to put the rest of your house in order.
Leslie Kaminoff;Amy Matthews. Yoga Anatomy-2nd Edition (Kindle Locations 986-987). Kindle Edition.
Two other things also stood out for me: firstly, it’s good not to stay for too long in either standing or seated poses and, secondly, inversion poses may help relieve pain in the lower legs. So this short standing sequence at the wall, ending with an inversion, is for you! You’ll need a blanket and, if you’ve got them, cork wedges.
Lying down practice (10 minutes)
If standing isn’t an option for you today, here’s a practice that you can do in bed or on your yoga mat, using pillows and blankets as props.
Seated practice (8 minutes)
Set yourself up on a chair or the floor, with a few props available for comfort. I suggest at least one set of blocks (ideally, two!) plus a cushion if you’re on the floor.
Which of the practices have you used? What worked for you, and what do you want to explore further? Let me know how you got on.