So where to start? At NEÖSHPERA, we know that the future of health begins with our feet. The body functions as a whole, but there are specific relationships between the feet, hips and jaw which are significant for our overall health. The jaw is the foundation of the face, supporting features such as the cheeks and the eyes. The jaw is also situated directly next to our vagus nerve, the nerve related to stress and anxiety; thus a healthy, relaxed jaw can promote calm. Our feet are our connection with the Earth, which is a grounding factor not only physically, but also mentally.
In her book, “The Science of Yoga”, Ann Swanson, mind-body science educator and yoga therapist, explains, “your feet are your stable foundation and connection to the Earth. There is a balance between giving and receiving, with some muscles lifting the three arches, while the three pressure points of your foot ground down. Around two thirds of your weight is on your heel, stacking your bones.” (page 89)
Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, movement artist, researcher and therapist, discusses our relationship to Earth in more detail. In her video ‘Initiating Breath by Feeling Gravity Through Your Feet’, she points out that there is a natural drawing of us as Humans towards the Earth. We have a tendency to forget the influence gravity has on us, and in that sense, we overcompensate. Gravity is a force and the impact it has on the body depends on the posture of the body. Consider the body like a building, where the force of gravity is transferred into the stable supports, rather than caving in the ceiling. First, open to the fact of gravity and its relationship to and effect on yourself.
A further lecture of Cohen’s discusses the ‘Relationship of the Individual Toes With the Pelvic Bones’. The ‘heel-foot’ and the ‘ankle-foot’ describe the way the foot is split into different sections. The heel-foot are the last 2 toes, and the ankle foot the first 3 toes- it is a unit of two units. She describes a geometrical relationship between the hips and the feet, where each foot fits geometrically into each side of the pelvis; with the heel starting from the iliac crest, and the big toe following the pubis. The sole of the foot fits geometrically inside the pelvis, and the outside of the pelvis reflects the back of the foot. So, as we move our feet, our pelvis is moving in a direct relationship. It is a matter of geometry.
Nael Hallinan, a Postural Restoration Institute credentialed strength and conditioning coach, gives his understanding of the importance of our feet in his discussion, ‘Your Feet And Brain Determine Posture’. He points out that the brain, body, and sensory system are all asymmetrical or become asymmetrical over time, and that is how we move through space. This asymmetry is generally right dominant in most people. Asymmetrical dominance can cause imbalances and difficulties if the anatomy is not properly understood. Hallinan continues to explain the way the body walks, “pronation of the foot (the natural, healthy movement of the foot) is not pronation unless the arch can receive sensory feedback, from a surface coming up to meet it.” If you have high-arches this can be an issue, as feet respond to pressure. “Everyone thinks that wearing barefoot shoes is natural - no - what’s unnatural is flat floors. If my high arch existed on natural earth, that was undulating and had movement to it, and every step that I took the ground would be hitting my foot in all different directions, not just underneath the heel but around the heel, there wouldn’t be any issue.” Thus barefoot shoes are an example of footwear which are incredibly useful out in nature, but on flat, urban flooring they can negatively impact posture.
‘Vestibular input’ is the sensation received by receptors in the inner ear through the experience of bodily movement, position, direction, etc. These senses help to keep us upright and balanced, through our relationship to gravity. If our body is lacking in vestibular input (which can occur as a result of imbalances in the feet not giving the brain enough clear information about our position and movement in space) then there can be an overcompensation where the body will try to re-establish a sense of balance by heightening its receptivity to, i.e., a sense- such as sound. But this in fact creates more of an imbalance, as the physical body constantly and unconsciously moves towards the alternative stimuli. Since the issue lies in the feet, this perpetuates a postural imbalance.
Lastly, in Hallinan’s talk, ‘How your posture reflects your environment’, he states that “posture is a dynamic process because human life is a dynamic process”. We can conclude then, that the posture is a brain driven process based on sensory input and awareness. Therefore, it also reflects our emotions. In an emotional sense, the associations we have in each environment considerably determine our posture. For instance, some places in our lives cause a sense of calmness in us; others stimulate stress and anxiety, memorised by the body. Thus each situation impacts the tension in our bodies. Overall, postural well-being is highly reliant on the health of our feet, how well our feet can receive information about our position, and our sense of relaxation and balance. In turn, a healthy posture encourages relaxation and sensory awareness. Each holistic element plays into the other, with the ultimate goal that we feel we are aiming towards our fullest potential, emotionally, physically and mentally.
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