The Soles of the Feet Reach the Pelvic Floor

Recently I’ve had the opportunity to take classes with renowned yogi Richard Freeman. Richard reminds students again and again that the soles of the feet are in direct correlation with the pelvic floor muscles. He goes so far as to say that, “the soles of the feet are the ambassadors of the pelvic floor.” ‘Ok,’ I think, ‘that’s neat, but what really does it mean?’ Curious, I did a little research to find out.

The foot, being the base of the body, determines how the skeleton will line up above it. Much like the base of a building, if the foundation is lopsided the structure above cannot help but be shifted out of alignment. For many people, the feet are forgotten and distant parts of the body that go unnoticed unless they are sore or tired. If the arches of these far away body parts are collapsed, this lack of muscle tone can translate all the way into the torso. “Lifeless arches are often linked to lack of responsiveness in the muscles of the legs and back, and people with collapsed arches frequently suffer from lower back compression and pain”(Little, 81). Ida Rolf, founder of the popular Rolfing technique, determined that, “If one foot is consistently everted [tilted onto its inner edge], the ankle, the knee, or perhaps more likely, the entire pelvic basin is rotated.” If there is little or no muscle tone in the soles of the feet, energy cannot be drawn up through the legs and into the pelvic floor. “Once the inner ankle drops, the inner groin at the top of the inner leg often also collapses” (Little, 81). It is difficult to create stability in the body without the energy of the legs and lift of the pelvic floor muscles to do the work.

To begin to access energy through the feet, a connection between the foot and the ground must be created. Since the muscles of the foot cannot be voluntarily lifted like those in the pelvic floor, strong arches are created by making space in the foot by stretching the foot muscles and connective tissue to increase elasticity. This elasticity in turn produces a sort of foot trampoline that can spring the weight of the body and with it muscular energy, upward through the legs and into the pelvis. Pressing into the ball of the big toe, the ball of the little toe and center of the heel while in Tadasana is a good way to begin lifting the arches, stretching the feet, and forming a steady foundation. Feeling the body from the ground up and attempting to align the center of the cranium and the center of the pelvis directly over the center of the heel bone while lifting the muscles of the shins and thighs, will initiate a connection between the lines of energy that run lengthwise through the body. Remembering to keep the roots of the toes spreading and pressing while practicing the alignment of Tadasana will bring intelligence to the feet while relieving muscles tension and creating greater flexibility in the plantar region.

It is interesting to note that when we were a barefoot walking people, “microadjustments required of the foot when walking on uneven terrain promoted small movements in the pelvis and spine that led to pliability throughout the body” (Little, 84). Evidence suggests that walking in tight shoes across hard, unnaturally even surfaces as we do today, “typically results in a clumping effect: The feet, ankles, and lower back become solid and fixed instead of sensitive and minutely adjustable” (Little, 84). The message here: reintroduce yourself to those two ambassadors down below, walk barefoot as much as you can, maybe get a pair of those funky rubber toe shoes, and practice yoga from the ground up.