The Foot
What do you know about your feet?
Your feet are down there, doing their job. How can we care for them? There are ways to help your feet feel better. If your feet are sore, stiff, and not very flexible, it may be a sign they've been neglected for a long time.
It's important to work with your feet consciously, treating them with love and attention. They will respond in kind.
Let's start by getting acquainted.
Take off your shoes and socks if you’re wearing them, and look at your feet.
What feelings arise for you?
Try to find the most accurate words:
Joy? Enthusiasm? Surprise? Gratitude? Excitement?
Maybe hesitation? Anxiety? Disappointment? Concern?
Or perhaps you feel nothing? This is neither good nor bad. Simply spend a minute observing your feet and pay attention to the feelings that arise.
Let's Agree on Terminology
Let's define the terms related to the foot.
The foot is the farthest part of the lower limb. The foot forms an arch that directly contacts the ground and serves as support when standing or moving.
The part of the foot that touches the ground is called the sole or plantar surface. The outer side, which you look at from above, is called the dorsal side of the foot.
Let's start with the toes.
Take the big toe gently with your fingertips and feel the bone inside. The big toe has two phalanges (finger bones), while all the other toes have three phalanges. Softly feel each toe and try to detect the three small bones in each one – even in the pinky toe.
By the way, the toes only have names for the big toe and the pinky toe. The others are simply numbered – second, third, and fourth toes. I think this is unfair. But no one asked me.
Find the point where the proximal phalanges (the bones closest to the center) end. In the depth of the ball of your foot, they connect to the metatarsal bones, which form the arch of the foot.
You can also feel each metatarsal bone. It’s a great exercise to remind your brain that it has five toes on each foot because the visible toes are actually extensions of the metatarsal bones.
Quick question: How many toes do you have on your feet, without looking, just by feeling? You might not sense all five!
The toes and the ball of the foot (those soft, fleshy parts you stand on when you go on your tiptoes) are also called the forefoot. The arch and heel are referred to as the midfoot.
Look at the sole of your foot. The skin there is thick, tough, and hairless, but full of sweat glands. On the dorsal surface, the skin is more elastic and moves easily, which is why swelling often appears on the dorsal side of the foot when there is inflammation.
The arch of the foot forms an arc on the sole, which normally doesn’t touch the ground, while the dorsal side creates the instep.
The front and back parts of the foot are connected by a strong, elastic ligament called the plantar fascia, which acts like a spring, helping the foot return to its arched shape after bearing weight.
The main functions of the feet are to support body weight and enable movement. The foot needs to be strong, flexible, and mobile to perform these functions well.
Let’s help our feet become a reliable support for us once again!
In the new series of somatic lessons about feet, you’ll discover many surprising ways to care for your feet.
Register for the course here:https://forms.gle/XmXwLst56Z6aTmZD9
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