Exercise for Inner Thighs, Calves and Feet

block between the thighsThis exercise for inner thighs, calves and feet can be very intense while providing a great deal of information at the same time.

My main issue is a tight right psoas muscle. As a result of the tight psoas my right foot turns out a little and the arch of the right foot is slightly higher. I am always working to find ways of bringing better order to the right side of my body and the right leg in particular.

Psoas release work is very effective for this and has helped immeasurably over the years. In the video at the link about my turned out right foot, I chronicle some of the changes that the right leg has undergone and continues to undergo.

This video and the exercise in it are the latest installment in the endless saga, Jonathan Reorders his Right Leg. I learned a variation on this from a fellow named Andrew Barrett and have been working it for the last few months.

When I teach this I am always curious what exactly it is that people feel in the pose as everyone’s journey is different. For me, when I work the block between the thighs it is very difficult for me to ground through the right foot while the left foot is easily planted evenly on the floor.

When it comes to my right leg, the calf muscles have developed off to the side due to the turn-out of my foot. First noticing this pattern, I never thought it would be possible to change this particular piece of my development. Amazingly, I have seen it gradually change over time as it moves back in line behind the bones of the shin.

When you look at the video you can see how oddly the right shin has developed as if the bones of the shin curve out to the right which I am pretty sure that they do.

Sensationally everything I feel in this exercise follows the line of the peroneal muscles from the outer shin just below the knee to the inner foot. My right inner arch tends to cramp as I try to lengthen out to the floor. The big toe of my right foot laughs at me as I will it to connect to the earth.

If you try this, I’d love to know what you feel when you are doing the pose.

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Memo To Yoga Teachers: Avoid The Shafted Left