Back On Our Feet - 4 - Foot Combos
Back On Our Feet - 4 - Foot Combos
How many combinations of toes, heel, knee and hip can you imagine?
Variations on “Pillows and Swings (AY #380)”
Toes up, heel down.
Toes down, heel down,
Toes up, heel up, Toes down, heel up
Toes and heel up, knee bent; Toes and heel down, knee bent
Toes and heel up, knee open, hip open; Toes up, heels down, knee open, hip closed
When was the last time you stopped to think how the leg joints combine to let us do our human, bipedal thing? How about now?
The lesson is nicknamed “Pillows and Swings.” “Pillows” refers to the soft, pillowy pads of the toes and soles of the feet. “Swings” refers to the knees and hips. Put them together and you get a lesson that explores the multiple configurations of the foot and leg joints.
Anatomy of the lower leg. Mehau Kulyk:SPL: Getty Images. source: medicalnews.com
Click here for a cool ‘layers’ view of the lower leg anatomy (scroll down the page a bit to find it)
First, feet: toes in relationship to the heel/ankle joint for standing, pushing off, lifting. Then combine the various foot positions with a bent or straight knee for stepping, kicking, stomping. Finally, get the hip joints opening and closing to bring the whole leg, bent or extended, forward and back, for walking, tap dancing, skating, skiing, posing in asanas, running, kicking, hitting a ball with a stick, or guiding your steed with the intention of your legs.
Some configurations will feel natural and easy. Others may feel familiar but, with awareness, make no sense. Your body will recognize the better alternatives, guiding you to greater grace and ease, possibly circumventing discomfort. Altogether, you may develop a whole new appreciation for, and conscious use, of your legs.
This lesson takes you through various relationships with gravity. Some segments are on the back (supine) with knees bent and feet pointing to the ceiling. Side-lying both right and left with the legs kicking forward and backward offer a different orientation.
Set Up:
Lying on a mat, a folded towel or firm pillow can make the side-lying parts more comfortable.
Seated on a flat-seated, armless chair. Sit facing forward or to the left or right along with the lesson. Sit on or support feet with a folded blanket or towel to make the thighs and hips level.
If legs in the air isn’t for you, lie supine with shins supported on a stool or chair and feet against a flat surface like the back of the chair, a piece of furniture or a wall.
Science Nerd Candy this week is, again, presented through an artist’s eye. We are looking at the leg as a whole, exploring the relationships between the toes, forefoot, ankle, knee and hip joints that enable humans to walk bipedal. This is especially sweet for the visual learners:
How to Draw Legs – Bone Anatomy for Artists – Proko (13:00). Al the major bones and joints that move the legs. Another somewhat goofy, but detailed, informative approach to anatomy from the outside in.
Drawing Anatomy in perspective – Leg Bone Critiques – Proko (13:00 – good stuff starts around 4:00). An interesting take on understanding the joints. Proko reviews common mistakes made when drawing legs. For example, placing the kneecap too high throws all the appropriate angles off.
Foot Anatomy Animated Tutorial: Randale Sechrest (8:00) Starts at 0:30 – Again. Yes. With our perspective now of integrating the foot with the entire leg, review the second part of the video where he pay attention to the tendons and muscles that move the feet from above.
The Voice-O-Meter choices this week are many. In the Traditional Chinese Medicine map of the body, the feet are the terminal points for several meridians. We may or may not invoke these sounds as there's a lot going on this this lesson:
Kidney - Choooo - releasing cold, fear, contraction
Spleen - Hawww - releasing anxiety
Liver - SHHHH. - releasing anger
How You Might Feel After This Lesson: Sensitive to the sensitivity of the feet; Connected from toes to hips; Exquisitely aware of how the toes’ position affect the entire body; Alert to the connections between the ‘domes’ of the feet and the pelvis, especially the pelvic floor; Tuned into the connection of the heel and hip, heel and knee; Possibly so confused that you temporarily forget how to walk - don’t worry, it comes back; Balanced between the feet; Ready to try tap or ballroom dance shoes. Awed by the way all those hinges in the leg keep you walking, squatting, and moving along.
New Student Registration for the series. Continuing students use ongoing login. $40/month or $15/individual class. PayPal or Venmo: jackisue@aol.com. Or Jacki Katzman, PO Box 116, Bethlehem, NH 03574
Recordings for the series here.