The Alexander Technique is about co-ordinating the whole system to work effectively. In my work as a Pilates Teacher I often find that clients are not using their feet to their best advantage. The toes can be squeezed tightly, the arch can be rigid and the weight of the body is not balanced over the feet.
Years ago, when I first noticed this, I started to manipulate clients feet. My aim was to widen the foot and to work with the spirals of the feet. These spirals relate directly to the spirals of the legs and then to the spirals of the body. Recently, I have started to create a lesson for better use of the feet. Here is how it goes.
Starting with ‘Footwork’ on the Reformer machine, the client will firstly lie down onto the machine and place their feet on the foot bar. Using Breathing Techniques, the back line will open up and the body will rest on the head/shoulders and pelvis. When ready, we can start with the footwork. This will mobilise the ankles and give full length to the legs, allowing them to move freely out of the torso, without jamming the joints of the hips, knees and ankles. We move through all parts of the foot, the toe pads, the arches and the heels. This really awakens the foot and shows the client how different parts of the foot relate to different muscle pattern in the whole body. The ankles are fully mobilised, the knees softened and the hips loosened.
Next we go to the table work. The client lies in semi supine, knees bent, head on books. Here, I give a full Alexander Table turn. This connects and integrates the whole body system. At this point I will start to work on the feet. Moving the foot in all directions and all ranges of motion. I will work with the spirals of the feet to open and widen the foot, to release tension from the arch, to lengthen the arch and to make the arch more flexible.
After this work the client will come to standing and we will work on exercises involving balance and walking. So the lesson ends, with the client taking home one or two exercises to practice and to include in their everyday life.
I do hope this is interesting to you. Thinking more about my feet has changed how I relate to all of my movement patterns, both in my Pilates work and in my everyday life.
