Sitting on Heels
Knee and Ankle Mobility “Sitting on Heels” (Virasana)
This Knee and Ankle Mobility video demonstrates a stretch to achieve increased flexibility and range of motion. But be patient: the opening will be gradual. Over time, this posture will break up scar tissue (aka adhesions) that causes limited motion of the joint. Breathe into the change; the poison (discomfort) is the cure.
This technique is called sitting on heels. As you can see, I am sitting on my heels right now. This is a position we take for granted as children. As life goes on, our ankles, feet, knees, and hips can become a little stiff, a little rusty, and make this position difficult.
As you experience sitting on your heels, you may find you need props to build yourself up until over time your joints begin to bend like they used to when you were a child. So start by giving it a try.
You may use a pillow off of your couch. You can roll up a towel or any other object to put in between your ankle and your bottom. Practice sitting gently down onto the tops of the feet. As you can see, my toes are untucked and my top of my foot is flush to the floor.
Many people experience foot cramps and might have to come out of it and give their feet a little wiggle. Be gentle with yourself and don’t give up. Reclaiming the ability to sit on your heels is a worthy project that will take time.
Once you’ve experimented with this and you have either a prop or no prop, you can start with different variations. This yoga post is called broken toe pose, which I think is a not a very good name for it, but it’s an intense experience.
You curl your toes under and sit all the way back on your heels. Once again, you may experiment with different props in the back of your leg to create space in your knee joints until they’re ready to go deeper.
Moving on, we can also work on the bottoms of our feet while sitting on heels. So look at my feet. I’m going to take the bony part of my right foot and cross it right onto the plantar fascia, which is the arch of my left foot, and then once again, with or without props, ease my way down.
If it hurts, you’re doing it right. You’re experiencing the inflammation in the bottom of the foot. You can gently rock side to side or just sit still and breathe. Remember to switch sides and then in between techniques, feel free to give your feet a little bounce.
This is a great one to practice in the evening at the end of a long day. Maybe you’re watching TV, slide off the couch, and experiment with sitting on your heels.
