Belly of the Leg

The bulky part of your calf muscle is called 'gastrocnemius'.

This powerful muscle helps flex our foot and propels us forward in walking, running and jumping. Keep it supple and long lasting through simple Calf Pumps.

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The Basic Practice - calf pumps

Posture set-up:

respect your limits, modify where needed

• free the feet🦶and remove shoes

• find a favourite countertop

• stand where you can easily place your hands on it

• feet hip width apart

• toes pointing forward

• spine tall; rotate shoulders up - back - down

• slight chin tuck or chin parallel to the ground

• step one foot forward about one foot length

  • bend front knee slightly

• step the other foot back about one foot length

  • keep back leg extended, straight

• feet are still hip width apart; think train tracks

modified calf pump:

approach your body with softness, gentleness and kindness

• keep hands in place throughout the practice

• inhale lift back heel while keeping front knee slightly bent

• exhale back heel down

• hold heel here to a count of 8 with relaxed breathing

• repeat two more times

• repeat on other side three times

calf pump:

approach your body with softness, gentleness and kindness

• keep hands in place throughout the practice

• bring front knee to touching the cupboard

• inhale lift back heel while keeping front knee touching cupboard

  • feel how you are propelling yourself forward

  • back leg and spine act as one long extended plane

• exhale back heel down

• hold heel here to a count of 8 with relaxed breathing

• repeat two more times

• repeat on other side three times

Explore the Movement

alignment is a technique -  there is a correct and incorrect way

noticing is an inquiry - there are no right or wrong answers

harmonize both concepts through playfulness, acceptance, surrender

hips:

• explore how your hips are facing

  • are they square to the countertop?

  • is there any twisting in the hips?

  • as much as possible keep the hips square to the front

toes:

• explore how your toes are pointing

  • are all toes pointing forward?

  • ideally your toes are to be all pointing forward

  • the gastrocnemuis has two heads; therefore, if back foot is angled, you will NOT be stretching both sides of muscle equally

Everyday Living

The calf pump very much mimics our ideal walking stride. Complete the above practice and then take a very slow walk around the house. Keep your stride normal. Do you feel yourself propelling yourself forward? Do you feel yourself pushing off with your big toe and big toe mound? Are your toes angled or pointing forward?

Yoga Practice

Although the Calf Pump is not a yoga posture, it is a great way to prepare for Warrior I and many other lunge type standing postures. Note: in Warrior I, the back foot is turned out, angled.

Discover Amazing

Through this simple Calf Pump practice, we can bring awareness to our generally shortened calf muscles. Thus beginning to restore suppleness and length to the ‘belly of the leg’ anatomically called gastrocnemius.

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Which in turn brings strength to our stride and a lightness to our step. Begin practicing the calf pump daily and discover how this amazing propelling muscle can bring renewed life into your body and feet!

Namaste

(the Light in me honors the Light in you)

keep moving; keep healthy
movement is your birthright 
be in AWE that your body can move

Disclaimer: Be safe, know your limits and move wisely without causing harm to yourself. Information provided in this newsletter is for you to explore and discover how your body works. It is not to diagnose any medical condition. Please consult with a physician or physiotherapist if you have concerns. 

1. This practice comes from Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition, by Paul E. Dennison and Gail E. Dennison, page 82-83

“Paul Dennison developed the Calf Pump to bring the student’s awareness to the calf area, where the instinct to hold back physically reveals itself (tendon guard reflex). Students often become more active participants and are able to access language as soon as they have released their reflex to hold back.”

2. The gastrocnemius is the fleshy part of our calf. It takes its name from two Greek words. ‘Gaster’ meaning stomach or belly and ‘kneme’ meaning leg; the combination of the two words means the “belly of the leg” or in other words the bulk of the calf.