Hop To It
Our achilles tendons allow us to spring high like a kangaroo or gazelle.
Homo sapiens can jump like no other primate can.1 Our achilles tendons are like super charged elastics providing us with springing powers. Think about it, other primates like chimpanzees and gorillas cannot jump very well.2
The Short Practice - knee bends
know your body, respect your limits, modify where needed - a key yoga practice
To Begin:
Come to standing.
Need balance support? Gently hold a counter or use a doorway.
Feet hip width apart.
Toes pointing forward.
Work up to 12 repetitions for each phase.
Phase 1: Lift Toes, Feel Tall
Inhale, lift toes, shift 50% weight into heels, feel foot arches engage
Exhale, relax toes down.
Phase 2: Knee Bends, Spine Tall
Inhale, softly bend knees
Keep spine tall; arms dangling by your sides
Exhale, come to standing
Our achilles tendons can be touchy. Please be gentle. Bring softness into these elastic tendons. Feel into a rhythmic easeful flow type movement.
If you experience OUCH PAIN ➙ STOP. Give your tendons a massage. Practice pointing and flexing feet softly while sitting instead. 3
Phase 3: Knee Bends with Arms4
Inhale, softly bend knees, open arms
Exhale, come to standing, arms close
Feel like arms are moving through water.
Explore the Movement
Engage the arches and leg muscles more in the practice.
Inhale, bring in by pressing into outer arches as bending knees.
engages upper inner thighs
Exhale, push out by pressing into inner arches coming to standing.
engages lower outside leg muscles (just below knee area)
Lightly hop up and down. Bring back memories of skipping in the playground😀
Use a block are a pillow in between the thighs and notice what changes.
Everyday Living
In paying attention to softening my achilles tendon, I have found going down and up stairs much easier. Also bending my knees no longer seems as stressed. We also use this movement when getting up out of a chair. And squatting down to the floor to get something out of that bottom cupboard.
On the fun side, it allows you to become a better hula dancer. It is in bending the knees that allows you to sway your hips better.
Yoga Practice
As a rule, one does not want to over stretch tendons and ligaments (think overstretched elastic bands - not good). However, if there is too much stiffness, gentle stressing of a tendon through movement without forcing, jarring or causing sharp pain is safe.
Learning to coordinate movement with breath helps focus the mind and settles busy thinking down. As well gentle soft movement helps calm the body (think of rocking a baby).
Today’s practice is also an accessible way to practice steadiness and ease. A major asana yoga guideline provided in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras (chapter 2, sutra 46). Bring in steadiness on the in-breath and release out tension on the out-breath.
Some poses where we are looking for strength and flexibility in our achilles tendons are Chair Pose (Utkatasana), Downward Dog (Adhomukhasvanasana), Squat (Malasana) and Warrior 1 (Virabhadrasna 1).
Discover Amazing
The human achilles tendon is the strongest and thickest one in the body. It attaches directly into the calf muscles and forms part of the back superficial fascial line as mentioned in Roll Out Your Sole.
On Guard For Thee
Our body is designed to keep us safe. When we feel unsafe and/or not empowered, our back body instinctively tightens (including, achilles tendon) to ready for fight, flight, or freeze. This survival reflex is called tendon-guard reflex (Hannaford, 2005, page 179). It is an automatic (subconscious) reflex to contract and hold ourselves back under stress (however it is perceived) and can become habituated over time as it begins from birth on. The tendon-guard reflex may also be activated when one finds oneself in unfamiliar situations with too much new information. 5 Read more on tendon-guard reflex in footnotes. 67
As adults, we can help our bodies refine the tendon-guard reflex to be alert yet calm by establishing new patterns. It begins with becoming consciously aware, checking in and noticing patterns with compassion and without critical judgement.
notice what you notice with equanimity - another key yoga practice
“Am I holding stress in my back body like my achilles tendon?” “What physical sensations tell me this?” “Can I invite gentle movement of today’s practice with softness into this area and see what changes?”
“Is there something making me unsafe or worried that I now have power of choice over?” Create a new pattern. When I personally feel unsteady in life these days, I take comfort in grounding by pressing my big toe mound and heel more firmly to the floor (essentially today’s practice). Somehow this connection with the earth (even through a kitchen floor) provides me with stability, security and growing trust. A growing trust that there is a safe space within my body, the earth and within a greater essence (Divine, God, the Great Spirit) that I can take momentary refuge in, even if brief. It is enough to smile, know life is okay and carry on. I repeat as often as needed. Discover what works for you.
Namaste, the Light in me honors the Light in you
keep moving — health is movement and movement is health
Disclaimer: Be safe and move wisely without causing harm. 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.
Your Body, Your Yoga by Bernie Clark, page 40
https://anatomypubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ar.22739 shows the below drawing of our long achilles tendon connecting directly up into our calf muscles which provides our jump. Whereas, the shorter achilles tendon of the chimpanzee goes off into multiple directions.
Found a wonderful little massage practice on Instagram you could follow: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CIawsI5BdQH/
Phase 3 of today’s practice was inspired from a Spring Forest Qigong movement called “Breathing of the Universe” shared by Sue Crites on her YouTube channel:
Brain Gym® Teacher’s Edition by Paul and Gail Dennison, page 72-73
The Tendon Guard Reflex by Sher Smith, http://www.touchforhealtharchive.com/Journals/2008/2008Smith.pdf
The Tendon Guard Reflex by Mary Rentschler, http://devdelay.org/newsletter/articles/pdf/379-the-tendon-guard-reflex.pdf