Yoga for Flat Feet

Regular yoga practice can help develop your arches and relieve the discomfort of flat feet. When practicing yoga with flat feet, spread your toes wide in all standing poses, and slightly grip the mat with your toes. This will engage the muscles in the sole of the foot and strengthen your arches. You can also try lifting the toes in standing poses, and keeping them lifted (this is standard alignment in Forrest Yoga). Try to equally distribute your weight across all four corners of each foot. If you experience pain or cramping in the feet while practicing yoga, relax your toe-grip or lower your toes, and consider coming out of the pose until the pain has passed.

There are two types of yoga poses that are especially good for flat feet: poses where you balance on your feet, and poses that stretch the top of the foot. Below is a brief discussion and a list of these yoga poses for flat feet.

Yoga Poses for Flat Feet

Standing Balance Poses

Although people with flat feet may find standing balance poses in yoga to be quite challenging, regular practice of standing balance poses is therapeutic for flat feet. If you experience any pain in your feet while practicing standing balance poses, try holding the pose for a shorter length of time and gradually lengthening the time you hold it. Although yoga is normally practiced without shoes, people with flat feet may wish to practice standing balance poses while wearing supportive athletic shoes. Practicing standing balance poses in shoes can help you learn the proper alignment and conquer other obstacles that may be interfering with your balance; then try the poses barefoot to help strengthen your flat feet.

Standing balance poses in yoga include Vrksasana (Tree Pose), Garudasana (Eagle Pose), Ardha Chandrasana (Half Moon Pose) and Natarajasana (Dancer Pose).

Poses that Stretch the Top of the Foot

According to Yoga Journal, the best yoga pose for flat feet is Virasana, a seated pose in which you sit in between the heels, with your knees together and the tops of the feet on the mat beside your hips. Virasana stretches the top of the foot and creates an arch in the foot. Other sources confirm that when practiced consistently, Virasana and similar yoga poses can be very therapeutic for flat feet.

Other yoga poses that stretch the tops of the feet include Triang Mukhaikapada Paschimottanasana (Three-Limbed Facing Pose), Krounchasana (Heron Pose), Bhekasana (Frog Pose) and Urdvha Mukha Svanasana (Upward Facing Dog Pose).

Remember, always check with your health care provider if your flat feet are interfering with daily activities, and be sure to work with a certified yoga instructor if you are unfamiliar with these yoga poses for flat feet.

Sources:

Health and Yoga; Flat Feet and Yoga; Dr. R. Nagarathna http://www.healthandyoga.com/HTML/news/therapy/rtherapy76.asp
Sun and Moon Studio; Yoga for the Feet; Pam Werner http://www.sunandmoonstudio.com/Articles/feet.html
Yoga Journal; Finding Relief from Foot Pain and Fallen Arches; Aadil Palkhivala http://www.yogajournal.com/for_teachers/698