We rarely think of our feet as the amazing complex multi-boned platforms that allow us to walk upright. And in fact— they are sensory organs with a deep affinity for balance, movement and listening to the environment.
This is an encore interview with our guest Mary Bond, who joined us on EAP020 for a discussion of Presence and Movement. We’d planned to talk about feet, but got delightfully sidetracked with breathing and how that opens the spine.
Today’s show not only takes deep look into foot function and movement, but also touches on neuroplasticity and how expanding the movement in our feet not only helps with balance and comfort, but expands the neural maps of the body in the brain.
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Show Highlights:
3:50 36 joints in the foot, it should be anything but immobile.
5:54 Shoes that are not built for walking.
8:53 The problems that come from a high ridge arch or flat feet.
12:53 The foot has not one but three arches.
25:00 Rediscovering your transverse arch.
27:07 Expanding the map of the arch in your feet.
32:08 Aging and balance.
39:03 Using the bamboo massager
Mary Bond
I’ve been a student of the human body since I donned my first dancing shoes at age six. After receiving an MA degree in Dance from UCLA, I was privileged to study with Ida Rolf, originator of a type of body therapy known as Structural Integration. I’m proud to have been certified as a Structural Integration practitioner by Dr. Rolf herself.
Rolf’s understanding of the body went beyond anything I’d learned during many years of movement training. She taught that gravity organizes human structures and that people can achieve an optimal relationship with this determining force through bodywork and education.
My book, The New Rules of Posture, presents new developments in movement education. It evolved out of my wish to share the legacy of Ida Rolf with the general public. While this legacy includes the understanding of posture and movement, it also has philosophical implications. The deeper message is that the way we inhabit our bodies affects the ways in which we perceive the world and behave toward one another. My 2012 DVD, Heal Your Posture, further elucidates this message.
It has been my experience that people who understand and respect their bodies tend to have an open and compassionate perspective on life. My mission, as a writer, teacher and Rolfer, is to help people further that understanding and respect.
Mary’s Website: healyourposture.com
Bamboo takefumi foot massage
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Help for bunions
