Creating a Stable Foundation While Balancing on One Foot

Balancing on one foot yoga poses include tree pose, eagle, half moon, and warrior 3.

For all of these one-legged-balancing poses you can first practice stabilizing your foot and ankle. You can then practice using your foot to feel your balance point. You can then work at keeping your balance point over your foot.

Balancing on one foot can be made easier if you focus on feeling our standing foot and the way your weight presses through it. You can learn to use your foot to feel when your weight shifts. You can then work at counteracting that shift.

To get ready for balacing on one foot first practice stabilizing your feet and ankles while standing on both feet.

Stabilizing Your Feet

The first part of activating your feet is allowing your shins to roll inwards. Do this while standing with your feet hip width and parallel and your knees slightly bent.

Rolling your shins inwards, your inner arches may collapse. Slowly roll your shins out so that your knees point straight ahead. Notice how your inner arches lift as you roll your shins out. Repeat this a few times getting used to the feeling. Next, as you roll your shins out press the outer edge of both feet into the floor. Relax the outer edges of your feet as you roll your shins in. Try not to lift the inner edges of your feet as you roll your shins out.

Next, as you roll your shins out press down through the outer edges of your feet and pull the base of your big toe back and down into the floor as you do so. Because of the shape of the arch of your foot you'll probably find it difficult to just press the base of your big toe down. Instead pull it back towards you heel and press it down at the same time. The feeling is like you are trying to grip the floor with your feet.

Finally, as you roll your shins out, focus on pullin up on the center of the outer edge of your arches. You'll feel a line of pull all the way up the side of the shins as you do so. Hold this foot action and notice how strong your foot, ankle and lower leg feel.

You can try to vary the tension in your feet so that you are using the smallest amount of tension necessary to shape and stabilize each foot. This will make it easier to feel with your feet as well as be able to use them to keep your self upright.

Next, with your feet and ankles active, practice shifting your weight backwards and forwards while standng on both feet.

Activating Your Feet

shins rolled in	shins rolled out
weight fwd	weight back

Shifting Your Weight Back and Forwards While Balancing On Both Feet

In this balancing exercise practice shifting your center of gravity over the fronts of your feet and then over your heels. Stand with your feet about hip or shoulder width apart. Position your feet so that they are parallel. Activate your feet!

• Rock forwards so that your center of gravity is over the front part of your feet. Feel your weight pressing evenly down through the forefoot and toes of both feet.
• Rock backwards so that your center is over your heels. Feel your center of gravity pressing down through the center of each heel.

When balancing on the fronts of your feet position your center of gravity so that your weight presses down evenly through the fronts of your feet and your toes. You should be able to easily lift your heels off of the floor.

When balancing on your heels, you can keep your center over the fronts of your heels so that the fronts of your feet stay on the floor. You can also balance on the center of your heels so that the fronts of your feet lift off of the floor.

Practice rocking back and forwards with your breath. Inhale forwards and exhale back.

Balancing with Eyes Closed

Once you have a feeling balancing on the fronts of your feet and then on your heels, try it with your eyes closed.

Balancing on One Foot

One you are used to balancing on the fronts or backs of both feet, it is time to practice balancing on one foot. This next exercise is very similiar to the two footed balance exercises except that instead of shifting from front to back you shift your weight from side to side.

• First activate your feet.
• Shift your weight slightly forwards so that your toes press down (to make balancing on one foot easier.)
• Slowly shift your weight on your right foot.
• Shift your weight so that it is over both feet
• Then shift to your left foot.

To test that you are balancing on one foot when you have shifted on to your right foot try and lift your left foot without moving the rest of your body. Then do the same thing when standing on your left foot, lift your right foot.

You can turn this into a breathing exercise. First activate your feet. Shift your weight forwards a little. Inhale on to your right foot, exhale lift your left leg. Inhale put your foot down. Exhale and stand on both feet. Repeat but this time shift on to your left foot.

Note that when I teach this alot of my students automatically shift their weight onto both feet as they put their foot down. See if you can keep your weight on your standing leg while touching your foot back down to the floor. Then move your weight on to both feet.

Work at doing all of these actions slowly and smoothly.

Note that if you find it difficult to stand and balance on one foot you may find it helpful to stabilize the knee joint. This means squeezing the muscles above the knee at the front and back of the leg.

Balancing On One Foot While Doing Yoga Poses

Once you can comfortably lift your foot off of the floor you can work on Tree pose, Warrior 3 or Eagle Pose. For tree pose try pressing your foot into your inner thigh gradually. Stay aware of your supporting foot as you do so. In eagle focus even more attention on feeling your supporting foot. You may find it slightly confusing because the legs and ankles are crossed. Of the three warrior 3 is perhaps the easiest since the legs don't cross or touch. You can increase the challenge by turning this into a back strenghtening pose for your spinal erectors and hamstrings.

As you move into any of these yoga poses, notice when your weight shifts (you'll feel the change via your foot) and shift your body, particularly your pelvis to compensate.

If you are balancing on your right foot and your weight shifts to the outside of the foot, move your body to the left a little.

If you feel the inside of your right foot pressing down more then move your body to the right.

The sooner you feel these changes happening the sooner you can respond and the easier it is to keep balancing on one foot.

For more on learning to balance check out the newly updated Balance Basics.

• The Hip Control Guide,
  Learn to Feel and Control Your Hip Muscles
• Balance Basics,
  Master balance by developing sensitivity and control.
• I Used to Hate Sun Salutes,
  Practice Balance while doing Sun Salutations.