Aches and Pains II

[Guest guest]

I've had this problem with my ankles ever since I

started Ashtanga almost a year ago. <br>I've ridden for

seven years now, which has been pretty hard on my

ankles and causes pain every once in a while during a

riding lesson, which is because of the pressure of my

own weight and a sort of over-bending when the heel

goes down.<br><br> This occuring pain never bothered

my life outside riding before I started Ashtanga. In

prasarita padottanasana I feel the same pain when I bend

forwards and all through the position. My teacher said

about six months ago that it could be because of my

tight (very tight indeed!) tighs, so that when they

would become more flexible it would ease out. I never

has. I've tried to keep my legs not so wide apart and

I really use my inner tighs, which has helped a

bit, but I can still feel the pain as my ankles are in

a sort of twisted position.<br><br> So, this has

made me think that if in padmasana the ankles should

be kept straight, then why are they turned inwards

in prasarita pad. ? Isn't that bad for the ankles,

as mine are politely trying to tell me? And what

would help for the pain?<br><br> Any help appreciated!

[Guest guest]

I recall I used to find prasarita pad. a bit of a

strain on the ankles too, but they got used to it after

a few months. It's hard to see how you could do it

without turning your ankles inwards, because the soles of

your feet wouldn't be on the floor if you didn't.

Doing it with all the weight rolled onto the inside

edges of the feet would be a very bad idea indeed,

because then you could be pulling on the inside of the

knee joint, which is a very delicate area that a lot

of ashtangis have problems with. Far better to have

sore ankles than any kind of knee problem. So

definitely don't do that. In fact, for reasons of knee

safety, some teachers recommend having more weight on the

outside edges of the feet in this posture. But that, of

course, would be even harder on the ankles.<br><br>I

think the right approach is the one Godfrey Devereux

recommends - whenever a foot is on the floor bearing weight,

the weight should be as even as possible over the

whole foot - heel, outside edge, base of big toe all

bearing down on the floor. Actively pressing the root of

your big toe down - without rolling completely onto

the inside edge of your foot - might releive the

strain on your ankles somewhat.