Module 1 • Finding our roots: A Journey through Physical and Subtle Awareness in Shambhavananda Yog
Textbook Section: AN IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS OF FOOT AND ANKLE STRUCTURE: FUNCTIONAL DYNAMICS AND MOVEMENT INTEGRATION
Exercise: Talus Rocking for Ankle Stability
Overview: Your feet are incredibly complex, packed with sensory neurons that rival your hands and face, making them essential for balance and movement. In this session, we’ll dive into the structure of the foot and ankle, exploring how they support walking, stability, and full-body integration. Through movement and awareness, you’ll gain a deeper understanding of how these foundational structures influence the way you move through life.
Textbook Section: WALKING TOWARDS BETTER MOVEMENT AND MINDFULNESS
Exercise: Flossing Your Retinacula
Overview: Walking is more than just a way to get from place to place—it’s a profound expression of balance, efficiency, and even meditation in motion. In this session, we explore the biomechanics of walking, the role of the retinacula in movement coordination, and how mindful walking can deepen your yoga practice. You’ll also learn how “flossing” the retinacula with simple movements can help free up restrictions, improving balance, mobility, and overall ease in walking.
Textbook Section: OUR SECONDARY ROOTING SYSTEM: OUR BACK LINE
Exercise: Back Line Strength & Flexibility Sequence
Overview: While the feet ground us, the back line of the body—running from the toes to just above the nose—serves as a quiet but essential source of stability and ease. Many of us unconsciously lean into the front of the body, neglecting this deep support system. In this session, we’ll explore how engaging the back line can create more balance, resilience, and lightness in movement. Through a guided strength and flexibility sequence, you’ll experience firsthand how activating this often-overlooked connection can transform the way you stand, move, and practice.
Textbook Section: The last half of “EXPLORING THE FEET: THE ANKLE & BEYOND”
Exercise: Vajrasana Walk
Overview: The ankle is more than just a hinge—it plays a crucial role in balance, stability, and movement efficiency. In this session, we’ll explore dorsiflexion and plantar flexion, the role of the talus bone, and how the soleus muscle provides deep ankle support. You’ll also engage in preparatory movements for Vajrasana, using mindful mobility exercises to enhance ankle function and overall lower-body resilience.
Exercises Covered in Class & Homework Assignment:
Talus Rocking for Ankle Stability: Explore activating the arch of your foot by gently rolling the talus bone to find balance and connection, revealing a deeper understanding of foot architecture.
Tippy Toe Pulses with Deep Core: Engage in tippy toe pulses while integrating deep core activation to enhance foot stability and strength.
Vajrasana Foot Stretch Prep and Variations: Learn how to explore healthy ankle mobility to enhance functional movements like walking, running, squatting and jumping!
Backline Awakening Sequence: learn to coordinate the muscles from feet to head to restore balance, grounding, and support, counteracting front-focused tendencies and offering a new perspective on posture and movement.
Flossing the Retinaculum: Wake up your high-speed processors to improve proprioception, balance, and coordination.
Understanding Uneven Surfaces: Gain insight into navigating and adapting to uneven surfaces, fostering better proprioception and stability.
Homework:
For your homework assignment, start weaving the exercises and postures you've learned in class into your daily personal yoga routine. When relevant, extend your practice beyond the confines of the mat into everyday life. Pay attention to what is motivating your practice, what is speaking to you, and channel that inspiratoin into developing a yoga sequence aimed at the students you regularly teach, rather than just the attendees of this training. From this personalized sequence, choose an 8-minute segment to present to our training class for valuable feedback. Additionally, prepare a concise 1-2 minute introduction that summarizes what has inspired you this week, which you can share as a preamble to your sequence. While it's an added bonus, not a requirement, consider infusing that underlying theme into your teaching cues to enrich the overall class experience.