Benefits:
- Open toes and feet and strengthens ankles;
- The six lower body meridians begin or end in the toes: this pose stimulates all six lines.
Contra-indications:
- Sitting on the heels may strain the knees;
- If ankles or toe joints are very tight, don't stay here long.
Alternatives & Options:
- Make sure toes are tucked under (including the little toes), and ensure that you are not resting
on the tips of the toes: be on the balls of the feet;
- If the pose becomes too challenging, come up onto the knees, relieving most of the pressure on the toe joints;
- Don't stay if in pain;
- Can combine this posture with shoulder exercises, like Eagle arms or Cow Face arms;
- If the knees are uncomfortable, place a blanket under them, or place a cushion between the hips
and the heels. Some students enjoy a rolled up towel behind the knees, which helps to release the knee joint.
Meridians & Organs Affected:
- All the meridians of the lower body get stimulated through the compression in the toes;
- The front of the ankle also becomes compressed helping to open the Spleen, Liver, Stomach, and Gall Bladder lines.
Joints Affected :
Hold for how long?
Counter poses?
- Ankle Stretch or Child's Pose, or any pose that opens the ankles, such as Saddle.
Similar to?
- Seiza or Vajrasana, but with the toes tucked under.
Other Notes:
- This pose can become quite intense for most people fairly quickly - monitor the level
of intensity. It is better not to stay in the pose if you are in pain;
- If doing shoulder work while holding the pose, take a break between sides. Do an Ankle
Stretch, and then come back into the Toe Stretch and resume the shoulder work on the other side.
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