Healthy feet and proper alignment start when infants can develop their arches correctly. It means LET THE BABY CRAWL and NO SHOES too early.
For all of you who has babies please watch this video with Pete Egoscue where he talks about Infants and Alignment:
For those who never have time to watch a video, here is the gist of it:
Healthy feet start when a baby is allowed walk barefoot, and not forced to wear hard shoes too early. Infants have to go through the appropriate stages of development before they are ready to walk. They should not be forced to walk too early. In this case, walking early does not mean better. Crawling is very important – it prepares and aligns musculoskeletal system before a baby is ready to walk.
Your child (and you) cannot achieve efficient, full-body natural movement if the feet are not fully functional. We cannot be upright and healthy if our feet are not healthy.
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3 Responses
I’m a licensed massage therapist for the past 15 years and specialize in direct myofascial release. In my sessions I also include somatic movement and coaching on breathing. I make it a point to let my clients know that breath work and movement are an important part of the sessions. Very rarely will I only do hands on work. I have been following Esther for over a year and also Katy Bowmam of Aligment Matters. As of now I’m not sure who I would study with. Any recommendations will be greatly received.
Thank you for posting a great question. Both, Esther Gokhale and Katy Bowman, are totally amazing individuals whose insights I use in my postural alignment practice daily.
They both offer certification programs. Which one to choose? Obviously, my answer is based on my personal preferences. There are many roads that lead to a better alignment, starting with ancient yoga practice and ending with work of contemporary posture specialists: Pete Egoscue, Esther Gokhale, Katy Bowman, Kathleen Porter, and some others.
The short answer to your question: start with Gokhale Method and Katy’s Bowman basic courses. It will give you an idea which approach speaks better to you personally and then decide where to get certified.
Esther is using her work with people in Africa and Brazil as a foundation for the way people should move. By observing the cultures where people still move in a variety of ways that support good alignment, she developed a system that allows anyone to learn the proper skills of body positioning 24/7. It includes stretchlying, stretchsitting, proper standing, bending, and walking techniques. Whether you decide to become a certified Gokhale method practitioner or not, I highly recommend taking her basic class to learn those skills yourself. It takes time and effort to develop different posture habits but Gokhale Method makes this process attainable. The only objection I personally have with her method is what she recommends for feet position – which is everted feet. This goes totally against my training both at the Egoscue University and with Katy Bowman.
Katy Bowman’s work is based on applied biomechanics. She uses a different approach to improve one’s alignment, not in a way of Esther’s techniques of body positioning. Katy teaches what the correct alignment is and how to get there with help of special stretches and exercises, starting with changing the way you treat your feet. Katy is not only very knowledgeable biomechanist, she is also fun, original, and very inventive. Besides certificate program, Katy offers some valuable and very affordable classes where you can learn a lot and use in your practice right away.
I hope it helps.
Your child (and you) cannot achieve efficient, full-body natural movement if the feet are not fully functional. — Now I know. Very helpful post. Thank you sharing!