Yoga Therapy for Flat Feet

“Strong and firm foundation makes the building tall and elegant. So the feet is our foundation for body appearance, alignment and the mechanics.”

The very young to the more mature sometimes suffer from different kinds of pain on the knees, the back, the shoulders and so on. Yet they do not realise that sometimes it could be the feet that cause all these problems.


Yoga Therapy

Yoga therapy for flat feet focuses on teaching the practitioners to stand properly and evenly on both feet. The practice starts from tadasana (mountain pose), which is all about fixing from the root.

Consider the body as a tree – the soles as the root, legs and torso the trunk, arms and head the branches. The root is unseen; it has to be felt and sensed from the mind to bring physical balance by stretching the soles from the middle of the feet towards the heels and towards the toes. Retaining the arches is key so the weight is evenly spread to all four corners of the feet.  This should be borne in mind while performing all postures.

Standing postures are important as they work on the feet first. Seated and reclining postures help to work on the feet to retain the arch. In fact, one should always remember to stretch the sole of the feet while practicing every posture.


We need to be mindful about our daily activities, like the way we stand, walk, run etc.

Inspect the soles of our shoes for any unusual wear patterns. Doctors could advise using custom-designed arch supports, which are molded to the contours of our feet.

Some with flat feet may also have shortened achilles tendon. Observing the feet and stretching the legs while standing; doing simple movements, such as raising the toes up and down, help stretch this tendon.

Practise bare feet, letting the fee rest. Perform the asanas to relieve the pain and prevent any misalignment.