Should you wear socks in yoga?
If socks define your age, then leaving them on in a yoga class will defile your connection to the earth and feet. You could also slip.
I grew up in the 1970s when socks were bold, bright, colourful and knee high. They always came off in gym class, though. Always.
Look at someone’s socks and you can probably guess their age, or their generation.
“Where your socks sit is the latest generational divide,” notes writer Hannah Rogers.
Wearing ankle socks today, popular in the early 2000s, can rapidly date you.
With the evolution of fashion and the dominance of athleisure in the 2010s, compression socks became the go-to style for everyday and sports wear.
But Millennials are having none of this!
They pound the city pavements, strong and focused, socks yanked right up over their calves - over leggings, with shorts, or skirts. And they mean business.
Walking to class this morning, I spotted a Gen Zer, born sometime after 1997, her brown socks pulled right up over her knees. She rocked a pleated tartan mini, and pink Beats Pro so large to plug her in and out all at once.
If socks can define a generation, leaving them on in a yoga class will define your connection to the earth and your own feet. And cause a nasty slip.
For many, going sockless in a public space can be intimidating. My feet are ugly! What if I pick up an infection? No pedi! I have bunions. Ohh my feet are too bony.
I have heard all these excuses, and more.
So it is with trepidation, then, that I invite all the ankle, calf, knee-high or over knee-high sock wearers to peel off their socks before yoga class.
If you have a verruca, then cover up with a plaster or use a specialised yoga socks. Be considerate of other practitioners, clean your mat after class or, better still, bring your own.
Erm, why is it important to take my socks off in yoga? asks a sock-clad student.
Well, for a start its downright dangerous as you can slip or trip over yourself. Socks can make your feet hot and sweaty - especially in summer - and have a habit of sliding off your feet.
Try a downward dog pose with socks on, and feel them sliding off your heels and bunching under your arch and then your toes. I have seen this happen plenty.
Aside from being thick and impractical, you miss the calming connection to the ground and the earth that supports you. Your relationship to the planet suffers.
Your feet are encased and your toes can’t spread to give you good balance and grip.
Plus, you can’t really feel the corners of your feet - the big toe, pinky, inner and outer heels. Our feet have thousands of nerve endings, it is important to notice how they feel.
In yoga, the posture starts from your roots - your feet. Free them.
“When the foot stimulates…the peripheral nerves communicate with the brain’s somatosensory system, which creates the foundation of body awareness and postural control,” according to Functional Podiatrist and Human Movement Specialist Dr Emily Splichal.
Your amazing feet with 26 bones, 33 joints and over a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments work together to hold you up, transmit force, and propel you forward.
Can your feet have a moment in the limelight, please?
Feet are encased by fascia. Fascia consists of many types of collagen, elastin, and other fibres and protein. Fascia is key for understanding movement and muscle tension.
“I have seen an increase in the appreciation for the foot & the ankle. With almost every fascial line passing through the bottom of the foot, professionals worldwide can appreciate how integrated the foot and the ankle really is with the rest of the body,” says Dr. Splichal.
Appreciation for the foot and ankle is prevalent in the practice of yoga. So much of the practice is about energy.
Ancient yoga philosophy teaches us that we have chakras, or energy wheels, and when we walk barefoot we begin to activate the root chakra, or muladhara, which sits at the base of the spine.
Not feeling or working our feet properly leads to a myriad of problems further up the body too. Experts say problems with the feet will affect the ankles, knees, hips and lower back.
Developing distance between the toes, which happens when we practice yoga barefoot, helps the toes spread and, hence, you develop better balance.
Falls are one of the major causes of hospital admissions in the elderly. The Chinese have an apt saying that ageing begins in the feet.
“One of the greatest predictors of falls (especially as we get older) is our toe strength - it’s what catches us as we start to fall forward,” says international yoga teacher Tiffany Cruikshank.
Foot problems can also be addressed through the practice of yoga and its powerful standing poses.
“Many common foot problems, like fallen arches, can be improved and sometimes even corrected by a regular practice of yoga standing poses,” according to Doctor Timothy McCall.
Studies show barefoot walkers have wider feet, and more equally distributed peak load.
Your feet are a brilliant example of evolutionary engineering. They allow you to walk and run upright while absorbing shock that can be many times your body weight.
Your feet have carried you for thousands of miles - usually without complaint. Be kind to them too. Free them in yoga class, on the dewy grass or at home too if you can.
And if your choice of socks are ankle long or short, thick or thin. Colourful or plain , please let’s agree on one thing: No socks in yoga class!
Unless, of course, it’s winter and you are practicing restorative yoga. But this is another story, for another time.
And, if you have a friend who needs to take off their socks in class, please share!
See you on the mat soon friends!
x
Jules
I have been considering barefoot shoeware 🤔🕉️