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"Weezy, your shoelace is untied"

"I KNOW, Mom"

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And Louisiana kept on walking.

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Striding towards our favorite Goodwill, nothing was going to distract her from her goal. But watching my daughter pull a move that I've done countless times (ignoring an untied shoelace while on a quest for urban adventure) allowed me a unique opportunity to witness its effect.

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I'd always taken the well-meaning alerts about an untied shoelace as either a subtle commentary on the sloppiness of my presentation or an overly cautious admonition about preventing a possible fall. Both deserved less attention than my intent desire to get wherever I was going, or even break my stride. Observing Louisiana's confident gait as she walked (a few paces ahead of me) along Post street, it was easy to see how her entire walking pattern had shifted in an effort to keep that shoe on with every step.

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Our feet and ankles are major players when we walk. Pushing off of the toes as we lift the back heel gives the power to our forward momentum, and picking up the toes as our heel strikes the ground in front of us allows us to absorb the impact of our body weight - rolling through the foot instead of hitting the ground like a concrete block. None of this can happen if your body is concerned that a shoe might fall off. In that case, your ankle is going to prioritize keeping your heel in the shoe, limiting its range of motion to whatever the open mouth will accommodate as it lurches along.

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We use our bodies to accomplish our desires in this life. If the task is being met, we rarely pay attention to "how". So it's not unusual that it would take observing my daughter doing something I have so frequently done myself to realize its actual effects. Without proper ankle articulation, her untied leg lost power and began to shuffle. Instead of raising the thigh and bending the knee, her lower back took over - lifting the hip to move her leg forward while her ankle and foot were hard at work keeping that floppy sneaker as snug as it could be with every step.

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Louisiana walked into Goodwill unharmed, and paused to tie her shoelace before grabbing a shopping basket. No lasting injuries resulted from this brief wardrobe malfunction. But not all of these compensatory patterns are so obvious or easily fixed. Our bodies are eminently adaptable, versatile and resilient. They can take multiple hits before actually showing damage. If one joint is compromised, we naturally (and unconsciously) shunt that mobility to the next joint up the chain, finding alternate pathways for the same movement. And unless we consciously notice restriction or it is brought to our attention through pain, nothing is done to fix it. We create detours through our kinetic chains and use them like highways, never taking the time to repair the damage on the main road. Then, when a joint fails further above or below the restricted area, we wonder why.

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Pain directs attention.

It requires focus typically reserved for adult responsibilities, and throws a wrench in our daily routines. But the nervous system is a tricky thing, and sometimes the pain or restriction we experience isn't coming from the area that's sounding the alarm. In many cases, the source of the problem is one or a few joints down the kinetic chain. Your joints rely on the joints beneath them in order to feel stable.

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This week, I'm sharing a 20-minute foot mobility routine that explores exactly these connections. You'll find the video link below, but as you read on, keep in mind how these patterns we're discussing show up in your own body.

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These patterns of adaptation and compensation show up everywhere in our daily lives, just as clearly as in Louisiana's shoelace incident. That heavy shoulder bag you carry on your commute, the way you lean into your desk while working, even how you stand while waiting for coffee – each of these habits creates subtle shifts in how your body organizes itself to keep you moving through your day.

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Think of your body as a tall building. If the foundation shifts even slightly, you'll start seeing cracks appear several stories up. Your shoulder tension might actually stem from how your feet meet the ground. That nagging hip pain? It could be telling you a story about your ankle mobility. Our bodies are master problem-solvers, but sometimes their clever workarounds become permanent detours that need our attention.

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WORK WITH ME

Your body holds its own unique movement story – one written through years of adaptations, compensations, and clever problem-solving. Whether you're dealing with persistent tension, exploring recovery from injury, or simply curious about finding more ease in your daily movements, I'd love to work with you one-on-one. In private sessions (available both online and in person), we'll unwind these accumulated patterns and discover new pathways to move with greater freedom and efficiency.

Ready to explore? Reply to this email and let's start a conversation about your movement journey.

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PRACTICAL ANATOMY SERIES

Want to deepen your understanding of how the body creates and maintains these movement patterns? Join me for the upcoming Practical Anatomy series. Through guided experiences and clear, applicable instruction, we'll explore the fascinating connections between movement and structure. You'll discover how simple concepts like "grounding down" or "finding your center" take on powerful new meaning when we understand the intricate web of connections that make them work.

Registration opens March 1st - Join the waitlist for earlybird discounts and to secure your spot.

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THIS WEEK'S PRACTICE

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As promised, here's your 20-minute foot mobility routine.

This sequence is designed to improve alignment and efficiency throughout your legs, hips, and lower back. As you move through it, notice how changes in your feet influence sensations up through your entire body.

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Because sometimes, like an untied shoelace,

the simplest things can tell us the most about how our bodies adapt and thrive.

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Domini Anne

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