Part 18: Calf muscles
21 Yoga Practices For Body Flexibility
The calf muscle is composed of two muscles named gastrocnemius and soleus. These muscles get activated by movements at the foot level. Calf pains are of various types and varies from person to person. Pain may be due to overwork or long walking resulting in tightness of the calf i.e. the back of the lower leg. The primary solution for this problem is taking rest.
Tingling or numbness in the calf muscles is mainly because of the weakness of the muscles. Vitamin tablets or supplements can help in managing these type of discomforts. Tingling could be a predisposition of sciatica also.
Muscular cramps at calf muscles could happen due to sudden contraction of muscles, which can occur frequently to a sports person or a dancer. While doing their performance, they might have to make a sudden stop. Though it is expected of a dancer, it is unexpected in sports people.
Severe dehydration and vitamin deficiencies can lead to cramps.
Pregnant women tend to experience this in the early mornings.
Limited blood flow to certain parts of the body could lead to muscular cramps. Possibility of cramps like this is more at calf muscle due to improper Venus return of blood to heart.
Whatever may be the reason for the calf muscle pain, here is a simple demonstration of a yoga therapy practice to get relief.
Since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic, each and every individual is covered by an invisible veil called fear.
The natural intelligence of the body is to contract its muscles to cope up with external threats. When the muscles are contracted, the flexibility of the body comes down and an artificial firmness sets in. This mechanism helps the individual to manage fear. Now that the threat has been constant almost for a year now, the muscular contraction to hide / manage the fear could result in some type of muscular contraction depending on the weak link in the individual’s body constitution. Naturally, the body becomes tight and the progressive tightness manifests in the form of pain coupled with a feeling of insecurity.
This is especially true for children in their teens, who need to adapt themselves to the pandemic situation at various levels. This overwhelming pressure on them may set in as anxiety and insomnia. There are suitable mudras to overcome these situations.
Hasta mudras are easy to practice and can also be practiced by elderly people. These mudras interact with our energy channels in ways that are not visible to the naked eye. By keeping these mudras in our hands with conscious and focused breathing, we can channel the energy into our body and reap the benefits.
