💡 How to follow: Check your Seiza position first: your feet should sit open (toes in, heels away) — not straight north–south. If the foot/ankle (especially the outer ankle) is locked so you can't sit properly, use this hip stretch to open the area: foot/ankle/shin sealed to the ground, hips back, head forward, rotating toward the front knee.
1
Seiza Foot Position — Check
AssessmentCheck each side
Diagnostic: in Seiza, your feet should sit open — toes in, heels away (east–west). If they sit straight (north–south), the foot + ankle (especially the outer ankle) is locked up and you cannot sit properly.
- Sit in the Seiza position (kneeling, sitting back)
- Look at your feet — are they open or straight?
- Ideal: toes in, heels away (east–west)
- Straight = locked foot/ankle — use the stretch below
2
Sealed Foot — Active Ground Contact
SetupThroughout
Setup for the opening stretch: foot, ankle and shin sealed to the ground — stay active through that area the entire time so the stretch targets the locked outer ankle.
- Press the foot, ankle and shin INTO the ground
- Stay active through the whole area
- Do not let the foot collapse or roll out
- Hold the ground contact throughout the stretch
3
Hip Stretch — Hips Back, Head Forward, Rotate
StretchHold 30–60s each side
The stretch that opens the foot and ankle: hips back, head forward, and rotate everything toward the front knee. Hips back + head forward lengthens and decompresses the spine, and opening the hip area opens the foot and ankle.
- Hips back, head forward — lengthen the spine
- Rotate everything toward the front knee
- Keep the foot/ankle/shin sealed to the ground
- Feel the stretch through the locked outer ankle
- Breathe and hold; repeat each side