Energy In Motion Wellness

We spend all day on our feet, but they often get the least attention.

The muscles along the bottom of your feet help support your arches, stabilize your balance, and cushion every step you take. Giving them a little love can make a big difference after a long day, a hike, a run, or simply being on your feet.

🎾 Try this:

Although one tennis ball is ideal for working the bottom of the foot, the two-ball sock version works great too.

Start with the ball just in front of your heel. Using short movements, roll your foot forward and back, then side to side, almost like a typewriter... or eating corn on the cob. 🌽😉

Work across:

👣 Just in front of the heel
👣 The middle of the foot
👣 The base of the ball of the foot

Go through each area twice.

Then finish with 30 seconds of gentle compression:

One hold beneath the center of your heel.
One hold beneath the ball of your foot while gently wrapping your toes around the ball.

Adjust the amount of pressure so it feels productive, not painful.

💙 Want more guided self-care techniques like this? I recently added a full collection of extended Tennis Ball Tips to the Bodymind Healing Library inside the Bodymind Align App, complete with longer demonstrations, anatomy guides, and easy techniques to help you work with different muscle groups at home.

Find the full Tennis Ball Tips collection in the App. Link in bio. 🎾

I was working at my dining room table when I noticed this little handprint on the back door glass.

My daughter, son-in-law, and grandsons had made an unexpected stop at my house a few days earlier. And there it was - the evidence left behind. ❤️

I smiled.

And for a moment, all the things I should be doing disappeared.

We talk so much about the effect stress has on our bodies. But moments of connection, delight, and joy affect us, too.

Sometimes we just have to notice them long enough to let them in.

This is part of the practice, too.

Noticing what softens you.

Noticing what brings you back to yourself.

And letting those moments matter. ❤️

I think I’ll leave the handprint for a little while longer. 🖐🏻 😊

We stretch our quads.
We stretch our hamstrings.
We stretch our calves.

But the muscles along the front and outside of the lower leg? They don’t always get much love.

Your tibialis anterior helps lift your foot toward your shin so you can clear the ground as you walk or run. The peroneal muscles along the outer lower leg also help stabilize your foot and ankle - especially important when you’re hiking or moving across uneven terrain.

And when you start getting tired? You may notice your stride changing. Instead of lifting as efficiently through the hip and leg, you might start shuffling a little or working harder at the ankle to clear your foot. Add an uphill climb and these muscles can really start talking to you. 😬

🎾 Try This:

Stand facing a sturdy chair, the edge of your bed, or another supportive surface such as a massage table.

Place your tennis balls on the surface, then lift one leg and rest the front/outer portion of your lower leg onto the balls. Allow the weight of your leg to gently sink into them.

Make sure the balls are positioned in the muscular tissue alongside the shin - not directly on the shin bone.

From there, slowly move your foot and ankle back and forth, allowing the muscles to glide over the pressure of the tennis balls.
Find a yummy spot? 😋

Pause there, continue gently moving the ankle, or simply settle into some static pressure.

Then reposition your leg over the balls and explore another area of those hardworking shin muscles.

Runner, walker, hiker - or just someone whose shins get tired - don’t forget about these hardworking muscles. 🏃‍♀️🥾

🎾 Want to go a little deeper? I’ve just added a whole collection of extended Tennis Ball Tips to the Bodymind Healing Library inside the Bodymind Align App - with longer demonstrations, muscle guides, and simple techniques you can use at home to work with different areas of the body.

Save this one for your next walk, run or hike, and find the full Tennis Ball Tips collection in the App. 
Link in bio. 💙

Your calves are working almost every time you’re on your feet - walking, hiking, running, climbing stairs, or simply standing.

When they become tight, you may notice:
calf soreness
ankle stiffness
reduced mobility
or even tension that travels into the feet

This simple tennis ball technique can help ease tightness and improve mobility.

🎾 Place the tennis balls beneath your calf and allow the muscle to sink into the pressure gently. Then slowly flex and point your foot to create an active release. Pause on any tender spots, then reposition the tennis balls to another area of the calf until you’ve worked through the entire muscle. Let your body guide the amount of pressure.

Sometimes, just a minute or two can make a noticeable difference.

💙 Want more guided self-care techniques like this? Inside the Bodymind Align App, you’ll find my growing Tennis Ball Tips library, along with anatomy guides, self-care practices, and bodymind insights to help you better understand your body. Link in bio.

The tennis balls matter.

They can help a tight muscle soften, improve mobility, and bring relief. That’s why I share these simple techniques.

But over the years, I’ve found myself becoming just as curious about something else…

What changed in your life?
What has your body been adapting to?

Sometimes the answer is obvious - an injury, a new workout, long hours at a desk, or repetitive movement.
And sometimes... there’s another layer worth exploring.

I don’t believe we have to choose between the physical and the emotional. I think they often work together, each influencing the other.

The muscle deserves attention.

So does the story behind it.

That’s the work I love doing.

💙 Has your body ever gotten your attention in a way that made you stop and wonder what else might be going on?

This is just one piece of the puzzle. Inside the Bodymind Align App, you’ll find guided practices, self-massage techniques, EFT tapping, and bodymind insights to help you better understand what your body may be trying to tell you. Explore it through the link in my bio.

HealingJourney PainRelief ListenToYourBody

You know what started the tightness.

Maybe it’s exercise.
Maybe it’s gardening.
Maybe it’s hours at a desk.

Those are all real reasons muscles become tight.

But after working with bodies for over 24 years, I’ve learned to ask a different question:
What’s keeping it there?

Sometimes the answer is physical.
Sometimes there’s another piece of the puzzle.

Curiosity doesn’t replace good bodywork - it expands it.

💙 What area of your body seems to ask for your attention over and over again?

Tight hamstrings don’t always need more stretching. Sometimes they need a chance to let go.

This simple tennis ball technique can help release tension along the back of the thigh.

A few tips:
Sit on a slightly taller stool or chair so your leg has room to move freely back and forth.
Place the tennis balls under different spots along your hamstring rather than staying in one place.
Explore from just below the sit bone all the way toward the back of the knee, but stopping just above it.
Move slowly and let your body guide you. Tender is okay. Sharp pain is not.

Remember, tight hamstrings can also be a response to how you’re moving, sitting, exercising, or even what your body has been adapting to over time. This is simply one tool to help them soften.

💙 Save this for the next time your hamstrings feel tight, and let me know if you notice a difference.

Mobility PainRelief MuscleRecovery MassageTherapy AtHomeWellness

Outer hip feeling tight?

Sometimes that nagging tension on the outside of your hip comes from a small muscle with a very big name...

The ‘Tensor Fasciae Latae.’

In massage school, we affectionately called it the “Latte” muscle. ☕😉

Place the tennis ball just below the bony part of your outer hip and lean gently into the wall.

With your knee bent, slowly rotate your leg inward... then outward.

Instead of simply pressing on the muscle, that gentle rotation allows the muscle fibers to glide over the tennis ball, encouraging them to lengthen and release.

Move slowly.

Breathe.

Let your body guide the pressure.

🔅 Save this tip for the next time your outer hip needs a little attention.

🌻 Share it with someone who’s always saying, “My hips are so tight!”

🎾 Helping you feel better... one tennis ball at a time.

💛 If you enjoy these tips, you’ll find even more self-care practices inside the Bodymind Awareness Library in the Bodymind Align App.

Start with the free 3-Day Bodymind Reset. Link in bio.