It dawned on me why my right ankle has felt sore lately, as if recovering from a sprain¹. To understand where I’m coming from, I have to start with the architecture of the apartment.
Tiny living means that every space and piece of furniture requires more than one function. I typically host guests or have Sunday breakfasts on the elevated nook of the victorian windows² which I’ve staged like a chashitsu, a Japanese tearoom. It features a zataku, a rectangular low wooden table just large enough to fit two 28cm plates, plus a pair of not-very-uncomfortable couch cushions doubled as sitting mats.
Now, picture my writing desk being that zataku. To sit comfortably with back support, I lean flat against the 30 degree angle of the window frame, with the desk slanted parallel to the frame, my right leg bent under the table, and the other hanging straight, off the edge of the elevated panel. Even with a cushion underneath, my right ankle is tucked into a cross-legged position–the yoga pose where I’m flexing my flexible hips.
The forced position on a hard, flat surface is what’s causing the soreness! Especially when I stand up afterward from a near-squatting position and leading with the right foot with my weight onto that cramped ankle.
Back to writing my normal program, munching on the bagel bites d garnished with sardine and cheddar slices alongside a cup hot coffee.
Footnotes
- Not that I really know what a sprained ankle feels like since I've been extra careful with training/races and the shoes I wear.
- Fell in love at first sight with them, even if they look straight into those across the alley, but hey, wave and smile if they see us exposed.