Feet: Our Hands Which Touch Earth,
By Debbie Rosas.
We were born without shoes and with feet and skin that love nothing more than to run wild and naked. I have spent over forty years using my feet as the hands which touch Earth. Besides moving better and feeling more grounded and connected to Earth through my feet; barefoot movement has helped me dramatically improve my body’s alignment from the ground up. Living with extreme scoliosis, I no longer live in fear of pain and discomfort, and moreover, relaxation and comfort are something I experience every day in my upright walking body.
Throughout the day, no other part of my body touches Earth as my feet do. As one of the most sensitive parts of the body, I have learned that my feet are not only designed to support me from the ground up, but also designed to speak to me through the voice of sensation that helps me to move safely, comfortably, and efficiently. The bottom line is that my feet deserve time and attention, as well as love and respect. Seeking out and finding ways to pay more attention to my feet is something which I have personally made as a priority for my body and my life.
How often, if ever, do we think about conditioning and strengthening our feet and its joint partner, the ankle? How often do we touch and pumice our feet? Do we consciously walk with our feet and ankles? Do we like our feet? Like me, you can develop a healthy relationship with your feet for a lifetime and develop a stable foundation for your whole body; a solid base beneath you that supports you in relaxing, trusting, moving and comfortably living upright. Yes, feet can heal; our arches can get stronger and even flat feet can change.
Moving in our bare feet will help us:
- Monitor our body’s alignment and positioning.
- Increase foot and ankle flexibility and dexterity.
- Strengthen the relationship between our feet and ankle joints.
- Increase foot and ankle mobility and circulation.
- Decrease foot cramping.
- Improve our feet’s Sensory IQ feedback, developing the skill to read and interpret what our feet are communicating.
Think about this:
- Our feet are a masterful network of approximately 35 joints and 28 bones, held together by 120 ligaments and activated by at least 20 muscles.
- Today we will take about 18,000 steps.
- By age 70, our feet will have logged about 70,000 miles.
- More than 7,000 nerve endings in each foot constantly send messages throughout our body.
What beliefs do we hold about our feet? Do we think they’re big? Small? Ugly? Pretty? Healthy? Are we a heel walker or a toe tipper? When do we sense ankle movement? Do we notice how happy, joyous, painful, sad, liberating, sensuous, sexy, strong, determined, willful, tender emotions affect our feet and our walk? Do we honor our feet by sensing what they sense about wood, pain, pleasure, or the temperature of the floor? We need to ask ourselves these questions about our feet as an inventory of self care that matters one step at a time.
Tips for creating happy and healthy feet:
- When you move, step lightly. Avoid lifting and pulling your body up. Imagine a magnetic force naturally drawing the crown of your head up toward the ceiling and away from your torso.
- Be easy on your feet. If you sound like a herd of stampeding elephants when you walk and dance it’s a sign you should touch the earth more gently with your feet.
- If you wear shoes, make sure they fit. Proper footwear is critical to healthy feet. Stand on a piece of paper and draw an outline of your feet. Then place your shoes on top of the drawing. If your feet show, the shoes are too small.
- Take your shoes off for at least a half an hour a day. The better you get to know your feet, the safer your movement, workouts, body, and life will be.
- Limit the amount of jumping. Jumping sends three times your body weight crunching down through your shins into your feet and ankles. Without strong resilient feet and proper landing techniques, jumping can break down your musculoskeletal system.
- Consciously place your feet and respect the design and function of your feet: when walking the heel leads. Roll from heel, to ball, to toes, easing into every step.
- .Become aware of your feet and how they carry you.
- Include foot motions, stepping, stances and kicks into your foot self care and workouts to condition your whole body from the ground up. For more references read the book, The Nia Technique.
- Push your feet down into the earth to safely move, shift, rise, sink, jump, and land efficiently and safely.
- Give your feet love. Wash and massage them. Thank them for all they do. Treat yourself to a pedicure.
- Use all pain signals to make changes in how you use and treat your feet.
- If we are hesitant to take off our shoes in Nia, not to worry. Unless we have structural foot problems, moving in our bare feet can become a positive addition to our lives.
- Say “yes” to foot pleasure!
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