The feet are often the most neglected parts of the body, yet they are essential for us to move through life. I personally have had much pain in my feet over the years, and after spending an afternoon with a friend who has had surgery on both of her feet his year, I felt it necessary to speak to the feet.
If you were at Sistahood Rising in 2021, you may have attended my workshop 'Soleful Grounding'. During the session, we explored our feet and our connection to them. We created a natural foot scrub and then showed our feet some love. We scrubbed them, and massaged foot balm into them all the while positively affirming to our feet that they were wonderful, and that we were grateful and that most of all, we love our feet. We finished by adorning our feet, decorating them and painting toenails to show gratitude and appreciation for our feet.
Why did I run this workshop? Because my relationship with my feet hasn't always been a positive one. I grew up thinking my feet were ugly, and I told them that. They in turn were painful and tense. When my daughter was young, I heard her speak to her feet in the same way and vowed to change my attitude to one of gratitude for my feet. They really are magnificent, they carry us through our lives, daily and into our futures.
Each foot is an intricate body part with 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles. If you have ever injured your foot, toe or ankle, you will know how much it really can affect your ability to move. For long term pain and injuries, it not only affects the foot, but moves up through our legs, hips, into the back and can cause pain and discomfort throughout the entire body. As we move the body with the injury we often compensate by displacing other parts of the body. Our feet are so valuable in our ability to move forward, not just physically but also emotionally, mentally and spiritually. Anyone who has had long term foot pain will know that it can seriously affect your mood and mindset.
In Inna Segals book 'The Secret Language of your Body' issues in the feet represent moving in the wrong direction, ignoring you intuition, feeling confused, lost, ungrounded or out of touch with reality. Feeling stuck, bogged down or obligated to others, missing the big picture. Indecisiveness. Getting cold feet about a situation.
It's time to get serious about nurturing and appreciating your feet. I now have a nightly ritual of rubbing Magnesium Magic Balm on my feet to reduce tension, or better still have my husband rub my feet when he is willing. I regularly go for a pedicure or do an at home pedicure and give gratitude to my feet at every opportunity. A foot spa with Magnesium Salts followed by a 2 in 1 Foot Scrub Mask is a total treat. Peppermint Foot Balm is a lovely revivor of tired, hot feet.
To connect with your feet and ground yourself, take a few deep breaths and imagine your feet connecting to the earth. Imagine roots, as if your body is a tree. Let your legs and the soles of your feet descend as if they are the roots of a tree. Your feet extend deep, deep into the ground, deep into the core of the earth. Now breathe up through the roots, moving the breath from the soles of your feet, up through your calves and thighs. Feel the breath move through your legs up into the core of your body. Let your tree grow up through your ribs and shoulders. With your outbreath, relax your arms and neck. Imagine with each in breath you are extending the energy from the soles of your feet, up through your head and into the sky. With each in breath, notice the cleansing energy come into your being, and with each out breath, release all the tensions in your body and negative thoughts in your mind. From the roots deep in the centre of the earth, draw the energy up to the crown of your head and out into the universe.
At any time in your day you can ground yourself this way and give gratitude to your feet. I encourage you to be mindful about how you consider you feet and treat them with the love, honour and care they deserve.
If you loved this article, please hit the heart button, comment with your favorite feet treat, share it with friends or drop me a message. I always love hearing from you.
With love and kindness
Melissa x
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