* Happy Feet in Yoga and Life

Instead of trying to see what’s beyond the horizon, take a moment and look down at your feet.

This is where you are.

Your feet are your foundation and will keep you grounded in life.

They allow you stand tall and stay balanced.

Remember you’ll need your feet to take you in the direction you are heading in life.

You wil also need them in your senior years to be flexible enough to prevent falling and injury.

Check in with them regularly and they will bring you back to the present and to your middle ground.

oo0O0oo

(Pause for a moment of foot appreciation)

“Thank you for being there every day.

You do such a good job.

I really appreciate all that you do. Thank you!”

(They say thank you back)

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Every day in class I pause to acknowledge our feet. We must take good care of them as they are the foundation for our yoga practice as well as in life.

To counteract years of tension, some preliminary exercises can help your feet come back to life. One good way to restore proper tone to the sole of the foot is to step onto a tennis ball. Roll the ball in circles under the broadest part of your feet. Then roll it up and down the length of the sole. Come back to step in it and notice how good it feels!

After waking up your feet with the tennis ball, stretch both the sole and the top of the foot. A simple way to stretch the underside of the foot is to kneel with the toes turned under. To stretch the top of the foot, Virasana (Hero Pose) is invaluable.

While standing in Tadasana (Mountain Pose) find your focal point and lift your toes off the ground. Notice the activation of connective tissue and muscles rising up the body. Its a great way to practice finding your balance on and off the mat.

Here’s an article from Yoga Journal  to keep your feet happy.

Namaste