In this episode we consider how an important part of the body is often neglected.

You can practice with me at eqyoga.co.uk

Transcript

Vicky (00:00:03) - Hi, welcome to All Things Yoga with Vicky, a podcast about all things yoga. So today's episode is dedicated to our feet. My sound strange, but let's consider how often we spare a thought for our poor feet. Our feet carry the heaviest burden out of all our body parts. We expect them to walk or run us miles until we ache. We cage them in shoes, sometimes really uncomfortable ones. And on the whole they are really a neglected part of our bodies. I mean, okay, the occasional pedicure or foot rub can be a nice feet treat, but if we give our feet the attention that we gave, for example, our core strength or our face or hair, then we would attend to them regularly. Generally speaking, feet are low on our priority list until we experience foot discomfort. Whether this be from cracked heels, ingrown toenails, blisters, corns, fungal issues, or cramp and heel pain. It's then that we start to appreciate just how important our feet are to our everyday functioning.

Vicky (00:01:20) - In my yoga practice and teaching, I like to bring attention to the feet. When we're standing in mountain pose. If we take our awareness to the feet and to how the weight is distributed, it can give us a little insight into how we habitually stand and give us the opportunity to find a different or more comfortable way. Bringing attention to the feet in contact with the earth below us allows us to feel grounded in the mind. The feet can be a key player in the practice of feeling centered and calm. Another personal, foot focused favorite practice of mine is foot stretching. Now this can be done on all fours, with your toes tucked under and gently bringing your weight back until that sensation of stretch in the sole of the foot becomes, shall we say, pleasantly intense. And the front of the foot can also get the same attention by sitting on a chair, curling your toes under toward the sole of the foot, and then allowing what I would refer to as the knuckles of your toes to gently press into the ground.

Vicky (00:02:21) - Now, with both of these, the level of stretch can be really well controlled. Regular stretching can help us to avoid cramp in the feet, but be aware because some of these stretches can also trigger cramp. So go easy. If you don't fancy this, maybe just using a tennis ball to roll around underneath the sole of the foot is another way to get a little foot massage. Toe wiggling is also something that I'm a fan of. Perhaps I'm oversharing, but if I eat something delicious, my toes wiggle with joy. Maybe that's just me then, but we can give our toes a really good stretch. We do this by inserting our fingers in between each toe, almost like you're holding hands with your foot. Now, I know this sometimes freaks people out, and that's okay. Not everyone's happy about touching their own feet as I am. They weren't really designed to be in shoes. They're capable of walking on an almost infinite amount of different surfaces inclines, declines, rough, smooth surfaces. Now, by practicing barefoot, we can free our feet, whether on our mats or outdoors and uneven ground.

Vicky (00:03:35) - We're feeding our feet with information that can be used to help us balance and move and develop those skills. Let's take a moment to send our tootsies, a little appreciation for all that they do for us, and perhaps build in a little bit more foot focus to our yoga practice and our everyday routine. Please remember to hit subscribe and if you'd like to contact me, you can through my website eqyoga.co.uk. Thank you so much for listening.