2/10/2015 0 Comments precious soles and toes Last Sunday I was blessed with small and glassy waves at Dunes, which was just great because I could get out on the SUP - short for Stand up Paddle Board for all you non-surfing Yogi’s. A very low tide meant that wearing booties would be required to protect my precious soles and toes. Like Yoga, it is best to ride a SUP with bare-feet, Having my feet enclosed I lost my sense of connection with my board and I found that I struggled somewhat, to remain stable and balanced, despite the odds I managed to stay afloat and catch some perfect right handers in the company of a few schools of baitfish and a couple of turtles . Waiting for the sets to come gave me a little thinking time, and what sprang to mind was the importance of our feet in our Yoga Practice. Those who practice yoga with me are constantly reminded as we move through our asanas particularly the standing poses to ground down through the feet, spread the toes and create a solid base to support your entire body. The alignment of our feet and how distribute our weight through them will affect our overall body alignment and how our energy flows through our knees, hips and shoulders, developing awareness of our feet is the first step in attaining proper balance and body alignment in our yoga practice, so we always start from the feet up especially in poses like Tadasana (Mountain Pose) or Virabhadrasana 1, 2 and 3 (Warrior poses) or any of our balancing poses such as Vrkasana (Tree pose) Nancy Gerstein from her book Guiding Yoga’s light says that the average person takes 10,000 steps a day. The feet are our foundation, if the foundation is weak, problems may arise in the rest of the body. Many aches and pains in the lower legs, back and even the shoulders can be traced back to the feet. Reflexologist Susanne Enzer quotes “Everything that happens in the being is reflected in the feet. And everything that happens in feet is relayed to the body” Much like the roots of a plant, the feet are essential for connecting and grounding us to the earth. They are our physical foundation – in daily life, and, as importantly, when practicing yoga So give your feet a little love and attention, toss away the shoes, spread your toes, massage the soles, mindfully walk bare foot, connect, feel the earth under your feet, as your feet awaken so will your entire being. Miles of Smiles Naomi
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