>
“The miracle is not to walk on water, the miracle is to walk on the green earth, dwelling in the present moment and feeling truly alive”
The way we relate to the earth through our feet has a profound effect on all levels our being. Your feet did not evolve to be deafened by shoes. Before we strive so hard to fix a body, when there may often be nothing wrong with the body, it can be more useful to first check the way we relate with the world.
There are two ways your feet and therefore your whole body can relate to the landscape, one is to touch the ground and the other is to be touched, to receive the impression of ground in your body.
When we withdraw from contact from our moment to moment relationship with the ground, the most common response is to over-stabilize or collapse, or a combination – how can the body know how to respond if it does not receive the information. Our relationship with the ground is an essential part of our reality checking system, as well as feedback through the body to the brain with relation to ground, gravity and space.
Losing touch with communication to the earth has implications to our breath, our core support mechanism, and our state of being and what gives us the support for the adventures and challenges of life.
A Practise to Reconnect
Barefoot connection: Take some time to let the ground kiss your feet, walking barefoot in a landscape that is at first not too challenging. This takes time and regular opportunity to have its effect, but well worth the effort to re-connect to the earth.
When you consider that your feet are your foundation, the means in which you relate to the earth and to others becomes a vital practice and you could even consider it a foundational practice to come back to balance.
Embrace your feet, your mind and body will thank you! They are so precious, as is our relationship with the world, let them out of the confines of your shoes and welcome the world!
