With 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments, our feet are incredibly complex––and often overburdened––body parts. Reflexologists [1] believe that the feet mirror the body. Yogis have long worshipped the feet of their gurus, kissing, bathing, and bowing to them. “This veneration of the foot reflects its importance as the foundation of the temple of the body,” reads an article [2] in Yoga Journal [3]. The story goes on to explain how feet reflect the structural state of the body, quoting Ida Rolf: “A man’s tracks tell quite a true story. They inform quietly about ankles and knees, but they shout the news about hips and pelvis. If one foot is consistently everted [tilted onto its inner edge], the ankle, the knee, or, perhaps more likely, the entire pelvic basin is rotated.”
Needless to say, it’s important to lavish your feet with the same––if not more––care and attention that you give the rest of your body. Below, some tips to keeping your foundation supple, aligned, and happy.
Do Yoga [3]
Simply standing in Mountain Pose, or Tadasana, is a great way to start equalizing your feet, according to the Yoga Journal story [4] mentioned above. Make sure your weight is distributed evenly on all “four corners” of your foot, and the arches are lifted and balanced. Try these other poses [5] for arch wellness and more.
Walk Barefoot
The Society for Barefoot Living [6], an organization that almost is to shoes what PETA is to fur, sites a plethora of medical studies [7] that support the notion that it’s healthier to go bare. Obviously, take care—it may be structurally ideal, but there are reasons we put material between us and the ground outside.
Stretch Your Dogs
Yogaroomwellness.com [8] suggests many foot exercises, including this one: “From sitting or standing, draw the big toe up and press the four little toes down. Draw the four little toes up while pressing the big toe down. Draw the big toe and baby toe up as you press the three middle toes down. Draw the three middle toes up while pressing the big toe and baby toe down.”
Walk on Something Round and Hard
You can really get into tense spots by rolling your feet on a tennis ball or foot roller [9]. The exquisite pain will diminish the more you do it, and just think: In reflexology terms you’re releasing tensions and toxins throughout your body.
Try Yoga Sandals [10]
A thong for every toe, these funny-looking shoes are designed to improve “balance, flexibility and alignment.” Not for long outings (they’re best for “around the house or on errands,” according to LIME partner Gaiam [11], the store that sells them), they may “retrain your feet… while also helping to relieve painful foot conditions.”