Happy Feet = Happy You

Your feet are awesome.  They hold all of you up and take you anywhere you want to go.  In turn we should take very good care of them.

Warm them up.  Our feet can get cold during the chilly months here in the Northeast.  Be sure to bundle up in nice cozy socks to retain your body heat.  A relaxing habit to get in before bed is turning the warm water on in your tub while you brush your teeth.  Afterwards, sit on the ledge of your tub and soak your feet in just a few inches of the warm water while you practice some deep breathing, meditate for a few minutes or read your favorite magazine.  Follow that up with some nice lotion after drying.

Massage them good.  After bathing or soaking your feet, be sure to lather them with your favorite cream or oil and give them a good rub.  Allow your fingers to glide up and down the instep of your foot, pressing your fingers into the tops of your feet to work all of the tension out.  Squeeze each toe one at a time.  Doesn't that feel nice?  If you're not up for doing this yourself ask someone to do it for you or even better, book a pedicure!

Walk on nails.  Have you checked out the Shakti Mat?  It's a bed of nails that you can lie on, walk on, fall asleep on, etc.  It's invigorating, exciting, totally different and tons of fun.  I love keeping it at my feet while I work to stimulate every bit of my feet.  My feet are always happy and pink when I step off the mat.

Do your yoga.  Yoga stretches some of the muscles of our feet/ankles that most other physical activities do not.  Standing poses (like warriors, triangle, wide-legged forward folds, etc.) will allow you to appreciate those muscles as you hold the pose and feel your feet opening up.  When you're suffering from back aches, foot cramps or just need an excuse to kick your feet up, get a pair of Yoga Toes.  I swear by these suckers!

Go barefoot.  Shoes are fantastic, there is no doubt about that.  However, they create a barrier between our bodies and the earth, making us unable to soak up the healthy energy that our loving mother has to offer.  It's ever so important that we go barefoot as much as possible (more-so in the warmer months) so that we can directly connect to the earth's energy.  Think of how amazing it feels to be barefoot on fresh green grass outside, or how exfoliating it feels to walk on the beach where the sand gets caught in between your toes.  It's energizing on levels that we are so unaware of!