FEET!
In our urbanized society, with concrete and perfectly flat surfaces and the widespread use of shoes, we are forgetting the intelligence of our feet. We live in environments that are more and more disconnected from the natural world and from the sensory and proprioceptive experience of our bodies. One of the most powerful ways of accessing body awareness and the energy from the Earth is through our feet. Our feet are our base of support and our connection to the Earth; it is only from strong roots that we can expand.
In the past, humans would keep their feet agile and strong by walking barefoot in natural environments, on a variety of terrains with different textural qualities. Today, we walk primarily on flat, uniform surfaces wearing closed shoes. While wearing shoes might be necessary because we no longer live in an environment that is conducive to being barefoot, it is not the best for the health of our feet. Many shoes immobilize the feet, weakening the muscles, inhibiting fascial freedom and causing a lack of vitality in the overall structures of the feet. These misalignments can travel up the body creating disease in our musculoskeletal system, manifesting as pain in the knees, hips, and all the way up the back and neck. Being barefoot and cultivating awareness in our feet restores the strength and flexibility they need to provide a strong, solid foundation for our bodies.
Use of the feet for massage is an ancient practice, most notably in parts of Asia and the Pacific. Many of these techniques however, do not commonly use lotion or oil for practical reasons. To cross the slippery slope of combining lubrication with foot-based bodywork, structural support is imperative. Keralite Massage and Ashiatsu are two elegant expressions of this combination that use an overhead rope or a bar for balance.
In using our feet as massage tools, we begin to discover a whole new realm of dexterity in our soles and toes, opening up a much wider range of body mechanics as practitioners. It might take some time, but with patience and dedication, you will soon begin to perceive your feet as coordinated, nimble and capable tools.
In the past, humans would keep their feet agile and strong by walking barefoot in natural environments, on a variety of terrains with different textural qualities. Today, we walk primarily on flat, uniform surfaces wearing closed shoes. While wearing shoes might be necessary because we no longer live in an environment that is conducive to being barefoot, it is not the best for the health of our feet. Many shoes immobilize the feet, weakening the muscles, inhibiting fascial freedom and causing a lack of vitality in the overall structures of the feet. These misalignments can travel up the body creating disease in our musculoskeletal system, manifesting as pain in the knees, hips, and all the way up the back and neck. Being barefoot and cultivating awareness in our feet restores the strength and flexibility they need to provide a strong, solid foundation for our bodies.
Use of the feet for massage is an ancient practice, most notably in parts of Asia and the Pacific. Many of these techniques however, do not commonly use lotion or oil for practical reasons. To cross the slippery slope of combining lubrication with foot-based bodywork, structural support is imperative. Keralite Massage and Ashiatsu are two elegant expressions of this combination that use an overhead rope or a bar for balance.
In using our feet as massage tools, we begin to discover a whole new realm of dexterity in our soles and toes, opening up a much wider range of body mechanics as practitioners. It might take some time, but with patience and dedication, you will soon begin to perceive your feet as coordinated, nimble and capable tools.
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