Our feet are our foundation, yet we take them for granted and give them little attention except when we’re shopping for fancy or comfortable shoes. They are fundamental to our health and wellbeing so when we start to add self-care into our foot regime, we can be pleasantly surprised at the number of benefits we will experience, which we would never have imagined were connected to our feet.
The Foot Fix
1. Good Posture - As we begin to activate each part of our foot and stand and walk more mindfully, our posture improves. Each segment of the foot connects to other parts of the body, so when we wake up our heels, toes, balls of our feet etc, our body becomes uplifted and we begin to stand straighter.
2. Greater Productivity. Feeling our feet support our body improves our energy and makes us feel more positive - people report greater productivity at work and having more energy to enjoy life. When our feet don’t support our body, our weight drops into them which can drain our energy and make us feel tired. When we stand and walk properly, our creativity and mental focus improves as our circulation flows from the ground up.
3. Health Benefits. Each part of our foot has reflexes which correspond to other parts of the body. The more we get each part working for us, the healthier our vital organs will become as well as our brain, sinuses, eyes and spine.
4. Walking Benefits. Swelling in the ankles and legs begin to go away when our feet become stronger. Our gait improves too as we stop our repetitive stress patterns and collapsing into our ankles and feet as we learn new ways of walking.
5. Aches & Pains Disappear. When our feet are working the way natured intended, suddenly the aches in our knees, lower back and hips become a thing of the past. People are amazed how chronic common pains in those areas are connected to the feet. We no longer have to accept restricted movement as we age, so as we begin to move easily through all the parts of our feet, the joints above will no longer bear excessive weight into them.
6. Mindfulness. When we take up the four-week Foot Fix program we become more mindful about how we use our feet, so when we are waiting in a line, we can instantly check our feet and begin to wake them up. Suddenly that long supermarket queue becomes a positive experience rather than a frustrating one.
7. Reverse Genetics. Genetic problems in the feet are considered something we have to live with. If our parents have flat feet, or bunions, or hammer toes the belief is that we will too and it is something we just have to accept. The good news is that we do not have to repeat family genetics. Once we know what the problem is we can start early and train our feet so history doesn’t repeat itself. The structure and function of our feet can be changed with knowledge and practice, so giving our feet some attention benefits our whole body in a way that we would never have imagined.
Yamuna Zake is the author of The Foot Fix, out on January 12th and is available on Amazon and in all good book stores. Yamuna Zake is a visionary healer dedicated to demystifying the body and providing simple, powerful tools to make lifelong fitness a reality for everyone. She has trained an international network of 800 certified practitioners and hosts sell-out foot-fitness classes around the world for clients of all ages. Her work has been featured internationally in magazines such as Vogue and Oprah, in newspapers and on TV. She is also the author of The Ultimate Body Rolling Workout.
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