Feet, such strange, unloved little appendages, yet so incredibly interesting when we start to actually take notice of them and how well they respond to stimulus.
How do you feel about your feet? Whip off your shoes and socks. Really look at your feet. Stretch out your toes, flex your ankles up and down, check out the bottom of your feet - what thoughts come to mind?
What we think and how we feel about our feet can offer so much insight as to how we feel about ourselves, and also our life’s journey from past to present. This very insight they reflect is one of the reasons why many people feel so conscious about exposing their feet or rather themselves.
From the colour, texture and temperature of each foot to the structure of our toes, our feet can really tell us so much about our physical, emotional and mental health. There are lots of books about this ‘Language of the Feet’ by Chris Stormer is a great one.
We forget to love our feet. We shove them into socks and shoes which, more often than not, don’t fit very well and so sadly don’t receive the natural stimulus they used to when we walked everywhere bare foot.
By simply allowing our toes to escape a little more - walk on some grass, stroll along a sandy beach, paddle in a river - we can feel so much more grounded, a little more relaxed, a little less stressed and therefore a little more healthy.
Of course city life and western culture does prevent bare foot walking, so another way of loving our feet is through Reflexology. A natural therapy that has been around for a very long time but, much like our feet, has been forgotten about. With stress levels increasing due to our fast paced life these days, we are embracing and reconnecting with ways of offering ourselves stress relief and relaxation.
Reflexology is super relaxing. It is based on this principle that the feet map out the body. By using various gentle massage techniques we can offer the feet stimulus to induce relaxation, release tensions and relieve pain. Through the reflexes we work the whole body to encourage balance and focus on any problematic areas.
So give it a go, get in touch with your feet; you may just be a little surprised at what you find and how you feel. Sarah Groves specialises in fertility support and pregnancy – to find out more ring our Norwich city centre clinic on 01603 665173