Feets Don't Fail Me Now

---

​ 
​How much do you pay attention to your feet, aside from the occasional pedicure or how they look in your shoes?                                 

​     Can you feel if you tend to put more of your weight onto one foot or to one side of the foot?  Can you feel the effects of your habitual standing posture on your back?  Do you know how to adjust your foot positioning while walking or running, can you feel the effects of that positioning on your knees?  Have you ever worked out your feet the way you work out your arms, chest, shoulders, back, abs or legs?

    The next time you are outdoors in a natural (and safe) setting, take off your shoes and allow your feet to luxuriate in the feel of the grass.  Wiggle your toes, walk slowly across the ground while paying attention to how you can roll from heel to toe in slow motion;  feel for all the bumps and irregularities in your path.  Can you also notice how this slow mindful walking meditation feels in your legs, torso, and mind?

     It's okay if you don't notice anything, keep practicing anyway and see if anything shifts in your awareness.  Contrast how you feel when walking outdoors with how you feel barefoot in your home, the difference between carpet, rug, wood floor, stone.

     Now see if you can coordinate your breathing with each step;  choose a rhythm you can maintain and make your inhale and exhale relatively even in length (or make the exhale a little longer) and as smooth as possible (try not to suck the air in quickly or forcefully push the air out).  For example, if you choose to try a 4 second inhale and 4 second exhale, take the entire 4 seconds to breathe in, and the entire 4 seconds to breathe out (and remember you can breathe out for longer).  Once you have your breath rhythm it's time to try your mindful walking with the breath.

Can you take the entire 4 seconds it takes to breathe in to take one step?  Can you do the same with your exhale?  Can you sustain this practice for 5 minutes, 10 minutes, or longer?  Or do you have the time to forget about time and just practice until it feels like the right time to end it?

When finished, sit quietly for a few minutes and notice the effects whatever they might be.  Smile to yourself, fold your hands in prayer and bow your head, or find another formal way of ending your practice if you wish.  See if you can maintain the feeling of the practice while moving on the next part of your day.  

Repeat!