There are few things in life that I love more than walking barefoot. The feeling of the ground under my feet, the simple act of kicking off my shoes — it’s such a liberating gesture, an anchor to freedom.
Barefoot I know that I can just be.
So as soon as temperatures and environment permit, that’s exactly what I do — walk freely, marvelling at the joy this simple act brings me.
When I was little, my father told me that the indigenous peoples walked barefoot everywhere. I still remember how deeply that fascinated me, and how inspired I was to practise being barefoot wherever I could. As a result, I’ve developed really strong feet that can carry me across all kinds of unlikely terrain.
Walking barefoot has countless benefits. Beyond strengthening your feet and ankles, it supports your balance and is deeply grounding — it helps with anxiety too, because you become so absorbed in feeling what’s beneath your toes: grass, sand, gravel, wooden floors, roots. It heightens your senses and connects you to your surroundings in a way that little else does.
It’s also worth considering what our feet reflect back to us. From a TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) perspective, there is a telling observation: “hardened feet, hardened mind.” The body, as always, mirrors what is happening within. Rigid, tense feet can be a sign of stagnation — of blocked energy, circulation and movement. If your feet feel tight and restricted, it’s worth gently asking yourself: how free do I feel? What might help me feel a little freer?
In my shiatsu practice, I see a lot of feet — and they all have stories to tell. I came to the conclusion feet are a living biography- they tell us where someone moves through life openly or braced against it.
Needeless to say that it’s necessary to give some love to these two often overlooked and underappreciated friends. Here are a few simple ways to do so:
– Massage them regularly with a cream or oil — you can enrich it with essential oils too. I love blending lavender with mandarin, a personal favourite.
– Give yourself a foot bath with Epsom salts to relax and gently detox tired feet.
– Walk barefoot wherever it’s safe to do so and explore different terrains — you might be surprised what you discover.
– To ground and unwind after a long day, try stimulating the Kidney 1 acupressure point. You find it by curling your toes down and notice the hollow that appears on the ball of your foot. This is KD1 a point that also carries the charming name of Bubbling Spring, it’s excellent for grounding, calming the mind and drawing excess energy downward. This is why it’s lovely to stimulate at the end of a long day!
