Many of us move through our entire life without ever really asking these questions. Mainly because we were taught not to inquire much beyond the basics of whether or not we've had the right education, acquired a decent job and are properly settled into a "stable" relationship. Well, I think we have all realized that life doesn't really fit into those neat little boxes anymore. Did it ever really?
Yet, I wonder how can we begin to know where we stand when most of us don’t even know our own feet? How can we move from the periphery of our lives in the swell of the center without knowing how to stand? So without getting too heady, let’s get down to practicality.
GROUNDING
In order to begin to get a sense of where you are you have to be grounded in your body. To be grounded in your body you have to learn to stand well and in order to stand well you have to connect to your feet. The health of your feet plays a vital role in the well being of the rest of your physical structure and the mind follows the body. Overall maintaining both toned and flexible feet can not be overemphasized, for when our ability to stand well on the four corners of our feet is compromised, and this happens when the muscles of the feet are tight and inflexible, it affects alignment throughout the body up through the knees, hips and lower back. Many people I have worked with have discovered that resolving foot issues helps to resolve issues in the knees, hips and back. It all begins with a stable AND responsive base.
PRACTICE: Standing on the four corners of the feet
Come to a standing position, preferably with your feet on the bare floor. Take a moment to notice when the majority of your body weight rest on your feet. First observe the distribution from the ball of the foot and the heel. Does your weight settle back or forward? Then observe the inner edges and the outer edges of your feet. Does your weight settle to the inner or outer edges of your feet? First observe, and then adjust. Distribute the weight of your body evenly between the ball and heel and the inner and outer edges off your feet, specifically, between the ball of the big and little toes and the inner and outer edges of your heels. Now lift all ten toes off of the ground, spread the toes wide, and feel for spreading the bones of the feet. When you place your toes down, keep stretching them apart, imagine you had some smooth stone from the beach to place between the webbing of the toes (or actually do it). You’ll probably begin to feel a lot of sensation in your feet that you didn’t realize was possible. Stay with it and play with the idea that your toes can articulate like your fingers.
NOW BACK TO THE HEADY STUFF
Now that you exploring where you are from a a more clear base, NOW ask yourself: What areas of your life are you only comfortable on the edge, where are you coming toward the middle and what part of your life do you feel fully at home and able to hold the space in center stage? It's likely that area you feel most able to move into the center is the place you've put most of your energy developing. Now identify one or two areas of your life that are less organized and therefore most likely less comfortable, where you are skirting around the edges to get by.
So, how can you more fully evolve your relationship to yourself this year, so that you are bringing more of yourself, with more ease toward the center of more of your life? For me this has meant reclaiming my personal practice, juice feasting, dancing the five rhythms, exploring what archetypes are guiding which areas of my life. And asking the question: does this really work for me? What may have worked at one point in my life might not be so optimal anymore. We can't know until we ask. So ask yourself, do you really want to live this one big beautiful life on auto pilot?
PRACTICE: Feel into the area of your life where you live at the center. What do you feel in your body when you consider that area of you life? Does your body feel at home and you breath at ease? Take that imprint, that biofeedback if you will, and ask what would help you generate that feeling other areas of your life that may be less evolved. Keep moving toward that body feeling of ease.
By engaging in this process you begin to take steps toward connecting to the world in a more integrated and meaningful way. Embrace your existence on this planet with joy, exuberance and above all else, with the awareness that we’re all in this together. It all begins one step at a time.
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