Ode to Feet

Remember that Donovan song from the Sixties, “I love my jeans, I love my jeans, my jeans are so comfortably lovely…”? Well, even if you don’t, that’s how I feel about my feet. And it’s not because my feet are especially beautiful (as you can see, above). It’s because they serve me so well.

            I’ve been thinking about feet lately (perhaps because it’s finally getting warmer), and what I’ve been thinking is how important these underrated appendages are.  But they really are amazing. In yoga class, we make a big deal about feet. We plant our feet firmly on the ground in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), spreading our toes. Our feet are our foundation. We rely on our feet as we stand in Tree Pose, or settle into Triangle. Even when we’re standing on our heads or our hands, the feet are part of the pose.

            Toes are worth recognition, too. One of my yoga colleagues broke his little toe a month or so ago, and I’ve not seen him since. Without that toe, he’s not able to practice yoga. He can’t run, either—his favorite pastime. Another friend was in a car accident yesterday, and oddly, broke her foot. Nothing else was damaged (except her car), but now she’s home on crutches. Feet and toes are nothing to scoff at.

            Feet can appear to be happy, sad, or angry. I’ve come to this conclusion in yoga class, where we are required to be barefoot. Some practitioners have lovely feet, but many more have feet that—you can just tell—have been through a lot of ups and downs.

            I’ve always been a shoe person, as my friends will attest, but I’ve never actually been a foot person, until recently. I took my feet to the beach a few weeks ago and wiggled my toes in the ocean (seen above). And though I used to disdain pedicures, lately I’ve been indulging. Why not treat our feet well, after all? Look at how much they do for us.

            Maybe it is a little odd to be writing about feet, but in my humble opinion, the topic is far more fascinating than the sex life of say, certain politicians. As a footnote, I’ll end with a quote from Theodore Roosevelt: “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” Sounds like good advice to me--unless, of course--it's inversion time at yoga class.