Ever wonder why your neck hurts, why your shoulders cave inwards, or where that low back pain is coming from?

Have you ever asked your feet?

Do you know where or how you distribute the weight of your body while standing, walking, or running?

Ask your feet.

Feel where your feet come into contact with the ground… the all too real, tangible connection between body and earth. This point of communion sets the stage for the rest of your body to make moves within the physical realm.

While this point of connection is maintained, gravity is having its way with the structural integrity of the body. Many of us spend life fighting against gravity, striving to overcome its hold over us, only relaxing when we break this contact point and kick our feet up at the end of the day. What if we didn’t have to work against gravity. What if we could use this force to our benefit?

By aligning ourselves with the natural forces of the universe, we can transcend them. Practice lifting and spreading your toes whenever you think about it to strengthen the arches while rooting evenly across both sides of each foot to give yourself a wide foundation. From the soles of the feet, to the crown of the head, bring your bones to stack and stabilize your structure. When perfect alignment is found in “anatomical neutral” or Tadasana, mountain pose, there is no need to “muscle.” Let go of all effort, and trust the support of your bones to keep the body erect. Move as needed, from this place, of balance and integrity. It all starts with the feet.

It ends with the feet too. When ready to withdrawal and rest for the night, take a moment to thank your feet, give them a little massage to release any built up tensions from the day and surrender to gravity as it transforms into the Earth’s loving embrace, thanking us for a long day’s work.