Photo taken from the top of the EMI Music Building London, where l used to teach privately on Monday evenings, loved that gig! And Simon Cowell did not attend!
This week my friends, something arose in me amongst life’s curve balls, clearing and organising my creative space and oh yes entertaining!
A new poem that just cracked me open as l was writing it. Taking me by surprise with tears dropping. Not sure why now and where it exactly came but it’s overwhelming presence was so strong that l was even writing it as l was still in bed on my phone notes!
As l was reading the words back to myself, they just seemed to take on a life of their own, possibly what some might to refer to as “getting the creative juices flowing”. However, this experience permeated a strong realisation and reminder on why we should stop and pause every now and then. As we do so we are giving ourselves permission and the opportunity to celebrate and be proud of all our achievements. In the process cultivating a kindness towards ourselves and giving gratitude for how far we’ve actually come and to say out loud ‘well done me’.
Firstly, let us start with the poem, affectionately entitled My Tiny Feet.
My Tiny Feet
Look how far we’ve come
In unison
Through the rugged terrain of life
My tiny feet
Travelling the globe
Treading many unfamiliar steps and pathways
Allowing me to see the world
Thank you my tiny feet
For carrying the weight of my soul and so much more
Always there to ground me
In the remembrance of who I am
Silent heroes
Thank you my tiny feet
With me at the beginning until the end
Like a familiar friend
A different type of gratitude arises
Thank you my tiny feet
For all our adventures and the reassurance
On the trek of life
Thank you my tiny feet
salemaveliu©2024
The many footsteps l’ve taken along Venice Beach, CA over the last. two decades.
SELF CARE PRACTICES AND REFLECTION FOR FEET
Typically when l think about feet, l usually think of pedicures and/or corns. A keen fan of reflexology. l’ve learn’t a lot about my blockages via my feet as well as my overall physical and mental health. For example, did you know (corns are said to reflect deep rooted levels of anger and stubbornness).
Prompts for self enquiry
So when was the last time you really looked at your feet?
The underside, the heel, the ball, general skin condition, nails (without polish)?
What can or are they telling you?
l know l could give my feet more love than l do, foot scrubs, and overnight makeovers! Now a better work in progress.
Teaching Yoga for over two decades and spending most of my days in bare feet, flip flops or Uggs, maybe my feet are doing better than most!
CHANT for Finding your feet in a unsteady world
Reflecting on feet, the other self enquiry that came to mind was:
‘How grounded am I?’
With everything going on in the world, it can become very easy to get distracted by the overwhelming white noise, chaos and fear. In this times therefore, it becomes essential to cultivate ways to ground ourselves to navigate uneasy times.
One tool l have found super helpful has been to chant mantra’s. Particularly from the yogic text of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. While training with Jivamukti Yoga one of the first chants learn’t and used frequently in my subsequent classes was the following: particularly helpful if you are feeling overwhelmed and unsteady.
This chant serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between stability and ease, effort and surrender, in both yoga practice and life at large. In adapting these principles, we can cultivate greater mindfulness, resilience, and well-being, both on and off the mat. As we navigate the complexities of modern living, may we find inspiration in this ancient sutra, guiding us towards a life of harmony, balance, and inner peace.
Eastern teachings on where Inner Energy + Matter collide = Chakras + Humans
From a holistic healing viewpoint, the CHAKRA system is said to contain many of the answers we seek to understand ourselves; patterns and behaviours that influence how we interact and function. Originating in India over four thousand years ago and featured in many yoga texts. It is an ancient healing system based around our unique energy the meeting of physical and spiritual here on planet earth.
A very brief introduction follows if you haven’t heard about the Chakra system before.
Invisible in nature, Chakra’s (which they are seven and in Kundalini yoga eight) are spinning vortex’s of energy depicted in different colours to represent their relative placement and resonance to certain states of consciousness and emotions. If your new to entertaining this idea, then try and picture this, imagine your spine and either end of that, in this theory the spine is depicted as a tube referred as Sushumna Nadi.
We are focusing on just the first one today which is referred to as ROOT Muladhara, where the ELEMENT is EARTH located at the base of the spine. Representing survival, self preservation, stability, grounding, trust, prosperity, robust physical health, to be in the moment-present. However, the shadow or negative aspect of this Chakra is yes you guessed it FEAR.
In the physical practice of YOGA all standing poses are beneficial for strengthening this positive attributes of this Chakra.
Some other postures (which there are many) that may also be helpful to strengthen your tenacity (of purpose) are the following:
Childs Pose
Mountain Pose
Squat Pose
Standing Forward Bend
Bridge Pose
Photo taken from the top of the EMI Music Building London, where l used to teach privately on Monday evenings, loved that gig! And Simon Cowell did not attend!
WALKING MEDITATION
Is particularly good for stress and anxiety and the good news, any age can do it and you don’t have to be a yoga practitioner!
The great thing about walking meditation is that it can be done inside or outside. For the purpose of this post today, l’m going to talk you through an indoor practice as it was one of the first learn’t before l ventured outside to practice.
SIMPLE INDOOR WALKING MEDITATION PRACTICE
I remember one of the first walking meditations l learn’t was on my yoga mat.
Walking from the back to the front and then walking backwards to the rear of my mat. Surprisingly simple but very effective.
Really this practice is about cultivating more awareness and attention to your feet.
Lets start, choose where you are going to walk and then follow these simple cues:
While walking you want to practice feeling the roll of the whole of each foot as you walk.
Be aware and try to distinguish when your heel touches down on the ground and when your foot is flat on the ground & when your toe/s points back upward.
Observe any sensations such as a warm sensation or perhaps even pain without judgement, just observing.
If you find your mind wandering , gently return your attention back to your feet.
Train your mind to notice when it drifts and return to the present moment.
To take this practice outdoors go barefoot and feel a greater connection to the ground, this is also lovely to do on the sand.
Share this post