Embodied Presence starts with consciously standing on our own two feet. The feet are the essential foundation of the human body and our connection to Earth. The feet contain about one-quarter of the total number of bones in the body. One foot has 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than 100 ligaments, muscles, and tendons.

The foot is a complex structure that facilitates a highly nuanced range of felt experience. The feet, along with the hands, mouth, and genitals are some of the most sensitive areas of the body. With more than 7000 nerve endings, each foot gathers information about terrain, temperature, balance, and coordination. The feet work in harmony with the central nervous system to optimize systemic function. Natural alignment and stimulation of the feet benefits the whole body, including the function of all the internal organs.

Two of the most effective ways to encourage dynamic alignment and healthy function of the feet are barefoot walking and self-massage of the feet. Walking and practicing movement arts barefoot will stimulate the natural intelligence of the feet. What might take many hours to learn from a teacher will start to occur naturally. Namely, the bones of the feet will begin to spread and the natural arches of the foot—transverse and longitudinal—will wake up. The strength and sensitivity of the feet will come alive and the life-supporting current of vital energy will flow more smoothly from Earth into the body.

Awakening the feet enlivens Presence through the whole body.

The saying “to have both feet on the ground” is both literal and metaphoric. Literally, it means actually feeling the ground beneath one’s feet. We might say such a person is actively standing. Embodied. Metaphorically, the saying implies that such a person is in touch with reality, engaged with the circumstance of now, through the feeling body. Conversely, one who has “their head in the clouds” clearly does not have “both feet on the ground.” Such a person tends to live in the head and dissociate from embodied experience. This may be the result of trauma, injury, or conditioning; often a combination of the three. The path of healing is a process of re-inhabiting our bodies, learning to feel again, and remembering our place in the web of life. 

We can let our feet show us the way. 

Happy feet, happy human.