Growing up in an Indian culture, you never wore shoes in the house, they were removed at the front door, and you went bare feet or wore slippers or socks in colder weather. In many spiritual traditions, feet represent humility, devotion, and the path of service. In Hindu culture, touching the feet of elders or teachers is a gesture of respect, symbolising the honouring of wisdom. In yoga, the feet carry profound spiritual significance:
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.” ― Mahatma Gandhi.
Many societies were originally bare feet and obviously climate plays a part too. In India, the idea of walking barefoot is also tied to prithvi tattva – the earth element. In yogic and ayurvedic philosophy, direct contact with the ground allows for energetic grounding and balance.
Grounding connects your body to the natural electric charge of the earth, transferring electrons into your body. Some research shows that soaking up electrons can lower inflammation, ease stress, and improve sleep, to name but a few. Many yogis and spiritual seekers prefer to meditate, practice yoga, or perform rituals in bare feet to maintain a connection with the earth’s natural energy. It also reveals a quality of equal status. The same as in the sikh culture so that everyone sits down together to eat and holds no title or status.
Similarly, in east Asian practices such as tai chi and qi gong, barefoot movement is thought to improve energy flow (qi) and foster harmony between the body and nature.
In many buddhist traditions, particularly among monks, going barefoot is a form of ascetic practice. walking barefoot – especially during alms rounds – is not just about discipline, but also about cultivating humility and mindfulness with each step.
Your feet are always talking to you; they have miraculous wisdom and guidance and reveal your health. Your sole and your soul are connected. Rather than manifest physical illness to hear what your soul is calling you to do, you could simply listen to your feet first.
Our feet are the physical and energetic roots of our body. Through practices like Tadasana (Mountain Pose), we become aware of how we distribute our weight, cultivating steadiness and balance. When we stand firmly rooted, we strengthen our Muladhara (root chakra), fostering a sense of safety and stability—both physically and emotionally. They’ll tell you when and where you have an energetic imbalance, and these qi disharmonies are also a reflection of imbalances in your life. According to Ayurvedic philosophy, marma points (similar to acupressure points) on the feet correspond to different organs and systems. Massaging or stimulating these points can promote healing and release energetic blockages.
Our culture and society can feel the ground crack between the feet. A culture can feel the rise and shift and power in the people.
Moving your body with bare feet is so important for foot function. Feet were never designed to be boxed in shoes. Wearing shoes is like wearing a brace on the spine and neck, it prevents natural movement and creates rigidity. It actually changes the neuromuscular activity.
An old football story is that years ago the kit man used to prepare the boot studs and this contributed to injuries and imbalances . An ideal situation is always to have uneven surface to walk on. We have roads and pavements so we are not training the body the same as we did in olden days. Our feet read the ground and respond quickly to maintain balance under all sorts of different conditions. Most people are unaware of the support that the feet give the body mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The feet support the rest of the body.
In order for us to find balance when walking and moving around. The eyes, inner ear (vestibular) and cervical spine work with your feet to provide your brain a dynamic working perception of the environment. Our feet are the physical and energetic roots of our body. When we stand in Tadasana (Mountain Pose), we become aware of how we distribute our weight, cultivating steadiness and balance. When we stand firmly rooted, we strengthen our Muladhara (root chakra), fostering a sense of safety and stability—both physically and emotionally.
We have two streams of information into the body. The quote: ‘Top down , bottom up’ from Paul Chek. Both ends are integrated in the sensory motor regions of the brain to produce efficient movement.
Our feet becomes dumb and dumber the more inhibited and the less movement they get. This is why I insist on toe socks at the studio as it starts to also simulate neutral patterns in a different way. The new revolution of Pilates socks are great profit but do nothing for human health or advancement.
The feet also show dis-ease in the body, including fungus and parasites and diabetes. I know my mother had severe athletes foot years before she was diagnosed with dementia. Her feet reflected her gut. Her HPA AXIS (gut brain) was already in trouble. When we use medication substances to heal the feet, we treat symptoms short term and do not look at deep rooted causes.
As the feet diminish their dynamic ability to read the ground and send accurate information to the brain, the body is left unsupported . I have seen this in so many clients and family members. The grounding of the feet shows the stability in life and psychologically where that clients level of perception of fear is.
You will of seen me walking around the studio and gym in my Vibram five fingers. They are great for me to feel grounded, earthed, secured and stability, especially when dead lifting. However, my personal body could not run in them or run bare foot like Zola Budd . Bare foot running is a completely different conversation and one that I will touch on in another blog.
Weight lifting with vibrams or bare feet shifts psychological states, the same hormones greatly enhance social energy and performance as well. Feet effect the whole body including the spine. Having healthy feet will contribute to your independence. Think of the feet as the base of a temple, our feet support the entire structure of our body. Misalignment in the feet can reverberate upward, affecting knees, hips, and spine. Healthy, aligned feet promote a balanced posture and fluid movement, which supports both our practice and our overall well-being. Like the base of a temple, our feet support the entire structure of our body. Misalignment in the feet can reverberate upward, affecting knees, hips, and spine. Healthy, aligned feet promote a balanced posture and fluid movement, which supports both our practice and our overall well-being.
Bibliography
Paul Chek Media
