Humbled to (and by) My Feet

by Susan Tate

My left foot has been hurting since early summer. In June I spent two wonderful weeks in Charlottesville, Virginia walking everywhere in cute little sandals that provided absolutely no support at all. I somehow assumed they were good for my feet since I had paid so much for them.

I came back home and took daily walks on the beach as I enjoyed our awesome summer weather in Seattle . . . and rather than wearing tennis shoes, I just wore sandals because it was so hot. I kept feeling increasing pain in my left heal, my arch, my ankle and my knee—but I ignored it because, after all, I am in wonderful health, great shape, do Nia several times a week and have a great spiritual practice. How could I possibly have foot pain? I ignored it, didn’t speak of it, kept dancing on a painful foot (here’s where the humility enters) and attempted to will away the pain. It didn’t go away. It got so bad I fought back tears as I stepped out of bed each morning. So, those of you who have experienced plantar fasciitis or other foot problems know where this is going. But surely, I, Susan Tate, was not going to develop a foot problem because I take such great care of myself!!!

Well, I was not taking care of myself. After a month and a half of denial, I finally called my Nia friend and Team Northrup colleague Dr. Deborah Kern. She suspected that I had inflammation in several parts of my foot. She suggested orthopedic (baby boomers don’t like that word . . .) lifts for my shoes, some simple exercises and—this was the kicker—rest. Rest? Rest??! I teach Nia four times a week. I needed my feet to walk on every day. Rest? I did schedule myself off from teaching an extra week in August but I still didn’t speak to my Nia students about this foot problem. I was embarrassed, I guess, just unwilling to appear physically weak in any way. Well, how silly is that? I was not modeling the self-care that I encourage all my students and clients to create in their lives.

Okay, in my defense, in my “other life” as a young mother and career woman, I experienced illnesses (mostly, well, ALL stress-related) and had surgical and other accidents that served to get those around me to take care of me for a change. My medical files dating from the 70’s through the 90’s were several inches thick. I was always taking care of others, to the detriment of my own health. Self-care was not in my vocabulary back then. So after reveling for over ten years in radiant health, a part of me just didn’t want to even THINK about being less than 100% healthy. I was done with that other part of my life. Or so I thought.

It was not a wise thing to ignore this pain. Pain is a symptom that something is wrong. Here’s what I have been doing to heal:

1. I awaken each day and flex and extend my feet and do ankle circles before getting out of bed.
    
2. I step out of bed into comfortable, well-cushioned shoes. Ahh, what a difference that has made!
   
   
3. I bought those darn orthopedic inserts for my tennis shoes and wear them everywhere. I just came back from a convention where I wore sassy dresses every day and practical tennis shoes on my feet as I walked the many blocks to the events.
   
   
4. I make castor oil packs (my favorite is the Palma Christi castor oil recommended in the Edgar Cayce Readings) and100% wool flannel to wrap my foot and knee in each night.
   
   
5. I ice and elevate, ice and elevate, ice and elevate my foot as often as I can.
   
   
6. I wear my tennis shoes in my home office rather than going in my bare feet. I’ve been a bare foot girl since childhood so this one is a challenge.
   
   
7. I lovingly cradle my foot in my hands, massage it and talk to it tenderly (okay, this might be far out for one or two of you out there, but I’m admitting everything in this piece so there it is!) “I love you, sweet foot, and I will protect you and love you and nurture you and do everything I can to protect you from pain.” Feel free to talk lovingly to any body part that may need some extra loving.
   
   
8. I'm searching for Superfeet Green shoe inserts. They are available in many sporting good stores and good shoes stores. (Evidently, they are not available in gun shops as I found out when I stopped by a little store that had the word “sports” in the store name.)
   
   
9. I had a healing appointment with a skilled reflexologist this week.
   
   
10. I participated in a powerful “Divine Love” healing at our Team Northrup training in late August. I awakened the next day pain free, for the first time since June. You can check out www.worldserviceinstitute.org for details of this simple healing practice.
    
    
11. I am committing (publicly) to wearing tennis shoes (with inserts) to teach Nia in for the month of September. (To other Nia folks, you know you have ALWAYS been welcome to wear soft-soled shoes in my class as long as they are for inside wear only.)
    
    
12. I have written this article to acknowledge that I have had pain in my foot (and knee) and that I have done something about it and I am healing.

If you have similar foot concerns, there are many options for care that can be added to this list: podiatrists, orthopedic specialists, chiropractors, acupuncturists, cranial sacral therapy, Reiki, Bowen work and other healing modalities that will guide you to your highest healing. You don’t need to do this alone.

Kahlil Gibran said, “And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”  The earth will delight in my bare feet again soon. But in the meantime, I am doing everything I can to completely heal them. Please honor all your body parts! Love them, listen to them and choose a path for healing.