-->
“Although we walk all the time, our walking is usually more like running. When we walk like that, we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth […] Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet. We have caused a lot of damage to the Earth. Now it is time for us to take good care of her. We bring our peace and calm to the surface of the Earth and share the lesson of love. We walk in that spirit.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step
As mentioned in several previous posts, I’m a believer in the therapeutic power of a nice walk.
The other night, I was introduced to a “free Thai foot massage”. We arrived at this park, passing a bunch of buff dudes doing their muay Thai training stuff, then came upon this little winding pathway composed of thousands of tiny stones.
I removed my shoes and started to walk across. The beginning had smoother stones that began closer to the ground. I worked over those quickly to find that as the path continued, the stones were progressively raised to little rounded points and spread out, thus creating a very uncomfortable experience for my feet.
I noticed a little old man ahead of me, who appeared to be moving at a glacial speed, or not at all. So after observing the man, I slowed my pace to what might look like a halt, closed my eyes, breathed in, out, and smiled. As I rolled each foot from the heel to the toes, I mentally scanned each pressure point and imagined exactly where every rock was digging in. As soon as one point was identified, I began to lift off the rock and displace with more weight in another area.
Before, I was just rushing over the rocks like some obstacle I wanted to get out of the way in order to get to “happy feet” at the end. After changing my approach, I found my “happy feet” with each mindful step. I felt the intensity of each rock, but rather than seeing them as nuisances, the rocks began to awaken not only the nerves in my feet, but throughout my body and how I carry myself. Correcting my posture and aligning my head over my shoulders over my knees and toes, I felt like I was kissing the Earth with my feet.
The next day, I headed west from the city into the jungle. Craving intimacy with nature, I hiked barefooted through the jungle and waterfalls. Kissing the Earth.
This electrifying feeling reminds me that having a harmonious yet mutually vulnerable relationship with the earth is really the only way to have sustainably “happy feet”.
