Listen to the Messages from Your Body

Have you ever worn a pair of shoes that pinched your toes or hurt your feet? What about a pair of high heels? Do you immediately throw out these enemies of your body because they betrayed you? It might depend on how much you like how these shoes look or on how much you invested in them. Is our mind smarter than our bodies? Our mind is influenced by our cultural programing and by our ego (our idea of who we are). We want others to perceive us in a certain way and we want to see ourselves as attractive and valued by societal standards. But at what cost?

Once upon a time in China (starting in the 10th century and lasting until 1912) women practiced foot binding. This involved breaking toes and mutilation of the arch and other structures of the feet. Then they bound their feet in tight cloth to maintain minimal foot size which was a symbol of elite status. The most desirable women had feet measuring only 3 inches. Women with a feet messsuring over 5 inches were dismissed as undesirable marital options.

The female ideal of beauty has often been associated with pain. Victorian women squeezed their bodies into corsets compressing vital organs in order to achieve the tiniest waists. And in modern times we pluck and wax hair away and inject our faces. Are we smarter than our bodies? Isn’t pain our body’s alarm system to protect us from danger? YES! Pain is information. Your body will whisper messages to you when it needs love and attention, when these messages are ignored it has to scream to make us listen. You may think foot binding is an extreme example, “no one does that anymore”. However, we continue to ignore signals from the body in order to “fit in” or be liked and desired.

The next time you choose a pair of shoes to accessorize your outfit please listen to your body. Heels of any kind alter the mechanics of our bodies. Heels put stress on the lower back, knees and hip flexors. They also negatively affect the structure of the achilles tendon and the pelvic floor. Your feet are the foundation of your body. Foot health, strength and mobility correlate with not only a more efficiently functioning body but also with a sharp mind. Yes, you read that correctly, foot mobility also affects your Mental Health. A current protocol to prevent and/or decrease the symptoms of Dementia and Alzheimer’s include using a toe spacer 10 mins daily. The longest nerve in the body goes from the brain to your toes, when you spread your toes you are activating the nerves in the feet. Brain and body are connected. In addition, functional feet and mobile toes also improves balance and stability which are essential for longevity.

Am I telling you to never wear heels or uncomfortable shoes again? No. You decide what you wear, and wear whatever makes you feel best. But, maybe listen to your body. Your body has a deep wisdom and always tells you the truth. Plus, you can pull off wearing anything, especially whatever is most comfortable, ITS CALLED CHARISMA!