In 9 weeks (May 16) Marta and I will be leaving for our 40 day pilgrims walking adventure on the Camino de Santiago.  As we finalize our preparation I am taking the time to be good to my feet.  It has been a long winter in heavy boots and socks and my feet need dedicated exercise and massage to remove the tension, strain and tenderness that has accumulated.  Yoga is a great way to take care of your feet.  Your feet will get a healthy workout in many yoga postures.  Being barefoot and focusing on balancing weight distribution and body alignment is just the start.

For this blog post I have compiled a sequence of 9 yoga poses, and highlighted the different benefits for your feet and lower legs.  I kept the postures easy at beginner’s level so that the focus is on the feet. This yoga practice could be a stand-alone session at the end of a long day, or could be added to the beginning or end of a longer Yoga practice or another exercise routine.

I have followed 2 different approaches in this Yoga practice:

1)       Added additional foot exercises or massage to complement the pose and add more benefits for the feet

2)      Highlight the benefits for the feet of the existing pose, with no additional foot therapy

Please click here to access the report of the sequence of Yoga postures, with pose descriptions, additional foot exercises, foot massage, comments and benefits.  You can print this to guide you through the poses and foot therapy.  If you have not practiced Yoga before or do not have experience with a specific pose, please seek the advice of a local Yoga studio or feel free to submit a comment here on the site.

I hope you enjoy the yoga poses, foot exercises and massage ideas.  I have been practicing this foot therapy for 3 months and I have experienced noticeable improvement in my foot health, including flexibility, range of motion of my toes and relief of foot soreness and cramps.

I have combined foot exercise with foot care routines such as:

• Soaking tired feet in an herbal bath
• Applying a moisturizing and healing herbal foot balm
• Wearing well-fitted comfortable shoes
• Pedicure and general nail care

Be good to your feet and they will give the necessary and improved support for being your body’s foundation and prime mobility tool on the Camino de Santiago.

Buen camino.  Love your feet.  Amo tus pies.

I’d love your feedback! Please leave a link back to your own blog too if you have one, via the commentluv feature here on the site.

Until next time,

Marion