Feet

A few years back I began a ritual.  After reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Miracle of Mindfulness, I wanted to create practices that reflected mindful action. I decided on my feet.  Each morning I bring both feet together as I sit up from sleep, then plant them side by side - both soles at the same time - on the floor beside my bed.   For one inhale and exhale, I look at my ten toes together and then rise to standing being aware of the muscles and sensations as my ambulatory appendages set me out on my first step of the day.

 

The noun feet is defined as a plural of foot, which offers nothing of information.  Thereby I list the definition of foot found also at dictionary.com.
1.  (in vertebrates) the terminal part of the leg, below the ankle joint, on which the body stands and moves.
2.  (in invertebrates) any part similar in position or function.
3.  such a part considered as the organ of locomotion.

 

On Easter, my dawn habit slowed me even more.  At this time in my neck of the woods, the air is full of multiple expressions of seasonal and doctrinal reality proclaiming light arising from the darkness, life springing forth from the death of cold ground, singing and celebrating imbued with the fragrance of lilies and the promise of budding trees. 

 

Imagine your day’s first standing scenario as if rising from the dead not just from a night’s sleep.  Two feet that were still and listless, perhaps chilled, planting on the ground and finding steadiness walking into the day motivated by breath:  Get up.  Wake up.  New life.  Get going.  Feel you’re awakening mindfully and with awe. 

 

Bearing the weight of legs and body, guts and brains, our pair of peds perform much important work just by holding us up.  How awesome is it that we can stand up from sleep?  Feet may still be tired, feasibly achy from the previous day’s path, perhaps injured by a crucifixion?  In need of some TLC?  Unsure and perhaps slightly unsteady?  Aged and changed with time?  Marked with memories of races run, pregnancies puffed through, glass stepped on, shoes submitted to or never afforded?  Nonetheless purposefully poised to stride into the day as it is.    

 

I sincerely hope these men would be flattered and amused by their presence together, two thoughts joining mine about feet.

 

You have brains in your head.  You have feet in your shoes. 
You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.  You’re
on your own, and you know what you know.  And you are
the guy who’ll decided where you go. 
                                                                             –Dr. Seuss

By reading the scriptures I am so renewed that all nature
seems renewed around me and with me.  The sky seems
to be a pure, a cooler blue, the trees and deeper green. 
The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel
fire and music under my feet. 
                                                                            –Thomas Merton