Picture the human body as a tree, where the torso and abdomen represent the trunk, the upper limbs are the branches, and the lower limbs are anchoring the tree into the ground. Our feet can be seen as the place that connects to the Earth, and from where the roots grow and descend. The feet, much like the roots of the tree, are very important in maintaining balance! Therefore the feet can be very important in helping to restore balance when things get out of “alignment” within our bodies.
The ankle and foot complex contains 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons and ligaments. Considering both feet, that makes a total of 52 bones, making up about a quarter of all bones found in a fully grown adult body. In TCM, the feet are where the leg yin (Kidney, Liver, Spleen) channels begin and where the leg yang (Gallbladder, Stomach, Urinary Bladder) channels end. That’s 6 meridians that reach the feet, each of which has more than 60 acupuncture points. This means that the feet have points that correspond to many parts and organs of the body in both physical and spiritual ways.
In both ancient and modern times, doing a foot soak is a practice amongst the Chinese as a form of daily health care because of the powerful health benefits that addressing the feet can have on the entire body. Simple soaking can be surprisingly effective.
In TCM, soaking your feet daily promotes blood circulation and enhances the flow of energy in your body. A daily hot water soak is enough for healthy people who sweat quickly. Soaking with mineral salts helps to detoxify, relieve pain and reduce inflammation. Or, soak with Chinese or Western herbs for different therapeutic effects. Herbal soaks can be beneficial to those with chronic stomach inflammation, high blood pressure and stroke patients. Soaking until there’s a sweat can relieve symptoms of cold, flu and menstrual cramps. Foot soaks are also especially wonderful during these cold & frigid times.
If you are interested in how to use a foot soak to meet your individual health needs and goals, book a consultation with one of our practitioners at EAWB today!
