With so many distractions competing for our attention it’s easy to lose center and feel unbalanced. When we’re constantly reacting to people and situations, we often lose touch with ourselves and our inner guidance. 

Staying centered and grounded is essential for navigating life’s challenges with equanimity. When we’re centered from within, we boost our capacity to make the highest choice possible in each moment, instead of reacting out of stress or anxiety. Our feet play a vital role in this process. As symbols of foundation and support, they root us to the earth, helping us stay connected and steady.

Janna Delgado, yoga teacher at Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, suggests these six practices to help you stay grounded.

Take your shoes off. “The feet are sensory organs,” Delgado emphasizes. “They’re intelligently designed. They communicate to your body and brain and impact the knees, hips, and balance.” Feet are often confined in shoes, which can lead to cramped muscles. “Feet should be as articulate as the fingers and palms of your hands,” she notes. “The more mobile and supple your feet, the more grace you have to move through life.”

Walk barefoot—especially outdoors on uneven, textured surfaces. This builds strength and balance. Most people walk unevenly, favoring the inside or outside of the feet. To stay grounded, Delgado suggests practicing heel-ball-toe walking—known as the tripod points—keeping weight evenly distributed. Pay attention to foot sensations as you walk.

Stand barefoot on the earth. “The earth itself is grounding,” says Delgado. Its energetic frequency and electrons act as antioxidants, counteracting free radicals. Modern indoor lifestyles disconnect us from nature, but Delgado advises “drawing in the rootedness and solidity of the ground.” Earthing has been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve sleep and lower stress.

Try the Standing Mountain yoga pose (tadasana). Stand with feet parallel, hip-width apart, and toes facing forward. Press weight evenly through the balls, arches and heels. Let arms hang, palms forward. Lengthen the spine and gently open the chest. This pose calms the mind and promotes grounding.

Roll a tennis ball under your foot. “This is a deep tissue massage for the sole,” says Delgado. It increases circulation and oxygen, “opening channels in the feet and nourishing the whole body.” It also supports the fascia, the connective tissue that provides internal structure and holds everything together.

Breathe. “The breath is your superpower to regulate your nervous system,” Delgado asserts. “When you change your breathing, you change your physiology.” Shallow, erratic breathing triggers fight-or-flight mode, while slow, deep belly breaths shift the nervous system into rest-and-digest mode.

Delgado stresses that mindfulness is the key, not perfection. “It’s important to really be engaged in your body,” she says. “When you’re embodied, you’re more present in the world.” This connection allows you to access the innate wisdom stored in your body.

Robin Fasano is a regular contributor to Natural Awakenings. Connect at
[email protected].