I didn’t know what caused it at the time, but I was certain something was wrong. I felt pain on the bottom of my left foot when I stepped on the cool, hard tile in my bathroom. I was convinced this pain could put a serious damper on my ability to move freely and do what I love. 

I was in my 20s and enjoyed the privilege of being pain-free when moving my body—whether I was dancing, hiking, working, or moving freely. Movement settled my often frazzled nervous system, helping to curb the anxiety that might arise when I was feeling overwhelmed or tired. 

When Foot Pain First Appears

When I moved past the fear that I was experiencing and examined my situation, I was able to see what was going on. I helped people living with osteoarthritis every day in my work as a physical therapist. I had seen patients who had experienced surgery to achieve foot pain relief with poor results. In my profession, we often see the worst-case scenarios. We don’t always see the success stories. I wondered if my pain would get worse. I was fortunate to only feel it upon taking my first steps in the morning when barefoot on my tile floor. 

The pain subsided with movement and was imperceptible when I wore supportive walking shoes. What I didn’t know then is that I was at the beginning of a journey that would open my eyes to the unlimited healing potential of the body. This would surpass the mechanisms that were shared with me in the traditional medical system I trained in. It was the beginning of my awareness practice. I started paying attention to, and honoring, my body, mind, and spirit, and in the process, developed a natural foot pain treatment.

How Weak Foot Muscles Contribute to Pain

I took a closer look at my feet and began to recognize that the collapsed arches in my feet were related to laxity of the ligaments that help to support the bones in my body. This was creating irritation in the joints near my toes, causing inflammation and pressure, the source of my pain. I knew I was flexible, but I never considered that the ease in flexibility of my body was not just influencing my muscles. I had a moderate degree of hypermobility that was affecting the stability of the joint structure in my body. 

I was surprised I had never put these two processes together. My clinical education taught about severe conditions that influenced collagen structure that impacted whole body systems. I didn’t realize then, that there were milder forms of connective tissue disorders that could also impact the balance and stability of the major joints of the body. These types of imbalances, coupled with other factors such as poorly fitted shoes and muscular imbalance, could open the door to osteoarthritic pain and dysfunction.

A Natural Approach to Foot Pain Relief

These realizations were coming to me in the early nineties when I was slowly discovering the source of my foot pain. My body had a faulty foundation. It was unstable and in need of support. I researched and experimented. What I was learning helped me recognize that I had lost the strength and support that often comes naturally in a structurally balanced body. This insight helped me to start strengthening the muscles of my lower legs and feet, to look carefully at the footwear that I used, and to continue to experiment.

I developed a series of basic mindful movement practices that specifically targeted every muscle in the lower leg and foot in a gentle way. This practice strengthened the structures and brought them as close to the naturally intended balance in the body. I incorporated these movements and the awareness of my foot and ankle health into my everyday activities. I selected the best-fitting shoes. I kept asking questions and exploring better options. It didn’t happen overnight, but it worked. The muscles in my feet got stronger, my foot and ankle mechanics improved, and my foot pain went away. 

The Role of Breath & the Nervous System

As I worked on developing a natural foot pain treatment, I was also beginning to see the relationship the breath had in positively influencing nervous system regulation. I was doing more than just foot- and ankle-conditioning activities. I was using awareness of maintaining smooth and rhythmic breathing to help me. I noticed I was able to stay calm during the challenge of performing these practices that looked easy, but challenged my coordination. My nervous system seemed to trust the process when I maintained consistent, gentle breathing throughout. It might not have made it easier, but I remember feeling great after doing the work this way. I focused on that feeling and it made it easier to come back to the practice every time.

Integrating Mindful Movement Into Daily Life

My personal experience with foot pain and dysfunction influenced my clinical approach to patient care in so many ways. I began to expand upon and use the breath-centered awareness approach in the treatment programs for my patients with neurological and orthopedic challenges. I incorporated verbal cues to help my patients maintain rhythmic breathing during their conditioning activities to help them stay calm and focused. Over time, I noticed that focused attention on gentle breath during activity positively influenced my clients. I was paying attention to more than just the physical movement and dysfunction within my patients. I started to see the bigger picture, noticing that there was more to each person than just a physical limitation, but an individual who had goals to accomplish. Things that could lead them to an improved quality of life and maybe a little joy and happiness, too. 

A Holistic Path to Long-Term Foot Health

I had been studying yoga lifestyle and movement practices during this time. I realize now that these experiences signaled the expansion of my personal awareness. My personal breath-centered awareness practice helped me recognize what might be the source of my foot pain. This was something that had never been shared with me in the years studying anatomy and physiology in physical therapy school. I personally experienced the importance of improving muscular strength and endurance in all the muscles within the body, not just the large ones that we could easily identify. I realized the muscles in my lower legs and feet were lacking in their strength and ability to support my feet. I was starting to believe that improving my foot strength might be key to solving my foot pain. 

This experience was significant for me and a game changer for the future of not just my feet, but my whole self and the more than 15,000 people I have served over the last 40 years. I didn’t know it then, but I was continuing my quest to find the processes and practices that would help me move into and through my next few decades with grace. I was at the beginning of my creating the integrative practices that would meld my experience in physical therapy, fitness, and yoga. A process that I refer to as “breath-centered, mindful-movement awareness practices.”

It has been more than 35 years, and my feet have had many adventures, but that pain has not returned. I maintain the strengthening and awareness practices to keep my feet healthy and strong, and I share them with as many people as I can.