Start at the Roots
Your Feet, Your Foundation
A Guide to Foot Health, Alignment & Nervous System Support
Your feet carry you through every step, every season, every transition—yet they’re often the most overlooked part of the body. Let’s return to our roots: understanding how the feet function, why foot pain is so common, and how simple daily rituals can support your entire body from the ground up—creating more ease, balance, and grounding in the year ahead, both physically and emotionally.
A Personal Story From My Roots, My Work, and My Life
When I think about how much our feet hold, I’m taken back to my childhood in Downeast Maine—running barefoot on pine needles, climbing over rocks along the shoreline, and feeling completely supported by the earth beneath me. Back then, I never thought about arches, alignment, or plantar fascia. My feet simply carried me, quietly and reliably, through curiosity and adventure.
Years later, as a massage therapist, I realized just how much our feet tell the story of how we move through the world. I’ll never forget one of my early clients who came in with chronic low back tension. Session after session, nothing created lasting change—until I worked on her feet. The moment I released her arches and calves, her whole body softened. Her breath deepened. She looked at me and said, “I had no idea how much I’ve been holding down there.” I’ve seen that pattern again and again. When we support the feet, the entire system finds more ease.
Motherhood made this understanding even more tender. When Freya was a baby, I would give her little foot massages at nap time—slow circles on her heels, soft pressure along her arches, gentle strokes on her tiny toes. It became our quiet ritual, a way to soothe her body and help her drift to sleep. Now, at three and a half, she still asks for “foot massages” every night. I have officially become the live-in spa she didn’t know she needed. I watch her whole body settle with just a few grounding strokes, and I’m reminded how instinctively the feet respond to care, comfort, and connection.
My Running Story: A Lesson in Listening to Your Foundation
I’ve always loved running. In my twenties, I increased my distance, trained for marathons, and felt stronger than ever—until I got injured. I was diagnosed with tibial tendonitis, and more than one professional suggested I might need to stop running altogether.
But I didn’t want to stop doing something that cleared my mind, supported my emotional well-being, and made me feel alive.
Eventually, I went to a specialty running store where they analyzed my gait. Within minutes, they told me what no one else had: My shoes were not right for my feet.
They fitted me into a different pair, and it was a complete game-changer.
The secure grip around my heels gave me the stability I had been missing, while the extra room in the toe box allowed my toes to breathe and naturally expand with every mile. My legs felt better. My stride felt easier. And for the first time, I started thinking about my feet—their mechanics, their needs, the surfaces I ran on.
That experience taught me something I now share with clients: Before giving up on something you love, try adapting. Sometimes the foundation simply needs better support.
And in my own life, especially during Colorado winters, I feel how quickly my feet can ache from long studio days, snow boots, and the pace of motherhood. Colorado winters will humble even the strongest arches. If my boots could talk, they’d probably say, “It’s us. We’re the problem.” The simple act of rolling them on a ball or massaging warm oil into the soles before bed shifts everything—my breath, my shoulders, even my emotional grounding.
These experiences—from Maine, to the massage table, to motherhood, to running—continue to remind me that healing often begins at the foundation.
Strong Foundations Begin at the Feet
True growth can’t happen on an unstable foundation. It has to rise from something steady, supported, and grounded. The body mirrors this truth perfectly: before the knees, hips, back, or even the breath can find ease, the feet must be cared for. When we begin at the roots—with the feet—we create real, lasting alignment. When the base is steady, everything above it can rise.
The Anatomy: What’s Really Happening in Your Feet
Each foot contains:
26 bones
33 joints
More than 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments
Over 7,000 nerve endings in each sole
No wonder they influence the entire body.
Key Structures:
• Plantar Fascia
A thick band of connective tissue supports the arch. When tight or inflamed, it causes that sharp “first step in the morning” heel pain.
• Intrinsic Foot Muscles
Small but powerful muscles that help lift your arches and maintain balance. When weak, the ankles, knees, hips, and even your low back compensate.
• Achilles Tendon & Calf Complex
These absorb impact with every step. Tight calves increase strain through the plantar fascia and can contribute to knee and hip issues.
• The Arches
You actually have three: medial, lateral, and transverse. When they collapse or stiffen, everything above them adjusts.
Your feet are your body’s shock absorbers, stabilizers, and sensory informants.
When they lose mobility or strength, the entire chain above them feels it.
Why So Many People Experience Foot Pain
I see it every week in my studio. Clients often come in for:
Knee pain
Hip tension
Low back discomfort
Tight IT bands
Poor balance
General instability
…and the underlying issue often begins at the feet.
Common contributors include:
Winter boots with rigid soles
Ski boots
Long days standing or walking on hard floors
Sitting or driving with tight calves
Old ankle sprains
Going barefoot on hard surfaces
Overuse from hiking, skiing, or daily movement
And when the seasons warm up, another culprit shows up: flip-flops. As freeing as they feel, they offer almost no arch support, heel cushioning, or stability. The toes have to grip with every step just to keep them on, which tightens the plantar fascia and overworks the calves. Over time, this can lead to arch pain, shin tension, knee discomfort, and even hip misalignment. They’re perfect for the beach or a quick walk outside—just not for all-day wear.
Foot pain rarely stays in the feet. It spreads upward because your body is always trying to adapt.
The Power of Massage & Ayurveda
Focused foot work during a massage session can:
Release plantar fascia tension
Improve circulation and mobility
Reduce calf tightness
Support lymphatic flow
Restore alignment and gait
Calm the entire nervous system
In Ayurveda, warm oil foot massage—Padabhyanga—is considered one of the most grounding therapies.
The soles of the feet contain marma points connected to major organs and emotional pathways. Warm oil signals to the whole system:
You are safe. You can rest now.
This is especially supportive when grounding, warmth, and slowing down are deeply needed.
Simple Foot Rituals You Can Start Today
1. Tennis Ball Foot Roll (2–3 minutes each foot)
Stimulates fascia and releases tension.
2. Calf Stretch at the Wall (30 seconds each side)
Tight calves are one of the most common contributors to foot pain.
3. Toe Spreading & Lifting
Strengthens intrinsic foot muscles that support your arches.
4. Warm Oil Foot Massage Before Bed
Try sesame or almond oil—nourishing and calming to the nervous system.
5. The Barefoot Balance Test
Stand on one leg for 10 seconds. Wobbling or toe-gripping shows your feet are working overtime.
And if you fall over, welcome to the club. We meet on Thursdays.
When to Seek Support
Consider booking a massage or seeking further care if you notice:
First-step-in-the-morning heel pain
Sharp arch pain
Chronic calf tightness
Knee, hip, or low back tension
Feeling unstable while walking
Foot fatigue during or after activity
These are signs your foundation is asking for attention.
Return to Your Foundation
When you care for your feet, you care for your whole body.
Your posture improves.
Your breath deepens.
Your nervous system softens.
You feel more grounded—physically and emotionally.
A strong foundation creates a strong year.
And if nothing else, happy feet make life at least 12% more manageable.
If your feet—or anything above them—are asking for care, I’m here.
Let’s begin from the ground up, one intentional step at a time.