I have a daily habit that I love doing every single morning. I am so proud of cultivating this habit because not only is it a great way to prep my body for the day, but it feels awesome as well.
Every morning, I get ready for my day in the bathroom--brushing my teeth, combing my hair, etc. Right next to my toothbrush (so I don't forget) I keep a little, round rock. When I grab my toothbrush, I also take my rock and plop it on the rug by my feet. While I'm brushing my teeth, I'm also rolling my foot around on the rock. I can break up any crunchy spots, hang out on areas that feel extra tight, wiggle my toes, and just work the rock across the bottom of my feet. By waking up all the stiff muscles and joints, my feet are stoked to spend another day carrying my body around. And since I’m brushing my teeth at the same time, it doesn’t even take up extra time in my morning routine.
Even though this foot mobilization time is pretty short and not always done very mindfully, the fact that I do it every day is what makes a big difference. I've done it for years now, and all that has added up to create change. It's not the only self-care I do for my feet, but it is the one thing I do most frequently. Our bodies are shaped by the movements we frequent the most.
What kinds of things do you do every single day? Do you put on clothes, make your bed, drink a cup of coffee, walk the dog? If you read statistics that say things like 'people spend almost a year of their life on the toilet'--then you can see how all these little daily things add up. If you are trying to add movement or self-care into your life, this is the place to do it. Attach a new habit you want to cultivate to one already firmly established. I knew that I already find time every day to brush my teeth. Once I put my rock right there on the counter, it was easy to incorporate a bit of foot mobility work into my routine. What if all our little daily routines could also be rich with self-care practices?
