Foot Massage

It is a beautiful day in North Idaho--we have had 6 days of constant rain, it was as if there was a blanket of stillness over everyone---but after 6 days the stillness turned to what could be described as a depression. People up here call it being SAD--seasonal depression--and I have never really believed it until now because I have been feeling well sad for the past couple of days as if it was really time to cocoon into my house and wait for the sun to bring itself around again. This morning was the morning that the sun brightened and everything looked magical outside. It was easier to wake up and greet the day, the boys yoga practice had an electricity that was so beautifully luminating and they laughed a lot and everyone had a twinkle in their eye.

This past weekend I had the pleasure of taking a workshop from Sundari a certified Anusara teacher and dear friend of my teacher and mentor Karen--which means that because she is friends with Karen, I loved her already! Sundari is one of those people that the minute you meet her you want to be in her presence all the time as if she holds a special secret about life that if you spent enough time with her would rub off on you............and she does have a speacial secret and it did rub off on all of us. She taught many lessons this weekend that made all of us practitioners feel like we were mining for gold---we would wait, listen, drink in the teaching and then there it was the nugget of gold that transformed our pose and our ability to be in relationship with our yoga practice. LOVE HER!!!!

In honor of Sundari, I decided to bring the foot massage portion of her teachings into the jail today for the boys class---yes I did say the foot massage portion---it was risky, and I was prepared for the this is girly, we don't even need this, you are again the crazy yoga lady-----but instead the boys LOVED!!!! it--they took their socks off for the first time(this is a huge deal) they rubbed their feet the listened with intent and they wanted to know everything about the foot and right there in the multi-purpose room we had a foot anatomy lesson that I know they will share with someone someday. The boys told me that this was the first time that they felt their feet, that they really could feel their arches, that their toes felt lighter and that it felt good to rub their own feet----it must be said that one boy said, "Jen this is going to get us laid isn't it?" Another boy said, "I believe that this foot thing is going to make me the king of women." I just gave them each a smile, and didn't even have to share that yes both boys were correct. ;)

The cool thing was that in that moment of foot rubbing, it was as if they were rubbing their own soul because the boys really softened, their whole demeaner changed and they realized that the smallest and sometimes insignificant part of their body that we all take for granted is our foundation, our transportation, and our most valued asset. These sweet boys have never had anyone tell them it was ok to take the time for themselves to do for themselves something that makes them feel good---today was a beautiful bright day, and it was because the brightness that shone from the hearts of the boys yoga class was luminary.