Our feet not only connect us to the earth, they support our entire bodies, bearing the weight of so many daily activities, and, somehow, keeping us balanced and upright whenever we need them. Yet, after all they do for us, we mostly neglect them. We stuff them in shoes and forget about them.

In fact, for many of us, there is no other body part we abandon more. Our feet are commonly fit into spaces too narrow or too wide, where our toes learn to bow in toward each other and our arches begin to collapse. We can even, unknowingly, restrict blood flow.

This is why Yoga for our feet can be so healing and helpful. The sooner we start, the better. It is all about stretching and balancing them, reconnecting with each of our toes, and sending our breath there. Through awareness, we can learn to communicate and care for these overlooked body parts properly.

By stretching and flexing the feet, we improve their health. We can help our practice and our postures by teaching our toes to spread wide and learning to balance on all four corners of each foot, which will increase our stability on and off the mat.

There is also something to be said, spiritually, for having a firm, healthy base beneath us. As I mentioned above, we connect to the earth with our feet. When we are standing strong we feel steadier mentally and emotionally. It is when we have strong roots that we begin to feel free to explore the other facets of ourselves and become more likely to take risks.

To use the power of Yoga for your feet, start by grounding through them as you often do in Yoga class. Place both feet hip width apart, and send your attention there so you can feel where you are or are not touching the floor or earth. You should feel a small amount of air beneath your arch and between the pads of your toes and the large pad of each foot.

Then, work on spreading your toes apart and stretching them forward, to see how close you can get to eliminating the air between each toe and the floor. Work, first, with your right foot, then your left. Try moving all the toes together at once, then see how much more you can spread and stretch each individual toe.

Next, starting with your right foot, lift all the toes off the ground. Gently, slowly and patiently see if you can replace them on the floor one by one, starting with the pinkie toe and working up to the big toe. Then lift them again in reverse order and set them back down, starting from the big toe and working down to the pinkie toe. Repeat this entire sequence on your left foot.

Inhale, stretch your arms over your head and exhale into a forward bend. Bend your knees slightly if you have to, and reach for your toes, lacing each finger of each hand between the toes on each foot and manually spreading and stretching them. Don't forget to feel the stretch in your calves and thighs, as well. Work the feet as long as feels good to you, then inhale your way back up.

Come to a seated position, either on the floor or in a chair, and bring one ankle up toward your body. Gently massage the foot from the top to the bottom, working with each toe, from the pad down. Pull and stretch each toe once more, then switch feet.

Working with your feet in this way may feel new to you, but you will no doubt discover how revitalizing it can be for your entire body. Remember, these two limbs carry your entire load. They are packed with muscles and bones, and, when we think about it, they're incredibly fragile and exposed.

So, why not give them a little extra time and care once in a while? When our feet become more stretched and healthy, we will find ourselves less likely to choose shoes which are painful or damaging. We will also gain better control, surer footing, and a stronger sense of balance.

Just like the rest of our bodies, our two weight-bearing parts need tenderness and care. When we use Yoga to soothe and heal them, we send them our good intentions and allow them back into our awareness. From there, we can make sure they stay healthy enough to support us for a long time to come.