Last week some bunion pain began in my left foot, on account of having worn boots with wool socks on just way too many rainy days… After trying several different sock, shoe, and sandal variations, with no luck, I despaired as the pain was growing worse each day. Then, on Friday night, while my son was watching a movie and I was folding laundry, it occurred to me that I could try going barefoot and see if that helped… So Saturday I walked to work barefoot, and I worked barefoot all day (at my brother’s outdoor gear shoppe), and I didn’t have any pain!

Elated about my new discovery, on Sunday I went for a walk barefoot. It felt really great… However, upon returning home, I discovered a new problem: now a painful blister had formed on the other foot! I decided to embrace the slogan “no pain, no gain” with the understanding that a few blisters will turn into the calluses I will need if I’m going to continue indulging in barefoot yogini bliss.

There is definitely a certain bliss, like a quirky feeling of freedom, involved in going barefoot. It also feels strange, like I’m forgetting something… and I’m not ready to try going barefoot in certain places  yet, so for now I’m wearing a pair of socks (that look like slippers) when I go out to stores… and I’m noticing that what began as a way to avoid pain is now turning into something else entirely, with a life of its own! Some part of me doesn’t want to go back to wearing shoes. I’m feeling some kind of sweet connection with people around the world who go barefoot, such as the sadhus in India.

My dear friend Pete, who also goes by Yogi Sinzapatos (“Sinzapatos” is Spanish for “without shoes”), often goes barefoot, and I used to think that going barefoot everywhere was just something amusing that my eccentric friend did, but now a whole new world is opening up for Yogini Sinzapatos!!! And the funny thing is, right before I began this blog article, I went on Facebook, and Yogi Pete had just posted this quote:

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”

~ Kahlil Gibran

Synchronicities sprouting synchronicities all over this magical planet! It’s been a good, good day for this barefoot yogini. I hope you’ve all enjoyed yourselves as well.

May all beings be free to kick off their shoes when they feel like it.

Om Shanti (Peace),

Yogini Tejaswini

Photo of Teja’s bare feet walking to work this morning by Teja Shankara.