Hold Your Child’s Feet

Dear friends,

Our children and even grandchildren, your neighbor’s children, children everywhere are feeling the overstimulation from the technology world.  It’s the new norm to see children under five holding a computerized device in their hands while the mother is shopping or a family in a restaurant eating dinner with everyone scrolling their phones. Distraction, distraction, distraction is what is being taught to children and yet they are being asked to pay attention, look you in the eyes or settle down when asked. That’s like giving someone sensitive to coffee a full pot then asking them to sit down and meditate! I am not bashing technology, I am simply concerned about the nervous systems of our children ( collectively speaking).

Modern life has brought us a near constant activation of the nervous system. This doesn’t mean it is healthy. Neuroscientists often describe the nervous system as our master computer. But unlike real computers that go on “sleep” mode, our bodies don’t know how to do that. What can we do?

One simple way to help a child’s nervous system is to hold their feet. Nothing complicated here. Simply take your right hand on their right foot and your left hand on their left foot( that means your hands are crossed over- your hands turned under so you are comfortable). Children love this. It’s grounding and centering. You can even add an essential oil like vetiver, or lavender, or nothing for that matter to keep it simple. Just be present for the child with your attention at their feet. If you’d like to add a massage you can. But just hold the feet and feel the energy in your hands moving to their feet. You can do this for a few minutes. Try not to get to0 left brain about it, it’s a no-brainer actually, just feel the feet and feel the love.

The feet in both Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine are a map of the internal organs so by touching or rubbing the feet you are affecting the whole body, brain, spinal cord and nervous system.

This simple approach ” hold your child’s feet” is very loving nurturing and even transforming- much needed in our modern hectic lives. It’s a lot more effective than verbal confrontations. Hopefully, they will be asking you first after the first few times. And Ps. They are never too old. When our children visit I always do this before they leave.

with fierce love,

Gedalia