Having the World at Your Feet

Of course I've heard of reflexology. After all, I live just across a bridge from Marin County, home of everything natural and alternative.

All I know is that a good foot massage is a beautiful thing.

But one of my favorite blogs, Serenity in the Garden, featured something called stone stepping, which many people in China have included as part of their daily health routine for centuries. (Okay, it's not the exact same people who have been walking on rocks for centuries—I'm not claiming that this practice bestows immortality or anything like that.)

But according to studies done at the Oregon Research Institute, walking for a half hour on a path of rounded stones provides health benefits. And there are no risky side effects, unless you run, fall, and subsequently skin your knee.

Why not build little foot chi paths in cities across the country so that at lunch time, everyone took off their shoes and walked on rocks, improving their health and maybe getting a little sunshine or fresh air at the same time?

I bet the expense of installing these around the nation would be cheaper than building a single hospital. And I for one would love to see a bunch of barefooted suits gingerly stepping on stones, literally going in circles.

There would have to be a no-cell phone rule though.

Just a thought.

For more about foot chi paths, see Serenity in the Garden.

For more of Tanya's thoughts on the world at large, see For Words.