Takifumi- Stepping Upon Bamboo
It is said that the ancient samurai's would go
off into the bamboo groves and lop off a piece of bamboo. The samurai's would
then split the bamboo piece in half. They would place the piece of bamboo on
the ground with the rounded side up.
It is said that the ancient samurai's would go
off into the bamboo groves and lop off a piece of bamboo. The samurai's would
then split the bamboo piece in half. They would place the piece of bamboo on the
ground with the rounded side up. They would then walk on the bamboo to build
their fighting spirit. This was called takifumi or stepping on
bamboo.Takifumi is a very good
exercise for the feet. All day long our feet are compressed from the forces of
gravity. Walking on bamboo pushes the foot back into shape and decompresses the
foot.I also find it very good for
stamina and find myself better able to balance. I also seem to require less
sleep and wake up ready to go.What if
you don't have easy access to bamboo? Try a piece of 4 inch pvc pipe from the
hardware store. Cut the pipe about as wide as your shoulder width and then
split it in half. Place it on the floor and test
it.There are commercial takifumi
devices like the one produced by Footlex . The takifumi devices are molded
plastic creations that are based on the takifumi
tradition.Or you can find a nice
rounded river rock and step on that. Get two and make your self a set. Keep
going with more rocks and you have a Reflexology Path before too
long.Reflexology Paths are spreading
like a wild fire throughout Asia and Europe. These paths are just now taking
hold in the US. The paths use rocks and logs to simulate the takifumi tradition
and can be quite short to several kilometers
long.But like any exercise you should
gradually increase the pressure. And if you have a foot problem or it hurts a
lot when you try this it may not be the exercise for you. Particularly if you
have a foot problem you should consult your doctor before
proceeding.The next blog I plan to
talk about Reflexology Paths. Or as I like to call it "Disneyland for the
Feet".See you next time. Best of
health.Kevin Kunz
Posted: Fri - November 9, 2007 at 09:23 AM