5 reasons why Yoga is done in bare feet!

New students in my yoga classes often keep their socks on! Eventually, they usually follow the rest of the group and join in with bare feet (and of course, it is always a choice!). But some of you might be wondering....why is yoga done with bare feet? Here are 5 reasons why!

1. Being barefoot allows us to strengthen the feet
Most shoes, and especially athletic shoes, are designed to support and cushion the foot, which is great, but that cushioning effect sometimes prevents stretches and movement that strengthen our feet.
2. Stability
Socks can be slippery! Standing yoga postures need a firm connection to the floor so that you can feel stable and steady in your practice. Yoga mats are made "sticky" for this same reason. We risk injury if we suddenly slip and slide! If your feet are cold or you have some other need to keep your feet covered, then some grippy toe socks are your best bet so that you keep your feet firmly where you put em!
3. Pada Bandha.
Pada what???  A bandha in yoga is a "lock" or "seal" and Pada Bandha is a foot lock. When we feel the feet firmly grounding us to the earth by spreading the toes and lifting the arch a bit in our feet, we root or find stability for the rest of our system. This foot lock or seal cannot be done in a shoe; we need to feel connected to the floor and the earth below us to feel stable, grounded, and supported as we go on to build any standing asana or posture.
4. Respectful transition
Many of us take off our shoes when we enter our homes in order to keep dirt and grime from being tracked into our living space. Taking off our shoes in yoga is a sign of respect as we transition to our mats and shift from being out in the gritty world to being fully present and ready for yoga practice. One other note, it is good manners to avoid walking on anyone else's mat. By doing so, you respect the cleanliness of another student's mat and you recognize a boundary that says 'that's your space.'
5. No special equipment required
Yoga is a practice that has been around for centuries....long before many people owned or wore shoes or socks! Ultimately, yoga is a simple practice for living that we should be able to do anywhere. Sticky mats, blocks, straps, cushions, cute yoga pants and all the rest are mainly creature comforts that we have added along the way to make our yoga practice more comfortable. There's nothing wrong with comfort, but remember that you don't need special footwear or anything else to practice yoga.