Foot soak is a powerful technique for inner cleansing in Sahaja Yoga.
A foot soak is a foundational cleansing practice in Sahaja Yoga that utilizes the purifying power of nature’s elements, specifically water and earth. This restores balance to your inner energy system. By simply soaking your feet in room temperature salt water, you can release stress, clear mental clutter, and remove blockages from your subtle energy centers, also known as chakras.
Just as we bathe daily to keep our physical body clean, foot soaking is like a spiritual shower; it helps purify the subtle body composed of energy channels (nadis) and chakras. This technique is simple yet deeply effective in washing away the day’s accumulated negativity, fatigue, and imbalance.
In Sahaja Yoga, we recognize that each chakra is made up of the five causal elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Ether. These elements can get disturbed due to overthinking, emotional strain, unhealthy lifestyle choices, or even exposure to negative environments. Just like a dusty diamond cannot shine until it is cleaned, our chakras cannot radiate their true potential until they are cleared.
That’s where foot soaking comes in; it draws out negativity from the energy system through your feet, allowing your inner energy (Kundalini) to flow more freely and restoring peace within.
Why is Foot Soak Essential for Your Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Health
Releases Stress and Mental Fatigue
Balances Your Chakras
Improves Sleep
Enhances Meditation
In Her immense compassion, Shri Mataji gifted us with this technique, a daily practice to clear out the stress, mistakes, and negativity we absorb unconsciously. Listening to Her explanation deepens not only our understanding but also our connection to the subtle benefits of foot soaking.
Alongside the video where Shri Mataji explains the technique, here are a few more words from another talk where she emphasized the importance of the water element in meditation
“As it is said, everyone must go to bathroom and clean oneself after getting up in the morning. Similarly, for Sahaja Yogis, it is extremely necessary to have foot soaking treatment, at least for five minutes, before going to bed. However highly evolved you may be. It does not matter. You must do foot soaking for at least five minutes. Even I take this treatment sometimes, although it is not necessary for me, so that my Sahaja Yogis will also take to it. It is a very good habit. All Sahaja Yogis must do the foot soaking for at least five minutes. All Sahaja Yogis should light a lamp before the photograph, dip their feet in salted water and sit in this fashion, opening out both palms towards the photograph. If you do this, more than half of your problems would be solved automatically. However busy you may be, it is not difficult to spare five minutes. Within ourselves, there exist many bad tendencies. There are many dark tendencies only within ourselves, which are called negativities. They try strongly to influence.”
Shri Mataji, 29 May 1976, “How to Meditate”, Source from Nirmal Vidya AmrutaLEARN HOW TO DO A FOOT SOAK
Just like bathing or brushing your teeth, foot soaking is suitable for everyone, including children.
Spiritual growth doesn’t need to wait for old age. It can begin as soon as a child learns basic self-care.
Follow this gentle 15-minute guided video to experience the full benefit of a foot soak.
Water is one of the five elements of nature and has the power to cleanse and absorb negativity. Salt enhances the purifying effect, helping to release stress, fatigue, and imbalances accumulated during the day.
Your feet are connected to the energy channels in your body (known as nadis). When you soak them in salt water, you help your entire subtle system clear out and return to a state of balance.