My feet are my meal ticket. Sure I could dance without ‘em – I once had an amazing mentor who could pull quadruple pirouettes on one leg…he only had ONE leg! But really, I don’t want be at that point unless I have to – yaddida?
Being at Burning Man is a slap in the foot. For us grounded bare-foot walkers, the intensely dry alkaline silt may feel good between our toes for a day or two but can lead to serious playa foot if left untended for longer. Playa Foot is an infirmity unique to the Black Rock Desert. It can most easily be compared to a chemical burn. Symptoms range from dry, cracked feet to intensely chapped, bleeding feet that hurt to walk on. Trust, this is not something you want to have during one of the most epic celebrations of the year.
While I frolicked barefoot most of the week without too much chafing, I did manage to catch a few unlucky buddies at what seemed like some pretty bummerific times. The on-site cure is easy; A little vinegar goes a long way. The magic however, is in the decompression/rejuvenation time you get to enjoy post-playa.
The burners at my co-op loved the baths I drew for them. Packed with yummy things found around the home, you too can de-playafy!
Post-Playa Soak
A hot bath is drawn with:
2 cups of vinegar
fresh mint leaves
arnica
a few drops of tea tree oil
fresh rosemary
epsom salt
** muddle all herbs before hand in order to release their full scents and capabilities**
And if you’re not into gettin’ all DIY for some reason – Mom sent me some amazing salts from the Landmade Co. a while back. While I haven’t been able to hunt much of anything down online the company can be contacted here.
This group organically grows or conscientiously collects the herbs they use in their products, they stay away from artificial components and works hard to help transform the mundane routine into rituals of health and healing. Can’t go wrong with that! I used the Arnica/MSM Therapeutic Mineral Salts and fell in love!
Happy Decompression!
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