I’m not sure how long it had been til my mind registered that there was a small bump on my right toe. The registry had been made some time ago, but it was only two weeks ago that I stopped and really looked at it, what was that?

Surprisingly, under closer inspection I discovered  it was a dreaded wart! I’d never experienced any growths, and this one took me aback. Having practiced self-care over the years through high vibe nutrition, keeping the body alkaline,  periodic cleansing and with a deep interest in health, I instantly made a self inquiry into my routine and practices. Where could I have gone wrong?

It was only after doing some research that I found out that warts stem from a virus. Although this  doesn’t rebuke that my immune system might not have been in top shape for the virus to have set in in the first place.

Warts are viral and usually located on the hands or feet. They can enter through broken skin. This is where I put 2 and 2 together – below the toe nail had been a cuticle cut that hadn’t healed properly.

Conventional methods suggest burning, freezing and using invasive (in my view) procedures. So instead I went for the Reference Guide to Essential Oils book. Essential therapeutic oils are said to be mankind’s first medicine. They’re potent liquids that are distilled from plants – including seeds, bark, leaves, stems, roots, flowers and fruit. Because of their potency they are very powerful.

There were a couple of suggestions for warts so I took the principle recipe:

2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 5 drops of cypress and 10 drops of lemon oil. Apply twice daily, and bandage. Keep a bandage on until the wart is gone. From this I made my own concoction using apple cider vinegar, cypress, clove, oregano and cinnamon bark. And followed the instructions.

Two days later I felt a slight tingling sensation every time I applied the potion. A scab had formed right at the top of the wart and I could literally feel the oils working their magic. Within a week  I could safely say that the growth  was gone.

Raw apple cider vinegar (with the mother culture so that it’s living) is also a very powerful natural tonic. My mother swears by it for getting rid of her varicose veins, and together with the oils it made the best natural remedy possible. All from the comfort of my own home.

Self care is an important part of the way I want to live my life.  I want to take responsibility for everything that happens to me – which is what brought me to yoga in the first place. To bring myself closer to being responsible for me. Thank you dear wart for reminding me of this.

Keeping my mat clean (also using natural oils), keeping my feet clean and going to salons for pedicures that are hygienic, are all part of my new Happy Feet Routine.

Toes – with or without warts, I still love my toes…. but so much better without.