It is considered that being born as a human is the most privileged birth, as there is much a human can do well to the Universe than many other kinds of life. It is also because humans have a valuable gift of acquiring knowledge and also spreading this positive knowledge. The human body is an entity which conveys all the virtues of the world, the eyes shower compassion, the hands offer protection and also offer service, the heart spreads love, while the mind holds the uppermost sources of knowledge through which the virtues of a human personality shine.
Out of these, the feet are the ones which maintain the coordination among all and bond us with the magnetic strength of Mother Earth, as they keep us connected to Mother Earth all the time. This strength has positive energy which is passed on to our feet and through which it passes on to all our other parts. Hence bowing to the feet of our elders represents bowing to the positive energy of Mother Earth.
Since times immemorial, our Sanatana Dharma taught us the custom that the younger ones bow to the feet of the elders. By bowing to their feet, we respect the knowledge they have gained. When we lay our head on the feet of our elders and bow to them, the positive energy from their feet passes into our brain. Through this gesture, we accept not only their blessings, but also their knowledge, experience and the positive energy through which they faced the various challenges of life. This also reflects the virtue of humility which is the most important of all.
In the Ramayan, Lakshman never sees face to face with Mata Sita, but instead always looks at her feet and talks. He also had a practise of bowing to Shri Ram’s and Mata Sita’s feet daily before starting his day. Through this act of respect, he lets know that servitude and humility start with bowing to the elder’s feet. For the same reason, when Shri Ram asks him about the jewellery of Mata Sita given to him to Sugriv after she was abducted, Lakshman says that he could only recognise the anklets of her feet and nothing else.
Another scientific reason which our Sanatana Dharma states for the same is that while we bow down to touch the feet, all our nerves, muscles and limbs of the body get extended, through which the blood circulation becomes free and reaches all the parts of the body. This improves mind stimulation.
Our Sanatana Dharma mentions three ways of bowing to the feet. The first one is to bend down and touch the hand fingers to the feet of the elders, the second to sit on the kneel down and touch the feet and the third one where we touch the head to the feet while bending down or lying down completely on the ground popularly known as the Sashtaanga Pranaam. Bowing to the feet is surrendering of ego, attitude and arrogance. Accepting the positive vibes of life with the blessings of the elders is the best way to start our day with.