The first step in Zen practice is not to disregard anything, including one's shoes. Usually we pay little attention to the world we live in, just as we pay little attention to our shoes. We take everything for granted. Zen practice changes this. As we practice, we realize that everything is significant — every little moment, everything we do. The beginning of practice is to take off our shoes mindfully, to appreciate them for what they are, what they have been giving us.
— Brenda Shoshanna, Zen and the Art of Falling in Love