I have always been an advocate for being barefoot outside, actively participating in what I now know as “Earthing”. When I was younger my dad would call at me to put on my shoes, but I never listened. There was something about the way the Earth felt underneath me, the cold of the dew from the night before and the blades of the grass between my toes that had his words go in one ear and out of the other. I climbed the trees barefoot, skipped and danced on my front yard, even rode my bike. I definitely got my fair share of pains, as did my brother who stubbed his toe riding his bike barefoot (which I don’t advise). And SURE, we would get splinters or maybe stub our toe… but we lived. And yet, splinter after splinter, stubbed toe after the next, I trusted my inner yearning to explore through my feet; to feel the cold of the mud between my toes, the comfiness of the padded Earth soil beneath my feet, the ridges and roughness of the trees I climbed, or the smooth water as I kicked a puddle with my big toe. As children, we are instinctively carefree, wild, adventurous, true explorers of the world with the senses that we’ve got. When and why were we told to live any other way?
Shoes really hinder us in more ways than one. Aside from some of them being uncomfortable (heels? forget about it), shoes can cause any type of problems from disrupting our posture, to body aches and pains. Similarly, rubber-soled shoes insulates us from Earth’s currents, and in the process disconnects us from receiving a whole plethora of health benefits. While I can advocate going barefoot for many many reasons, there are actually true health benefits to connecting to Earth’s energy. In fact, there’s a name for it, it’s called “Earthing” or alternatively, “Grounding”. In modern society, everything seems to be a pollutant (whether you recognize it as so or not). With many people preoccupied with being indoors and spending more time on electronic gadgets, we pollute our energy fields like crazy! How Earthing works is this: Earth has a negative electrical potential on the surface. When a person is in direct contact with this, either through sitting, laying, and especially through their hands and feet, the electrons are conducted to the body. The natural energy of the Earth is able to rid the consequences of exposure to electromagnetic fields and electricity. Rid Consequences = Better health.
Get excited to know that the flow of Earth’s energy heals– appreciate the beautiful, natural, FREE, and AVAILABLE Earth medicine known as Earthing!
How Does Earthing Benefit Your Health?:
- Reduce inflammation by reducing excess positive electrons– *PubMed notes that current biomedical research has led to an inflammation hypothesis that is establishing chronic inflammation as the culprit behind almost every modern chronic illness.
- Increase energy
- Lower stress
- Promote calmness
- Improves posture
- Improve blood flow and pressure
- Proper functioning of immune systems
- Better circulation
- Synchronization of biological rhythms
- Relieve muscle tension and headaches
- Lessen menstrual and female hormone symptoms
- Support adrenal health
- May slow down aging process
- Boost the healing process
- Protect the body from EMFs
- Eliminate jet lag
- Encourages natural, healthy gait
- Strengthens the feet and lower legs, making the body more agile and less prone to injury
- Strengthens senses
- Creates focus and Awareness
With so many health benefits, why are we not doing more of this!? DIRT, right? GERMS, right? I get it, I don’t like germs any more than you do. It’s not like I go barefoot all day and hop right into bed. The Washington Post and its’ article Why Kids Should Go Barefoot More puts it nicely: “As far as picking up an illness or disease from going barefoot, our skin is designed to keep pathogens out, and you are far more likely to spread or contract an illness through your hands (think public doorknobs, sinks, keyboards, and hand rails) where germs are most plentiful”. You have to be a little smart about it, rinse your feet with a bowl of water and soap before coming inside to not track in anything that is unwelcomed, or rinse your feet in a bath.
If you’re scared of yourself or your little ones getting hurt, don’t be, although you have to be smart about where you’re walking. Avoid going barefoot in areas where there may be broken glass or bottle tops and avoid allowing little ones (or yourself) to jump straight into puddles (if the bottom is mirky there may be sharp items you can’t see). You can’t live your life in fear, you have to explore. Take it from a woman who will always have the spirit of an inner child, a yearning to never stop exploring, learning, and growing. In a world with so much fear, don’t sweat the small stuff. Go live! If you stub your toe, get a splinter, or step on something prickly, hey you have a story to tell! Reap all of the benefits that come with Earthing, and in the process, have fun & set your spirit free.
How do you practice Earthing? Walk barefoot in the grass, sand, dirt or on concrete. I prefer the grass and the dirt, mostly because of availability (you literally can walk outside and it’s there). And since I am not lucky enough to have the ocean in my backyard, when summer time rolls around, I take advantage of the beaches and appreciate more the different sensations the sand brings. Nonetheless, all of these are conductive surfaces and the Earth’s energy flows through them and into your body, so just by being on these surfaces allows you to benefit. However, to vamp up the benefits, I really make a conscious effort to connect with Mother Earth, being mindful of my present moment– giving gratitude and thanks for all of her amazing healing properties. By bringing this awareness to the practice, you can become connected and more grounded to the Earth beneath you. You produce more health benefits through deep breathing, as well as giving you a greater understanding of your footprint in space and on Earth. *Note that wood, asphalt, and vinyl, are not conductive.
Please, share with me your experiences or thoughts on Earthing! Interested, but still have questions? Let me know!
Also, if you’d like to learn more about earthing and the science behind it to get the most from earthing (also known as grounding) check out the book ‘Earthing: the most important health discovery ever’ on amazon here.
You can also get a grounding (earthing) kit on amazon here to connect to the negative electrons in the earth through your electrical grounded outlet.
This video from Dr. Mercola and Clinton Ober will help you understand the science of earthing better:
Image: https://pixabay.com/en/photos/barefoot/
Source: http://www.criticalcactus.com/health-benefits-of-earthing-grounded-in-science/
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