Finally, after a rainy May in South Jersey, I feel the shift to warmer days. More sunshine, brighter evenings and opportunities to be outside in nature.
Being outside with Ayaan, I love submerging myself into his first’s. Seeing bees zip around, hearing birds chirp, feeling a huge gust of wind on your face and feeling the cool, damp wetness of the grass on your bare feet.
Watching our kids grow, forgotten memories of our own childhood come forward.
I remember a time when I LOVED running and playing outside barefoot.
I didn’t care about earthworms, dirt or bug bites. I enjoyed the coolness of the grass on a hot summers day as much as I loved the beating sun on my face.
I’ve heard the benefits of “grounding” or walking on the earth with your bare feet in a yoga class but I wasn’t sure if it was a spiritual hoax or a radical discovery?
Staying true to my attorney roots, I started to research it to see if there were any provable benefits to grounding.
Of course the most radical ideas are the most simple ones, and after all the grounding literature and research I went through, this too good to be true theory actually has been proven to be the real deal.
So get ready to toss aside your inhibitions of bugs and calloused feet and get ready to embrace a radical new stress relief technique.
So what’s Grounding (aka Earthing) all about?
The concept of earthing (or grounding to spiritual seekers) is gaining momentum today because of the efforts of Stephen Sinatra, MD, a holistic cardiologist, and Clinton Ober and Martin Zucker, coauthors of Earthing (Basic Health), a new book about the health benefits of grounding.
The gist of the Earthing theory is simple- Our bodies are made up of about 60 percent water, which is great for conducting electricity. The earths surfaced has a negative ionic charge.
Negative Ions have been proven to detoxify, calm, reduce inflammation, synchronize your internal clocks, hormonal cycles and physiological rhythms.
Our feet contain a rich, intricate network of nerves and acupuncture points and are especially adept at picking up free electrons from the earth’s surface. When our feet or our bodies touch the ground, electrons naturally flow from the place where they are plentiful (the earth) to where they are not (our bodies).
Many people find that this connection with the earth immediately produces a warm, tingling sensation or a sense of well-being. It may be the easiest, simplest and cheapest way of shifting your body back to an optimal state of homeostasis and health.
What are the benefits of Grounding?
Dr. Sinatra believes that modern life has disconnected us from the earth in many ways. We live and work in multistory buildings high off the ground and spend our nights on thick mattresses far from the earth. This separation from the earth and being bombarded with cell phones, laptops and electronics deplete the electrons in our body.
Our bare feet, contacting the earth, can trigger health benefits, often within minutes.
A report in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine confirmed these benefits include relieving muscle tension, headaches and menstrual symptoms.
Earthing also can boost the immune system…combat inflammation…reduce stress hormones…and improve blood pressure. For people who are ill—and therefore have the freest radicals—the benefits can be dramatic. Those who are healthy usually sleep better and have more energy.
How to Get Grounded?
To benefit from earthing, walk barefoot, run with your kids in the grass or sit in a chair with your shoes off while you watch your kid’s baseball game. Plant your feet on the ground for 15-30 minutes. You can also swim in the ocean, which is rich in minerals and highly conductive, more so than lakes.
You must have direct, sustained skin contact (any part of your body will do) with the surface of the earth to benefit.
Some Do’s & Don’ts:
•Do walk on grass that is slightly moist, as the water helps conduct the electrons; dry grass won’t be as effective
•Don’t walk on grass or soil that is littered with dirt, dog/bird droppings etc. Because the soles of our feet are very effective at absorbing the earth’s energy, they can also absorb toxins — use commons sense before you ditch your shoes. Pristine forest or beach soil is ideal
•Do ground, especially after flying, as our bodies bioelectrical rhythms are thrown out of balance in flight and grounding restores that electrical equilibrium
•Do wash your feet with soap and water, after grounding, to get rid of soil detritus that you may have picked up
•Don’t go barefoot if you have any open cuts/sores on your soles, as that can be an entry point for parasites/fungi
Walking barefoot upon the earth is like a silent prayer. Every blade of grass and every dew drop invites you into the present; invites you to be conscious and connected to your world. There is a secret language spoken between the bottoms of your feet and the ground below it – a direct communication between spirit and earth that the mind can barely fathom.
This summer, get ready to ditch your flip-flops the next time you are playing with your kids outside. Tap into your child like spirit. Tap into the earth and pull up it’s natural and restorative energy.
And remember, barefooting doesn’t have to be an all or nothing decision. Simply incorporate a few minutes here and there and you’ll naturally find yourself kicking off your shoes whenever the opportunity presents itself.
Now, I’d love to hear from you regarding your barefoot experience. What positive changes have you noticed? How does it make you feel?
Remember mama to share as much detail as possible in your reply. There are so many mamas’s from around the world who come here to be inspired. Your courage, wisdom, and experience are exactly what someone might need to hear. Let’s unite in motherhood and share our story.
I know your time is so precious and it’s important to spend it intentionally.
Thank you so very much for taking your precious time to read, share and inspire us. You are truly a part of the revolution to become a mindful Mod-Zen mama.
All my best,
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