Let us face it. In the name of modern culture, we have given up some of the benefits that our natural environs have to offer. Be it walking, eating, farming, or maintaining health, we have continuously been misled by media and government. We are now falling back on our traditional ways of doing things to enjoy the benefits of conventional practices.
Connect with the Earth
One of the very basics of the human body is walking barefoot. It was designed to work without the shoes. Man, in the early days, walked and hunted without shoes. Going barefoot gives your body an opportunity to connect with the Earth, through your soles, which provide a medicinal or grounding effect on your body.
It is no surprise that inflammatory diseases, chronic illnesses are on the rise during the recent decades. Researches suggest that the body’s disconnection with the Earth may be one of the causes along with other environmental factors.
The Journal of Environmental and Public Health, published in January 2012, mentions that the walking barefoot is one of the most economical way of absorbing the benefits of Earth’s grounding powers. Earth is a negatively charged supply of energy. When you walk barefoot, you bind the body to the grounding effect of the Earth and absorb electrons from it. This connection has proven to be important to regularise the daily cortisol rhythm and improves sleep. Findings show that electrons have significant anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can alleviate inflammation and pain.
Cortisol is a hormonal secretion which regulates blood pressure, maintains blood sugar levels, immunity and inflammatory response. While the small release of the stress hormone is good, higher release of cortisol, mainly caused due to stress caused a negative impact on the body. Grounding with the earth, therefore, regulates the body’s daily rhythm of cortisol secretion.
Take Baby Steps
If you have been wearing shoes all your life, removing them will not give you quick results. New barefoot walkers and runners do not take enough precautions which result in injuries. If you want to give barefoot walking or running a try, ensure to progress consistently to spend more time without shoes.
You may want to start going barefoot on softer base such as grass, beach sand and mud. Walking on such surfaces stimulates the nerve-ends of your feet that helps your entire body to stay healthy. If you wish to double the benefits, then walking barefoot in the morning hours will give you the added advantage of replenishing your Vitamin D supply in the body.
Incorporate the habit of going barefoot as much as possible in your daily life and experience the benefits that it could do to your mind and body.
Have you tried walking in the grass and felt better? Share your thoughts…
A Slice of Good Life 