Earthing

As a kid, I loved being outside, and I hated working in the yard. My job (it seemed) was to take a pair of hand clippers and trim everything. I would sit in the grass, lean over and trim around the garden, the flower gardens, the walk ways, the shed, the house…you get the idea. It was so boring and my hand hurt and…it was, well, boring. If I wasn’t trimming, I was offered the job of pulling weeds from the garden. Still boring. I am sure there was lots of eye rolling involved.

In middle school I remember sitting outside in the grass at every chance I had. The lawn was always packed with kids. We would practice focusing on one blade of grass, which allowed us to see deeply into the lawn, watching ants and other assorted bugs working hard, barely noticing us. After school we kicked off constraining shoes and ran through the neighborhood playing kick the can or Annie-Annie Over. Whatever it was, whether enjoyable, or not, we tended to be outside, and…barefoot.

Today we walk on pavement, or in our home or work place. Sometimes our houses have multiple levels, pulling us further and further away from the earth. We hang out on the deck, and rarely, if ever go barefoot outside. What are we missing? We are missing the skin to dirt connection with the earth’s energy, which energizes us.

There is fascinating research being done on the impact of direct contact of our body with the earth. It is called grounding, or earthing. Research is showing that by having contact with the earth, (by going barefoot or gardening as example) your level of stress is decreased. Since our body is mainly water and minerals, we are a great conductor of electrons. It is thought (and thus being researched) that the earth’s electrons help balance our bodies and lowers inflammation. (Very good for our heart health!)

I hope you have experienced the joy of a barefoot walk through wet grass or down a sandy beach. That joyous feeling of taking your shoes off and wiggling your toes in the sand? That lowers our emotional and physical stress. And yet, we spend most of life never touching the earth. Google “earthing” or “grounding” to find our more of the amazing science behind “earthing.” Or simply take your shoes off and walk around in the grass. I don’t know about you, but my shoes are coming off, and my toes will be wiggling.

Have a fantastic week,

Andrea