Walking barefoot on the earth has been a staple part of human and animal life since the beginning of time.  In the past couple of generations, humans have made shoes, sandals, and boots that insulate us from the natural energies of the Earth. Although these shoes protect our feet, modern shoes also deprive us of the free electrons present in the ground.  Grounding our bodies with barefoot exposure has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that is a genetic requirement for optimal health.

Our world has more medical technology than ever before.  Much of this is good; however, there is no substitute for the healing forces found naturally on Earth.  Nature itself is a powerful healing source.  The sun produces vitamin D3, the plants and vegetation give us anti-oxidants, trace minerals and chlorophyll among other things.   The Earth itself provides a powerful form of free electrons that are available to everyone by merely exposing our bodies to these natural energies present on the ground.

Our bodies are a living matrix of energetically charged biochemical circuits that are charged and coordinated through the activity of the central nervous system.  The Earth itself is regulated by subtle but dynamic electrical circuits. The electrical crosstalk between the Earth and our central nervous system helps to program trillions of biochemical reactions.

Earth’s Electrical Rhythms

The Earth’s electrical rhythms play a significant role in the natural circadian rhythms that govern our sleep/wake cycle, hormones, mood, and energy production.  Studies taken on people fully disconnected from this natural electrical rhythm have shown abnormal circulating cortisol levels indicating abnormal stress responses.  Additionally, disconnected people often struggle with issues such as insomnia, hormone disruption, chronic pain, headaches, and fatigue among other things.

Humans have always connected with the Earth’s electrical energy through their feet.  This is evidenced by the 1300 nerve endings per square inch on the sole of the foot.  Compared to other parts of the body, that is an incredibly high density of nerve enrichment.  This is not only necessary for balance, stability, and coordination of the foot, it is also necessary to absorb the electrical energy present on the Earth.

Modern Shoe Soles Block Our Connection with the Earth

Modern shoe soles have separated humans from the electrical energy of the ground with insulating covers.  Most people go weeks to months without ever having direct skin to ground contact with the Earth for longer than a minute.  These people live completely disconnected from the planet which leads to a disrhythmic function within the mind and body.

The human body has a very similar makeup to the Earth; they are both a combination of water and minerals.  This combination is what conducts electrical currents.  Our bodies were made to be connected with the Earth and this subtle electrical energy has extremely powerful effects on our health and well-being.

Earthing Basics

Avoid wearing shoes whenever possible

Sit outside barefoot with your feet on grass or soil.

Walk or run barefoot outside on grass, sand, or soil.  Moist ground or grass is the perfect electrical conductor.

Expose any part of the body to the Earth, ground or any natural waters like lakes, streams, or oceans.  Walking in salt water is one of the best grounding techniques due to the combination of earth, water, and electrolytes.

Sit or lean on the trunk or limb of a tree to share some of its natural electricity.

The benefits of earthing include reduced inflammation and better internal stress management.  This results in better sleep, enhanced immunity, less pain, and a better state of mind and quality of mind.  Many individuals report significantly better memory, creativity, innovativeness and spiritual direction after spending time connecting with the Earth.

Sources for This Article Include:

• http://www.naturalnews.com/028916_barefoot_running.html
• http://news.yourolivebranch.org/2011/05/18/why-does-walking-barefoot-on-the-earth-make-you-feel-better/
• Ober C, Sinatra S, Zucker M.  Earthing:  The most important health discovery ever?  Basic Health Publications, Inc.  2010.

The Moondance

Although I began writing the following post with divine feminine energy in mind, I believe those of you embodying divine masculine energy might garner a thing or two as well…both for your partners as well as yourselves;)…

I don’t recall being “regular” during the first several years of my cycle. It could have been just an initial bodily adjustment curve or that I dabbled in birth control off and on for many years. It wasn’t entirely out of the norm for my body to skip periods altogether or for them to considerably vary in duration and/or intensity. It wasn’t until I began the practice of grounding many years later that I began to notice a connection with our moon. At first it was simply a kindred awareness. There was an innate pull to focus on her, her divine feminine energy, and how it reflected and seemed to strengthen my own. I began charting my cycles and noticed that they often mirror the moon’s rhythm. I am full as she is full…and I regularly bleed as she wanes.

The lunar cycle consists of 29 and a half days, shifting from the waxing moon of increasing light to the full moon of complete illumination, to the waning moon of decreasing light and beginning the cycle again with the waxing new moon of increasing light. It does not seem coincidental that the average length of a woman’s cycle is 29 and a half days as well, parallel to the moon’s cycle.

I have read that it was the norm for women to menstruate with the moon cycle before the addition of artificial light into our lives. Both the exposure to large amounts of artificial light as well as minimal amounts of natural light (and I’m certain a slew of other factors including the amount of pharmaceuticals and food additives that make their way into our bodies and our environment every year) create an inability to tune into the subtle cues and energetic shifts of the earth and moon. In the process of becoming disconnected with these sacred and celestial bodies, we’ve also journeyed a bit further into a disconnect, of sorts, with ourselves. Our bodies are no longer in complete sync with the harmonic structure of our surrounding elements, the rhythms of our natural world, which in part translates into a disconnect from who we innately are; our variant and unified ambitions, and our formations and routines in the interminable interim.

I’ve also read that Native American women would separate themselves from the tribe during menstruation. They cycled together in a “moon lodge” while the men and grandparents temporarily took over caring for the children and other responsibilities. During this time, women were considered even more powerful and would focus their individual and collective energy upon meditation, transformation, reflection, decision-making, and, in general, deeper truth.

For me, it also serves as an energetic source of strengthening the bond between our collective divine feminine energy. I feel very close to my girlfriends during my cycle. And (maybe not so surprisingly) I would almost prefer to be around them during this time at the entire exclusion of masculine interplay.

There’s definitely a profound energy that streams into these few days. For myself, as well as many others, it’s the energy of creativity, of reflection, of letting go, and then, of nourishing and rebuilding.

Repeatedly, during this string of 5 days, I bring my A-game to the table. Close friends joke around with me about how I accomplish more during this stretch of time than I do during all other remaining days of the month combined. It’s true. It’s almost as if I go through a mini-nesting phase each month, working overtime to get everything in order in preparation for the arrival of a both an unclear and uncertain “something.”

Side note: before nixing processed foods, I experienced cruel and compassionless cramps each month. I’ve always been conscientious regarding medications, but my drawer was reliably full with one exception to my typical “tough it out” protocol: Midol! …and lots of it. I cannot recount the times that I sent a friend or lover on Midol runs if I had even the faintest notion that I might run low mid-cycle. When I was much younger, I recall a couple of family members experiencing this variety of near-debilitating cramps, as well. Admittedly, I thought that they were over-exaggerating their experiences, that is until I spent several times, myself, curled up in the fetal position on my bed. After switching to a whole foods diet, however, all cramps- every hint of them- entirely vanished. A very welcomed outcome, and alone, worth the dietary change.

It’s not uncommon to hear women complaining about the inconvenience(s) of their cycles. However, if we shift our understanding of what menstruation is, what it symbolizes and the ways in which it connects us to others and the world around us, we can better understand and lean into this time for the gifts of growth and change that come through release, reflection, and renewal.

While I’m certain that the crone years will hold their own unique offerings and energy, I occasionally imagine that I will miss this current sacred stretch of {methodically} dancing alongside the majesty and mystery of our moon.

In the same way that modern buildings and appliances are grounded, placing your bare skin directly on the Earth physically grounds you. This grounding prevents a buildup of electricity and any potential interference that may occur as a result of that electrical buildup.

Being barefoot easily conjures the feelings of freedom, peace, and simplicity. What is often the norm for young children, playing outside, is rare for most of us as we age. Would being barefoot on the Earth each day, every day, be worth another go if we were aware of its myriad, seriously powerful benefits?

I’ve always enjoyed being barefoot outdoors. During my college years, roommates and friends would tease me about my diligent practice of sliding off my shoes the second class was over. Walking home barefoot was a true delight from the moment my feet hit the ground, one that I felt intuitively connected to and instantly at ease with, but an experience I wouldn’t completely understand or be able to fully transmit into words until later. Fast forward a few years, load up on more responsibilities, and load down on time spent outdoors sans shoes. For those who are energetically sensitive, this combination can feel near disastrous. I can feel the shift in vibration the second I enter a home from the outdoors, and at times, it can be suffocating, so much so, that for years, I’ve enjoyed sporadic stretches of sleeping outside, nightly.

I began thinking about the difference in the air and ground waves outside versus the waves inside several years before I became motivated enough to dig deeper into its energetic on-goings. The second I did, however, doors began opening (as is the norm when the Universe is nudging you in a certain direction) and information became available that I immediately resonated with, incorporated into my life, and wouldn’t turn away from embracing and sharing for anything.

In the same way that modern buildings and appliances are grounded, placing your bare skin directly on the Earth physically grounds you. This grounding prevents a buildup of electricity and any potential interference that may occur as a result of that electrical buildup. While the practice of grounding is standard in the care and maintenance of current construction, somehow we’ve glossed over applying this understanding to our own bodies. We have, faithfully, been blocking the current from the Earth for years, the precise current, the flow, that we’re designed to be connected to 24 hours a day.

Wearing shoes with rubber soles completely disconnects the Earth’s flow into our body. Most people are physically lodged in a house or office all day, walking on asphalt, all while wearing shoes. This means that many of us are gliding through each day never discharging the buildup of free radicals imperceptibly reverberating around us.

The Earth is a limitless source of free electrons that stream into the body only when it is grounded. This infusion of negative ions from the Earth into the body and the discharge of destructive positive ions is essential for well-being. Excess positive ions in the body are associated with disease and degeneration. Negative ions are associated with vitality, good health, and healing. The more time you spend grounded, the less inflammation you are likely to experience, resulting in improved overall health, a sense of calmness, clarity, and vitality. Jumping into a body of water or simply touching the Earth with bare feet starts the process of these negative ions cascading up through your body clearing out positive ions—simple, free and amazing!

There are crazy, wonderful amounts of research now underway showing that the process of grounding yourself or connecting with the Earth holds collective and diverse benefits for both the physical body as well as mental and emotional harmony.

Mulch over the implications of this awareness for a hot minute. Just touching the bare Earth with your hands or feet actually transfers these damaging free radicals into the Earth, away from your body! While that stream of harmful free radicals shifts out, a stream of electrons shifts in. These electrons restore balance and a rich overtone of tranquility to your entire system—your muscles, tissues, bones, brain pathways. The benefits are wildly attractive. Again, they are free and almost so easy that they can be readily dismissed by those looking for a more complex path to atonement and wholeness.

It thrills me (I just noticed that I’m lit-rah-lee on the edge of my seat right now, I’m that enthused) that this availability, this option, is always there for us, you and I, without costly equipment or supplements. We just have to make the choice to take it, to love it, to allow it to nourish and love us.

Reflecting back to the boundless energy, serene qualities and the quick-healing nature of childhood holds vast insight. Cheers to never outgrowing foot to Earth play!

Editor’s note: If you are stuck inside working on your computer most of the day, here is a good way to get grounded and connect with the earth: