Barefoot Grounding
July 12th, 2023
By Velina
Recent scientific research suggests the human body has a natural, positive charge. The Earth, on the other hand, has a negative charge. It is believed that the simple act of putting our bare feet on the ground, a balancing act takes place between our energy field and the Earth’s, equalizing the charge. If you have ever taken a walk on the beach or hiked without shoes, you may have felt some sort of change, or balance, in your being.
The idea of grounding, or tethering, is not new. In centuries old health practices, like Chinese medicine and Ayurvedic tradition, our planet is believed to have its own spiritual nature and wisdom. When we choose to ground ourselves and get connected, our bodies are given permission to get attuned into a balanced state and feed off of the energy from Mother Earth.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the concept of Qi — or life force energy — is believed to flow throughout our bodies. If we ever feel “stuck” in some sense in our lives, like we are not moving forward with our passions or can not seem to find a partner we are looking for, the belief is that the reason for this feeling is rarely due to the outside forces we think cause of our unhappiness. The belief is, there is something internal that is causing a blockage and preventing us from moving forward. Our Qi is stuck.
If we find ourselves in this position, it is beneficial to take a moment and look within ourselves. What are we feeling in our bodies? Is our mind filled with chatter? Being mindful of these feelings and thoughts will help guide us to a better understanding of ourselves. All too often, we live through events, rather than experience them.
Sometimes, life experiences get stuck within us. Whether they be memories we have yet to understand or past traumas we have yet to overcome, they can cause us to hold on to powerful and sometimes toxic emotions. The way emotions are stored in our body are unique to each person. It is not uncommon to have a few areas in our body where we lock away unprocessed feelings. Energy work, like craniosacral therapy, reiki or healing touch, can help move these “stuck” feelings through, and out of, the body. Therapy or hypnosis can also be helpful in processing intense emotions. Regardless of the path to healing you choose, going through unprocessed emotions is essential to moving forward with your own, personal human experience.
Choosing to go outside and walk barefoot in your surrounding, natural areas can help bring you back down to your body and experience life a little more mindfully. If you allow yourself to take 10 minutes to stroll over grass, sand, rock or even dirt, you are allowing yourself to be in the present. It can be challenging, so be gentle with yourself during this process. Especially if you are new to the idea of settling into your thoughts. Focusing on and being aware of the world in and around you, can be the first step in learning about yourself. And what, if anything, you need to work on to increase personal joy.
This harmonizing of awareness in the world is a gift to yourself. The simple act of getting up and moving your body, improves circulation and will naturally help reduce inflammation. Inflammation is very common in our culture and can do damage to the body. It can be attributed to environmental toxins, foods we consume and stress. However, mindful exercises can help counteract inflammation and may alleviate the physical and mental symptoms preventing us from living more optimal lives.
Walking barefoot on natural surfaces sounds easy, but how often do we choose to do this with ourselves? In our busy lives, taking those 10 minutes to focus on ourselves can be challenging. At The Beautiful Earth, we believe focusing on creating a safe space to develop new habits and ideas for what our lives can look like, is an essential ingredient to well being. Taking 10 minutes a day to try something new and dive a little deeper into you, is a wonderful and healing first step. Regardless of how you want to start your journey, we are here to support you on this new adventure of self discovery!
THE BEAUTIFUL EARTH is a global, conscious clothing + healthy essentials brand.
Founded by filmmaker + artist Bethany Ashton Wolf, Bethany is striving to design and create organic, sustainable, recycled, vegan, ethically-sourced clothing + essentials that are good for the earth, our bodies, and our well being.
Organic hoodies, organic sweatpants, recycled beanies, organic trucker hats, organic tees, supima cotton t-shirts, stainless steel water canteens, water bottles, and bamboo to-go cups that are all BPA-free are just some of the products in her line that she is focusing on that bring her customers elevated streetwear that is cool to wear and cool for the planet.
Our blogs here at The Beautiful Earth delve into health and wellness, mental well-being, healthy beauty, healthy home-living, and mind, body, spirit topics that help us all find ways to live a more conscious lifestyle overall.
*If you or any other person has a medical concern, you should consult with your health care provider or seek other professional medical treatment immediately. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something that you have read on this blog, website or in any linked materials.
