Benefits of Being Barefoot
Earthing is the term given to the practice of simply taking off your shoes and joining your bare skin to Mother Earth’s. All day long, we build up a positive electrical charge that needs to be neutralized by the earth’s negative ions. Our bodies were meant to be in communication with their environment, and by honoring this we can gain monumental health benefits. By being in contact with the earth in this way, we are able to reduce our cortisol and inflammation levels to provide a better sense of well-being and appropriate immune response. The complicated health challenges we are now facing as humans may have answers lying back in our roots—getting in sync with nature’s rhythms. One of the first studies published about earthing drew from the results of an experiment where 12 patients, who were in pain and had issues with their sleep, slept grounded for 8 weeks. By the end of this study their cortisol patterns normalized and most observed improved sleep, stress, and pain levels. This is just one example of a plethora of research that is reminding us to get back to the basics of being barefoot. Simply walking on the grass for 20 minutes a day can make a positive impact on your vitality.