Feeling the Earth beneath our feet

Words MARIE SLOCOMBE

With the arrival of Spring and the promise of warmer days ahead, we can start to pack away our winter wardrobe and our enclosed shoes and once again embrace the magic of being barefoot outdoors.

We all know the feeling of freedom and delight when walking barefoot on warm sand, dipping a cautious toe into the chilly ocean or tiptoeing across a lawn glistening with crisp, morning dew. We have a primal need for connection with nature and research has shown the many health benefits that come from direct contact with the ground.

Grounding, or earthing as it is often called, is now a well-recognised practice as part of a healthy lifestyle. When we have direct contact with Earth’s abundance of negatively-charged electrons, it restores our body’s natural electrical state, promoting better selfregulation and healing.

Earthing studies show a stabilising of the stress hormone cortisol when a person is grounded. A consistently high cortisol level is linked to problems such as sleep disorders, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and reduced immune response.

The uptake of electrons also helps to dramatically reduce inflammation in the body which in turn leads to a significant reduction in pain, even chronic pain. Earthing studies have also shown a dramatic improvement in blood flow and circulation, as well as enhanced immune response and accelerated recovery from injury.

For many of us however, our connection with the natural world has been lost. We live in houses and apartments, we work in inner-city highrise buildings, our feet are enclosed in synthetic shoes. Many of us could go for days, weeks, maybe longer without any direct contact with the ground. We’re turning away from the simple naturebased lifestyle our ancestors knew and towards a life distracted by the comforts and conveniences of modern technology.

Not only are we missing out on much-needed Earthing, we’re also forgetting our primal skills. Our feet are finely-tuned instruments, perfected by millions of years of evolution. The use of modern footwear has changed how we use our feet, and this often leads to foot pain and problems. We have adapted to live in an urban environment, and as a result, we are less able to adapt to changing environments and terrains and have less proprioception (awareness of the position and movement of our body). We have become fragile versions of what we are truly capable of.

Maybe this Spring, it’s time to shed the footwear, re-establish healthy physical and biological functions and rediscover the Earth beneath our feet.

Earthing Oz is an Australian distributor of Earthing products, including the new range of Earth Runners minimalist grounding sandals. Earthing products help to keep you grounded while you work, rest and play, even when you can’t be outdoors. Earthing Oz also stocks an extensive EMF Protection range.

Discover more by visiting: www.earthingoz.com.au