Some days living here at my folks house I like to take walks. They are rather short and are usually the same route. I go barefoot most of the time, mostly because I like to. Of course my feet look good, thanks to my zapper and dry skin brushing. I don't pamper them either, so a nice layer of hardness lies on the bottom of them. They are used to loose gravel, hot pavement, and occasional unpleasant artifacts. I've been a barefooter since I was a kid, enjoying the grass and sand especially. I developed a minor philosophy around it. *As if I needed to justify what I did* I felt that it was a natural thing to do and people that walk barefoot get more out of life. You get that much more tactile sensory out of your day. I felt that if society walked barefoot that the ground would be free of junk and people would be a lot happier. Of course millions of people still do walk around barefoot across the world, thank the maker. There are actually many barefoot clubs around that you can join in the US. http://barefoot.meetup.com/ for example.
It turned out later there was a little more to it. Humans evolved, like many other species, in communion with the ground. We would sleep on it, sit on it, and walk on it for life. As we have electric current running through us there is a also natural voltage in the ground. The sky and the earth exchange electricity too, sometimes violently as is the case with lightning. We and all other organisms are a part of this process, albeit a minor one. When barefoot, any extra current will run into the ground and we will be at the same charge as the earth. This grounding may be more beneficial for us than we think.
Recent research from sleepgrounded.com informs us of this natural process. While they sell grounded sheets for you to sleep between, I would suggest trying a barefoot romp in your backyard or a park for personal confirmations on this idea. Lance Armstrong, to name drop, uses the portable version of the grounding blanket and his whole team benefited during the Tour de France by using this technology. Preliminary studies show barefoot technology decreases recovery time for athletes and the injured, relieves stress, and reduces inflammation. I am hoping to get the sheets at sleepgrounded.com but until then I will continue walking and playing barefoot in these summer months. They cost a lot because there is silver in the sheets.
Reflexology is Traditional Chinese Medicines approach of looking at the feet. Different pressure points on the feet correspond to different organs because of how nerves and other energy pathways are laid out in the body. Barefoot walking may help you by stimulating all these pressure points in your feet. As for me, it is also a psychological and spiritual need, linking me to childhood and the natural pulse of the earth that I feel connects everything. Shoes can also become an obsession.
Another foot related subject is Japanese foot detox pads. They work with the reflexology points on the feet as well. They are awesome, so awesome that when I had too much to drink one night I slapped one on each foot and woke up not just alright but refreshed. They really do accumulate tons of metabolic junk and heavy metals. The thing I don't like about them is that they can get gooey and mess up the sheets. You also will have to buy a few dozen to really get all the benefits, which can be pricey. I also will say that no two brands are created equal. I have only tried one brand but you all should look around for a product with scientific backing. Personally, I would opt for a bentonite clay bath to detox but that can be messy and/or too much some.
Stop getting shocked on your car door! walk barefoot.
1 comment:
Great post!
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