Sometimes all we need is to feel a bit more connected....
Some of you Romantic Comedy movie buffs may remember when Julia Roberts tries to teach Richard Gere in the 1990 movie “Pretty Woman” how to Chill. Gere, a Super-Wealthy Takeover Artist, is wound pretty tight.
In an effort to help him Chill, Roberts tells Gere to take off his shoes and socks in the park and walk on the grass barefoot… which after some push back, he ultimately actually finds quite pleasing.
If high stress levels are getting you down, then it just may be time to get grounded! Earthing also know as grounding can reduce stress and its unwanted consequences. The good news is that the scientific community is rapidly catching onto this belief too.
We know high cortisol levels due to stress can dramatically reduce your immunity, leaving your body susceptible to frequent infections and diseases. Cortisol is also known to increase hunger. Stress eating can certainly ruin your weight loss goals creating even more stress.
Research has shown barefoot contact with the earth can produce nearly instant changes in a variety of physiological measures, helping improve sleep, reduce pain, decrease muscle tension and lower stress.
This is referred to as grounding. The idea behind grounding, also called earthing, is humans evolved in direct contact with the Earth’s subtle electric charge, but have lost that sustained connection thanks to inventions such as buildings, furniture and shoes with insulated synthetic soles.
One reason direct physical contact with the ground might have beneficial physiological effects is the earth’s surface has a negative charge and is constantly generating electrons that could neutralize free radicals, acting as antioxidants. You may think of antioxidants as coming from food, and indeed a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and other foods that provide antioxidants
helps prevent cellular damage from free radicals. Still, it is interesting that we may be able to get them directly from the earth, too.
So take off your shoes and socks and do your own experiment, try walking barefoot in the grass for a few minutes every day... and if time permits, try sitting under your favorite tree and lean up against the trunk for a bit. I think you will find, there is simply something magical about reconnecting with nature.
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