The concept of grounding was "developed" by Clint Ober but, let's face it, people have been going barefoot since the Garden of Eden. These days, there are a lot of folks who think of going barefoot as "germy" but I disagree as long as one dodges the pitfalls to be found on a farm smile. I also don't think there's any new age factor because I believe going barefoot is yet another of God's gifts to us. For me to not take advantage of His gift is to deny myself fabulous benefits whether I understand or not.
Apparently, any part of your skin, the body's largest organ, can connect but the most potent part is in the middle of the ball of the foot. Acupuncturists know this as Kidney 1 (K1) the gushing or bubbling spring. This well-know point connects to all acupuncture meridians and thus to every part of the body. I have experienced walking around and, somehow, hitting on a sensitive part of my foot bottom, with the impact being felt throughout my body. WOW!
A transfer of free electrons is made from the Earth into the body when one is grounded. Free electrons, as you know, might very well be the most potent antioxidants known. When the free electrons encounter free radicals in your tissues, those free radicals are electrically neutralized. Electrons are negative, free radicals are positive and cancel each other out. This article on Dr. Mercola's site explains it far better and in depth than can I and Dr. Weil's site has more to say. Dr. Weil also explains there's a major commercial component to a lot of other sites...something I find highly amusing as his site has a large commercial component of folks trying to separate me from my money.
Some articles say the perfect location for barefootin' (earthing) is at the beach, either in the water or close to the water. Water is a great conductor and our bodies contain, mostly, water so an excellent connection is achieved. If you're not at the beach, a grassy area, covered with dew, is second best. It's said concrete is a good conductor if it hasn't been sealed or painted. Other materials -wood, shoe soles, asphalt- aren't good at all as electrons are prevented from passing through.
In the shoulder months, I go barefoot a lot and love it. Going barefoot on the farm presents a special set of challenges...all kinds of thistles, burdock, rusty old nails and, worst of all from a yuck standpoint...horse, cattle, sheep and dog manure. Still, I do it because I love the feel of my body connected to the earth. I've been know to have a lie down in the yard, dogs, cats and Carly wandering over to give a nudge and sniff, just to feel the outrageous luxury of feeling connected to God's creation. When I close my eyes and am quite still, I imagine I can feel the earth spinning on its axis. Delicious!
In the photo, I'm standing in my yard, grass wet with rain, staring down at my "passionate pink" toes. I'm also laughing at myself; I rarely paint my toenails, hardly ever my fingernails, because I've got this negative thing going against formaldehyde, DBP, which is banned in the EU but not the USA, and tolune.
There ya have it! Going barefoot is good for what ails you; it speeds up tissue repair, causes beneficial changes in heart rates, causes decreased levels of inflammation, can help ease muscle pain and more. Best of all...it's free so...race you to the beach!
Blessings ~ barefootin' ~ grounding ~ earthing ~ nature ~
