LET’S GET NAKED!

OK, well, we aren’t getting totally naked! Today we’re going to talk about “Grounding”. Lots of folks here in the UP take vacations in the late winter. Winters are long, dark and sometimes the cold can be almost unbearable for some. So where do they head? Usually south, to the beaches.

After spending 20 years in the Navy, I’ve personally had my fill of sand, saltwater, palm trees and palmetto bugs, thank you. But I must admit there’s something almost magically calming about walking on the beach and through the surf.

Why is it that the first thing people do, especially children, when they get to the ocean is take off their shoes and walk in the surf? Even here in the north, when the first green grass appears in the late spring, early summer, the first thing we want to do is go out and walk barefoot in the grass. It’s something that is hard-wired in our DNA, I think. The first thing children do when they learn to walk is take their shoes off, every chance they get! Did you ever stop to wonder why that is? This simple exercise of walking barefoot on the earth is referred to as grounding. And it’s becoming quite popular, even among the very elite and sophisticated.

I always say that our body knows what we need and if we slow down long enough to pay attention, it will tell us. Turns out, there are actually therapeutic health benefits to walking on the earth without shoes. I’m not kidding!

A study by the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine from 2013 found that the simple act of walking on the clean fresh earth, (this doesn't work on concrete or synthetic materials, by the way) provides the following health benefits:

• reducing inflammation

• boosting antioxidants in our body

• improving sleep

• promoting healthy blood flow

It does this by reducing blood viscosity, which is the thickness or stickiness of your blood. Very simply, the lower the viscosity, the faster it moves, thus increasing circulation and blood flow.

The way they tested this was to measure the number of red blood cells to see how much clumping was happening. What they discovered was that walking barefoot on the ground or in wet sand significantly decreased the amounts of unwanted clumping of the red blood cells.

A later study from the same journal found that grounding, or earthing, as some people refer to it, may help regulate both the endocrine and nervous systems.

It is also believed that the earth's surface is rich with electrons that can neutralize what is referred to "dirty electricity" from all the electromagnetic waves we are exposed to on a daily basis. This neutralization apparently vibrates and charges the currents within us back into a healthy balance. Which in turn, can boost our energy, balance our mood, clarify our thinking and perhaps even save our lives.

The ancient people instinctively knew this and walked barefoot over all types of terrain. I must confess, when I was younger, living on the farm in Ohio, I often tended the garden and went about my outdoor chores barefoot. And every year, when the first snow would come, I would take off my shoes and socks and run around our house once barefoot! As I got older, I stopped being so frivolous and silly and started acting more civilized. Much to my detriment I think.

Now that we are living on the river, I frequently go out first thing in the morning while the dew is still on the grass and spend 20 minutes just walking slowly. I cant tell you the difference it has made in my mental state and peace.

So here’s your challenge for the week. Once the snow is gone and it’s warm enough, find a quiet, grassy spot. Take off your shoes and just walk on the fresh grass for at least 15 to 20 minutes. Do this 3 - 5 times a week for the best results. Relax and just let your body soak it up. Don’t be in a hurry. Breath slowly and just enjoy the experience, and Let’s Get Better!

Talk with me today!