Have you experienced earthing?

I’m sure you’ve heard about earthing (grounding), right?

The practice is as simple as walking or sitting barefoot outdoors to connect your body with the natural healing frequencies of the earth.

But, have you experienced the benefits of it?

According to the Earthing Institute, “Earthing, or grounding as it is often called, connects you to this overlooked natural energy that nurtures and balances your body at the deepest levels, draining it of inflammation, pain, stress, and fatigue.”[1]

Modern health advocates swear by the practice of earthing and recommend it as a remedy for a wide variety of conditions:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Autism
• Diabetes
• Arthritis
• Autoimmune disorders
• Cancer
• Chronic inflammation
• Age-related disorders

It sounds like a valuable tool for healing as it literally costs nothing to put your feet on the earth.

But, does it really work? That is the question.

Living in a big city, more often than not, my feet are held hostage restrained inside rubber and synthetic material for the majority of my day.

I take my off shoes to connect with the earth when I’m picnicking in Central Park or hanging out at the beach, but not much beyond that.

Recently, I had a personal healing experience with the power of earthing that is undeniable.

I was hiking in Montana with my friend Hilda and took her on a challenging trail that I’ve traversed before – The Summit at Mount Aeneas. It’s 6.2 miles and is a hard hike with a steady ascent.

As we were traipsing along taking pictures, chatting it up and having fun, I took a wrong turn.

Instead of veering left to the trail up to Mount Aeneas, we took Alpine Trail No. 7, and wound up at an entirely different location further down the far side of the mountain that led to Birch Lake.

Although the lake was beautiful and scenic, and filled with speckled Cutthroat trout, it wasn’t where I wanted us to finish. So, we doubled back and headed UP the mountain, a second time, to our intended destination.

I was NOT prepared for what happened next.

What started out as a challenging 6.2 mile hike, turned into a grueling 9.1 mile hike for me.

My pants were too heavy, my socks too thick and I quickly began overheating.

I literally had to stop every 50 feet or so to rest. My face was bright red and I needed to hydrate frequently.

Hilda, who is an avid earthing person said, “Why don’t we take off our shoes and hike barefoot.”

I looked at the rocky ground, filled with sharp slate and hard pebbles, mixed with dry dirt and thought to myself, “That’s going to hurt like heck!” 

I wanted to ascend the summit but there was NO way I was getting up there in the condition my body and mind was in. So, I followed her wise advice and took off my shoes and socks.

Once my feet hit the ground, I cannot deny, that my body immediately began cooling down.

Of course, my body was cooler because I no longer had socks and shoes on, but something very interesting happened.

Not only did the little rocks NOT hurt my feet, but I felt a strong surge of energy throughout my entire body.

Moments before I took my hiking boots off, I was questioning whether or not I was going to make it to the top of the summit. And now, with my feet directly connected to the earth, I was hiking without stopping to rest, and without any doubt that I could make it.

My body felt good and my mind was clear.

We hiked the last two switchbacks and ascended the summit barefoot!

It was very powerful!

From my shiatsu training, I know the kidney 1 point (located on the sole of the feet), is the lowest point on the body. It’s called the Bubbling spring and is connected to the water element in the body.

“Kidney 1 is an amazing pressure point for its grounding nature by returning the unrooted back to its source; it calms the Spirit, descends excesses from the head, and eases dizziness.”[2]

It has a strong effect on descending Qi and Yang (heat, excitation, agitation) from the head. It tonifies yin, clears heat, and restores connection and consciousness. The kidneys are responsible for our will, determination and ability to keep moving forward.

I’m grateful for Hilda’s wise suggestion to take off our shoes. That one simple action directly connected my body to the earth to receive the healing benefits of the Bubbling Spring throughout my entire body and mind.

Once we got to the top of the summit, we put our shoes back on, and my feet felt very different – they were no longer hot and swollen even though we had just hiked atop hot rocks and dry dirt.

Needless to say, I’ll be doing much more earthing as often as I can as I continue moving forward on my journey.

Have you experienced the power of earthing?

[1] https://earthinginstitute.net/what-is-earthing/

[2] https://agelessherbs.com/kidney-1/