Lately, I have been focused on my feet. Yes, my feet. Not about how I could really use a pedi, albeit my feet and I are very much looking forward to that momentous day.
I have been focused on staying grounded, and what better place to start than my feet.
Most recently I have been walking barefoot in the grass.
There is a name for this, it’s called ‘Earthing’.
It’s kind of ironic there is a term for something that has be done for thousands of years but there is!
Research has shown that direct physical contact with the earth allows the Earth's electrons to move through the ground into the body and has a very positive impact on our over-all health including sleep, pain, and inflammation.
No wonder our predecessors were so healthy. They walked barefoot.
My mom grew up on a farm and when May arrived, she would run through the fields barefoot all summer long. She still loves being in her bare feet and is as fit as a fiddle.
My feet and I are walking a lot and while doing so, I am sensing how my feet feel as they touch the ground.
I’m noticing my entire body, how it feels as I move.
I am sensing my feet as I walk through the house, while I’m sitting and working on my computer, and in my daily meditations.
What do I notice?
My ability to notice sensation is becoming more and more refined. Like any skill, the more we practice the more developed and refined our ability becomes.
I feel grounded. More present. It is comforting to be connected to ME. Being grounded is key for our emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being.
Right now, we might find ourselves at times getting swept away or impacted with worry about the future, uncertainty, the media, opinions, we get triggered.
This happens. We are human.
The beauty is, at any given moment we can reset and go back to home base. What is real in this moment.
“The Ground of being isn’t actually just down underneath. Everything is the Ground. The Ground is the entire context and suchness of every moment.”
~ Adyashanti
Right now, try tuning in and saying hello to your tootsies…
* Wiggle your toes.
* Notice what the soles of your feet feel like as they touch the floor.
* How does it feel to notice the solid contact and support beneath you?
* Notice the tops of your feet and the sides.
At first you may or may not notice much sensation.
Stay with it. Be curious.
Where our intention goes energy flows.
What is more real than what we are sensing in our body in this moment?
There is a misconception that we need to leave the connection we have with ourselves to be connected to other people or our surroundings.
This is not true. It is possible to be present and grounded in our body and experience the world around us.
It is possible to feel a oneness and autonomy.
This is the gift of a mindfulness practice. Being in the world, but not of the world.
The weather forecast shows a beautiful, warm, and sunny week ahead. Get outside barefoot and give Earthing a try!
Diane xo