One of my favorite things to do is to walk barefoot (preferably through a wood). It energizes me, clears my head and fills me with a deep feeling of relaxation and connection to the natural world around me. It feels like I’m being plugged back into my natural energy supply.
When I started barefoot walking, I soon realized how much I’d been missing out on. It’s like a whole new world opens up that you just don’t experience when you’re wearing shoes. You feel the subtle contours of the ground as you walk. You feel the dry warm soil crumble against the soles of your feet or the cool mud squelching between your toes.
You feel the crack of a twig and the soft springy carpet of leaves and moss. You feel the warmth of the dappled sunlight on the forest floor and the contrast of the cool shady areas.
And it isn’t just your sense of touch that becomes heightened. When you’re not wearing shoes, you naturally walk more slowly as you are more mindful of where you are treading. This tends to increase the awareness in your other senses too.
You start to notice more details around you, not just on the forest floor but on the trees, the plants, the small insects flying or crawling through the woods, the sunlight on a spider’s web in the crook of a branch, the sound of the wind rustling the leaves or the tap tap tap of a woodpecker. So much of this can go unnoticed when you are pacing along with your mind on other matters.
And as the awareness of your senses increases it calms your mind. Your thoughts soften and slow down and the imaginary line between your human self and the rest of nature silently dissolves. It brings you back to a place of balance; to a place of deep connection and harmony.
When you walk barefoot you also walk a lot more quietly. Squirrels, rabbits, birds and other creatures living in the woods feel less threatened if you are walking slowly, quietly and respectfully through their habitat. You blend in a little more and you can often have much closer encounters with wildlife.
And as luck would have it, it turns out that as well as heightening your connection with your environment through your senses, barefoot walking has numerous health benefits. Studies have shown that when you walk barefoot you absorb health-boosting electrons from the earth. These electrons are said to reduce inflammation and pain, reduce stress, increase energy, boost your immune system, improve your cardiovascular health and improve your mood. Clinton Ober in his book Earthing talks about the benefits of barefoot walking and the scientific research behind it.
So what are you waiting for? Kick off those shoes, peel off those sweaty socks and give it a go! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
(Photo by Monica Silva)
