Barefoot Therapy to Restore Your Nervous System
When I was in Kannur, India doing my clinical training to become an Ayurvedic Practitioner, I was so humbled by what the Dr. would prescribe as medicine. Every morning we would start our day doing rounds with the Dr. We would check pulse (eastern pulse), and do a mini intake with each patient. Then we would discuss their treatments for the day or upcoming days.
In almost every single case, there was a component of nature in their care plan. They had a stone walking path. They had a grass walking path. They had all these different outdoor areas where patients would go as part of their treatment.
For example, the Dr. would prescribe the stone walking path for patients with digestive issues. The grass walking for grounding excess vata in the mind. This was all done barefoot. He would send patients to sit in the sun at specific hours of the day, for a specific time. Almost always, nature was used as part of the treatment, unless they were bed-bound and needed to be nurtured in a different way.
The reason behind this is that nature is a natural healer for the Nervous System. The soul of the earth can be felt through the soles of your feet. Making that connection is incredibly grounding for your energy.
This is something that we are not used to doing here in the west. First, in the east, shoes are only warn outside for walking distances, NEVER inside. In the east, bare feet are quite normal. I can appreciate wearing shoes outside for sure, however, there is something to be said for making a sole connection with land.
Think about it...shoes block that energy from our bodies.
Give this a try...Find a nice grassy area, or dirt, or sand, or stone or any untreated natural outside surface, even the ocean. Then, take off your shoes and let your feet make contact with the ground. Do this with lots of curiosity and self-observation. Notice the temperature of the earth. How does it feel? Notice the texture. How does it feel? Come up onto your toes. How does it feel? Wiggle your toes. How do they feel? Notice if it feels soft, hard, wet, hot, cold, to your feet. Stretch your arms us towards the sun. That's inviting nature into your body.
Stand still with feel planted in the earth and breathe for a few minutes. Then walk slowly. Observe your breath. Observe your body. See if you can feel the earth's energy and your energy meeting each other.
Try this for at least 10 minutes each day if you can. It's a simple, yet powerful reset for the nervous system. If it's uncomfortable to stand, grab a chair and sit with your feet on the ground.
Making a sole connection with the ground can help improve sleep, reduce cortisol, balance your root chakra, clear your mind, clear energetic clutter, boot your energy, and help reduce inflammation.
This can also be a form of meditation. Anytime we shift our energy away from the repetition of thought in our minds, and re-direct it towards noticing things like our feet touching the earth, we re-direct our nervous system. That shift is huge!! The more we break the cycles of overstimulation, the more we will start to feel our bodies and minds relax.
Simple things really work. 🌱🌳🌞
