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There are so many positive aspects to kicking off your shoes and socks as often as possible and getting your bare feet on the bare earth.
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Here are a few of the potential health benefits:
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1) Reduces inflammation
2) Decreases pain
3) Improves sleep
4) Improves wound healing
5) Reduces blood viscosity
6) Reduces stress
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Plus more.. there's loads of information and research accessible now on the internet.
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It's possible I have experienced some or all of these benefits, although I've radically changed many things around how I live my life in the last few years and it's hard to say what's responsible for what. Although I CAN say I'm a whole lot healthier and happier!
For me, that list is comforting to know, but I began walking barefoot, or 'grounding' way before looking in to any scientific evidence or reasonings behind the why, I just innately knew it was a good thing for me to be doing. Full time bare foot began for me in summer 2022 during festival season and I was often finding myself living in a field for the weekend, with grass as my carpet. The shoes were off a lot of the time, and it felt really good. So good, that I decided I didn't really want to put them back on! And the fields extended to the beach which extended to other terrain on dog walks which extended to pretty much everywhere, any time. Autumn came round and I still didn't feel the want or need to wear any footwear. Winter approached and I still felt comfortable going shoeless. And I have been ever since!
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I do make exceptions, which I have learnt the painful way. If it's icy / snowy, it is NOT enjoyable (for me at least) not to have some protection for my feet. If the terrain is super thistley or the track I'm taking comprises of sharp stones, again, learning from experience, it's best to wear footwear. I absolutely ADORE running barefoot on sandy beaches, but various attempts at long runs (where the terrain is changeable) have inevitably ended up as run-walks, because it was just too painful to run on certain surfaces; so now my trusty pair of Vivobarefoot shoes accompany me in these instances. Winter 2022 was pretty much completely barefoot, but this past winter I did wear a great pair of charity shop boots fairly often, cause I felt like it and because I hate getting muddy feet in the van!
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For me, aside from the above benefits and the fact that I prefer it, I don't wear shoes because it's just another thing we've been conditioned and programmed to do. I could give you various reasons why that may be the case, but one is certainly the fact that the global footwear market is a multi-billion dollar industry. Money money money.
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And me being me, I now question every single thing I've been programmed to do. It makes me laugh (and cry) thinking about the hundreds of 'nights out' I spent in the most uncomfortable footwear, high heals that were destroying my feet and that, mixed with alcohol especially, could on many occasion have resulted in a broken ankle. Now I dance freely, passionately and powerfully (and alcohol free) and I feel totally liberated.
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I think it's important to do things differently in society, if the norm is no good. So aside from going au naturel on the foot front for the love of it, I also do it to be walking a different story, and to show others it's possible. I am asked on a regular basis by the public why I'm not wearing shoes, and it's lovely to have the opportunity to have a chat about it. Many people have just never considered the fact their feet are out of contact with the earth most or even all of the time. I also love getting my bare feet on the earth because it connects me to our mother earth, and it brings out my wildness. It makes me feel connected, in harmony with our home planet, and it makes me feel powerful and fearless.
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Yes you get the occasional splinter, but that's about it. I've been kicked out of a few places because I refuse to wear shoes (or mostly I just haven't got any with me anyway!) and when questioned why, the excuse seems to always be either 'it's policy' (which is one of the biggest copouts around) or 'there's broken glass' which most of the time is an outright lie, but even if there was, thank goodness for eyesight eh?
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So what do you think - will you give it a go? When I'm hollered by curious passersby, in our conversations I'll usually suggest something like 'just try 10 minutes a day walking on the grass in your garden' or similar. Start small. Feel how good it feels. How liberating. And who knows, maybe it'll help with a whole load of other health stuff too. Enjoy! And be free!
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