Feeling the Earth: Why I sometimes need to take off my shoes

Godd3ss Aisha

Some days I need meditation.

Some days I need music.

Some days I need silence.

And then there are days when I need to take off my shoes, walk outside, and put my bare feet directly on the Earth. 🌎💚

No sneakers.

No socks.

No barrier between me and the ground.

Just me, some grass, and hopefully no surprise dog 💩. 😂

Something about feeling the Earth beneath my feet makes me slow down.

People sometimes call this grounding or earthing.

For me?

I call it reconnecting.

When Did I Stop Feeling the Ground?

Think about how much of my day can pass without my feet ever touching the actual Earth.

I wake up inside.

Walk across the floor.

Put on shoes.

Get in the car.

Walk across concrete.

Go inside another building.

Come home.

Repeat.

Meanwhile, the Earth has been underneath me the entire time.

Grass.

Sand.

Soil.

All these different textures that I rarely stop long enough to actually feel.

When I take my shoes off and walk through the grass, something changes.

Maybe part of it is simply that I have to pay attention.

Is the ground warm?

Is it cool?

Is the grass wet?

Is there a rock?

A stick?

An ant preparing to teach me a spiritual lesson I didn't ask for? 😂

Suddenly I'm not thinking about tomorrow.

I'm thinking about right now.

It Brings Me Into the Present

That's probably the biggest benefit I've personally noticed.

Walking barefoot makes me pay attention to my body and my surroundings.

I notice how the ground feels.

I notice my breathing.

I notice the temperature.

I notice the wind.

I notice the sounds around me.

Instead of being trapped inside my thoughts, I'm experiencing what's happening around me.

For those few minutes...

I am present.

And after everything I've been learning about solitude, meditation, self-awareness, and protecting my peace, I've realized how important those moments are for me.

Nature Has Its Own Therapy

I don't mean therapy in the medical sense.

I mean those moments when being outside simply makes me feel better.

Sunlight on my skin.

Fresh air.

Birds making entirely too much noise before I've had enough time to prepare for the day. 😂

Trees moving in the breeze.

My feet touching the grass.

I don't need an app.

I don't need a screen.

I don't need somebody telling me what I'm supposed to feel.

I can simply experience it.

Spending time in nature and moving my body can support my overall well-being, and walking itself is a simple way for me to get movement into my day.

Walking barefoot adds another element:

I have to pay attention.

About Those Grounding Claims... 👀

If I've spent five minutes on social media, I've probably seen some pretty big claims about grounding.

I've seen people say that walking barefoot on the Earth can cure illnesses, eliminate inflammation, fix sleep, reset the body, and probably make my credit score go up by Tuesday. 😂

Okay...

Let's keep it 💯.

There has been some research into grounding or earthing, but many of the bigger health claims I see online haven't been established by strong scientific evidence.

So I'm not going to tell myself that standing barefoot in the grass will magically cure everything happening inside my body.

That's not why I do it.

I do it because I enjoy it.

It gets me outside.

It encourages me to slow down.

It gives me a sensory connection with nature.

It helps me focus on the present moment.

And sometimes that's enough.

Everything doesn't need to be a miracle cure to have value.

My Feet Make Me Pay Attention

There's another part of barefoot walking that I appreciate.

I can't completely zone out.

With shoes on, I can stomp through the world without thinking much about what's underneath me.

Barefoot?

Oh, I'm paying attention. 😂

I walk slower.

I look where I'm stepping.

I notice different surfaces.

Soft grass feels different from sand.

Warm earth feels different from cool earth.

That awareness brings me back into my body.

For me, that's another form of mindfulness.

I'm not thinking:

What happened yesterday?

What am I doing tomorrow?

Why did she say that?

Why hasn't he called?

What's happening on social media?

I'm thinking:

This grass feels amazing.

Sometimes that's exactly where my mind needs to be.

I Can Ground Without Calling It Grounding

I also realized something.

I don't necessarily have to be barefoot to reconnect with nature.

I can sit underneath a tree.

Put my hands in the soil while gardening.

Walk on the beach.

Sit outside and listen to the birds.

Watch the clouds.

Feel the breeze.

Stand in the sunlight.

Or simply put my phone away and notice what's happening around me.

The important part for me isn't performing some perfect grounding ritual.

It's reconnecting with the physical world instead of spending every waking moment connected to the digital one.

Barefoot Doesn't Mean Careless

Now, before somebody runs outside barefoot and steps on something crazy...

Common sense still applies. 😂

I pay attention to where I'm walking.

Broken glass, sharp rocks, hot pavement, insects, contaminated ground, and other hazards are very real.

And barefoot walking isn't appropriate for everyone. Certain health conditions can make foot injuries more dangerous or make them harder to notice.

So connecting with the Earth doesn't require me to ignore my body or common sense.

There are plenty of ways for me to experience nature safely.

Sometimes I Just Need the Earth

I'm learning that I don't always need to do something to feel connected.

Sometimes I need to stop doing.

Take my shoes off.

Put my phone down.

Step into the grass.

Breathe.

Feel.

Listen.

Look around.

And remember:

I am here.

Not yesterday.

Not tomorrow.

Here.

I am present.

I am breathing.

I am connected.

I am grateful.

I am grounded.

And for a few minutes, nothing else requires my attention.

Just me...

My bare feet...

The Earth...

And hopefully no ants. 😂🌎💚

Until next time, my beautiful souls. 😌

Peace, Love & Light. 💚🧘🏾‍♀️