Do you remember when you were a little kid and you would run through the grass with bare feet? It didn’t matter if it was cold or rainy, the feel of the grass on your feet made you feel free, made you feel alive!

I bet it’s been a long time since you’ve felt the cool grass on your feet or gone outside without shoes and truly connected with our planet. Our modern lives have left us with little direct contact with Mother Earth. Think again about how amazing it felt to be a child running through your backyard with your feet and the energy you could feel transmitting from the ground into your body.

This is a process that is called “Grounding” or “Earthing.” It, by definition, means any direct contact a human body has with the earth’s surface. The thought is that the earth holds a very mild negative charge and our bodies, under the influence of modern technology, builds up a positive charge that needs releasing or it will begin to affect our mental and physical wellbeing. Any direct contact with the earth can help our bodies return to a more neutral state.

That’s why you felt the way you did when you were a child playing in the yard, splashing in a mud puddle, or walking on the beach. If you really think about it and the way we live, you could probably go years without ever physically touching the earth. These modern habits have left our bodies and souls out of whack and continue to contribute to illness and burnout.

Practicing grounding doesn’t take any fancy equipment or expensive memberships to gyms. It’s just a matter of taking time every day to walk outside and connect with nature. The next time you go outside, kick off your shoes first! If you are near a lake or a stream, dip your toes in the water.

Make it a habit to commit to physically and directly touching the earth every single day and you’ll soon begin to notice the subtle changes in your life and maybe even start to feel like a kid again!