“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet, and the winds long to play with your hair.”

- Kahlil Gibran

Happy Earth Day!

Our Earth holds a myriad of diverse treasures, almost as if she holds a thousand planets in one.

With billions of inhabitants, she shares her beauty from beaches and mountains, her depths in oceans, caves, and jungles, and her vastness in fields of ice, sand, and flowers. She is one grand gift after another.

With much of the world in a restricted routine, the impact of slowing the human pace is profound.

• Endangered sea turtles are hatching on empty beaches in Brazil, Florida, and India.

• The Himalayas can be seen for the first time in decades thanks to reduced pollution.

• There has been a dramatic decline in global air pollution.

• “There’s a kind of hush all over the world.” Even seismic noises, relating to the Earth’s movement, have been impacted.

For me, it’s certainly a cause worth a pause.

The human way - our destructive pace - is not healthy for our planet… nor its inhabitants.

Incredibly, though, we see how quickly Mother Nature gets to work healing traumas and wounds.

She has an innate way of bringing life back into balance. She even has ways of bringing us into balance, particularly through air and earth.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Fresh, clean air is linked to improved mood, immune system, and increased energy and vitality. This article from the American Lung Association details some techniques for better breathing.

Take these tips outdoors, if you can, and enjoy the beauty of breathing. Even a few minutes of good breathing can create noticeable changes in the body and mind.

Earthing - It’s Electric!

The simple connection of skin (especially the feet) to the bare earth allows for a natural recalibration. It is hypothesized that the body is able to absorb electrons on the Earth’s surface that become antioxidants in the body.

This electrical connection has been scientifically researched, and the results indicate that directly connecting to the earth can offer better sleep, improved mental health, and even reductions in pain. It may even be helpful during times of healing, for auto-immunity, and chronic disease. Published in The Journal of Environmental and Public Health, the abstract to this article, Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons, provides a nice summary.

“Environmental medicine generally addresses environmental factors with a negative impact on human health. However, emerging scientific research has revealed a surprisingly positive and overlooked environmental factor on health: direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth. Modern lifestyle separates humans from such contact. The research suggests that this disconnect may be a major contributor to physiological dysfunction and unwellness. Reconnection with the Earth's electrons has been found to promote intriguing physiological changes and subjective reports of well-being. Earthing (or grounding) refers to the discovery of benefits—including better sleep and reduced pain—from walking barefoot outside or sitting, working, or sleeping indoors connected to conductive systems that transfer the Earth's electrons from the ground into the body. This paper reviews the earthing research and the potential of earthing as a simple and easily accessed global modality of significant clinical importance.” - Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth's Surface Electrons, published in The Journal of Environmental and Public Health

A Healthy Exchange

If you are able, enjoy some fresh-air breathing today (and every day). Take your shoes off, put your feet on the sweet earth and allow her to work her magic on you. While enjoying the connection, think of ways you can honor and preserve the planet we call home. Let’s be better house guests. Let’s assist her processes of restoration, and leave only footprints.

🌎♡Sending much love on this Earth Day!♡🌎

Jacquelyn