Walking Barefoot

“People say that walking on water is a miracle, but to me, walking peacefully on the earth is the real miracle. The Earth is a miracle, each step is a miracle. Taking steps on our beautiful planet can bring real happiness.”
-Thich Nhat Hanh, The Long Road Turns to Joy

The warmer, dryer weather has brought me a greater appreciation of walking barefoot. As yoga practitioners, there are many good reasons to do so:

Better balance and posture When we practice yoga we always have bare feet. We take off the “sensory deprivation chambers” known as “shoes” so that all of the sensors (nerves) in our feet can feel the floor. The information gathered by the feet travels up the whole body contributing to better balance and an aligned posture.

Strong ankles and less foot pain Being barefoot increases the strength of the muscles in the feet, ankles and calves; wearing shoes actually decreases the strength of these muscles because the shoe is doing the work for the muscles. It’s common for muscles that are getting a workout to be a bit painful at first, but this will ease as the muscles get stronger.

Restoration of nerve impulses For those people who experience neuropathy, here is a reason to rejoice. Studies confirm that walking barefoot on the earth—with skin to grass contact—for just 10 minutes a day, restores nerve impulses in the feet due to the powerful electromagnetic pulse of the Earth.

Walking on the earth is a spiritual practice which reminds us that we are earth creatures made up of the very same elements. What we do to the earth affects us all, so let us all take greater care in loving and preserving our beautiful earthly home.