Category: Movement

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Barefoot Bathing and Earthing

The groundbreaking benefits behind your barefoot summer

Ah, summer—the season of barbecues, long weekends and holidays. A time of year when many of us just like to kick off our shoes and relax a little more.

This is where earthing comes in. Earthing is the practice of spending time in direct contact with the Earth, and research shows that it has a broad range of physical and mental health benefits.

If you’re looking for a simple way to improve your health and wellbeing this summer, give earthing a try!

What is earthing?
Earthing, or grounding, is the simple act of making contact with the earth. It’s as easy as taking your shoes and socks off and walking outside barefoot.

Healthy Feet are Happy Feet

Earthing has been around for centuries, but was only recently studied and given a name by Clint Ober, an electrical engineer who became invested in the topic after he was diagnosed with major health issues.

Since then, earthing has been shown to have a number of benefits not just for physical but for mental health too. It helps to relieve stress and anxiety, improve sleep, reduce inflammation and pain, and even boost energy levels.

There are a few ways to earth yourself, depending on where you are. If you’re at home, you can go outside and walk around in your back garden or nearby park. If you’re at work, you can take a quick break to go outside and perhaps lay down on the grass. And if you’re on holiday or travelling, you can find hill, dune or beach to walk barefoot on.

The science behind earthing
Earthing is the practise of being in direct contact with the earth’s surface. This can be done by walking outside barefoot, sitting or lying on the ground, or swimming in natural bodies of water.

There is a lot of science that supports earthing and its many benefits. When you’re connected to the earth, your body is able to absorb all of the beneficial electrons that are swirling around us. These electrons have been shown to promote physical and mental wellbeing. It changes the contrary positive charge we absorb from our electrical living. Swapping it for the earth’s natural charge which enriches and enliven our biology.

One study found that grounding for just fifteen minutes was able to decrease cortisol levels (the stress hormone) by 31%. It also resulted in a decrease in anxiety and negative thoughts. So if you’re looking for a way to distress this summer, earthing might be the answer for you!

What are the benefits of earthing?
There are countless benefits to earthing, both physically and mentally.

Physically, earthing helps to release tension in the body, improve sleep, reduce inflammation, and boost your immune system. It can also help to reduce pain and speed up the healing process.

Mentally, earthing can help to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It can also help to improve focus and concentration, and increase feelings of calm and well-being.

Earthing during the summer
When it comes to summer, nothing feels better than kicking off your shoes

and feeling the grass, sand, or even tiles beneath your feet. For earthing enthusiasts, this is the best time of year because you can enjoy all the benefits of being grounded outdoors!

Go Barefoot it makes Nature Sense

There are a few things you can do to make grounding more enjoyable and relaxing. First, find a spot outside that has a nice view. This will help you relax and enjoy the experience. Secondly, make sure to wear light and comfortable clothing so you can move around easily. Lastly, take time to really focus on the sensations you feel when you’re grounding. Notice the textures, temperatures, and smells around you. This will help you connect more with your surroundings and reap the full benefits of earthing.

What to expect when you start earthing
When you start earthing, you might experience a sense of calm and grounding. This is because, when you connect with the earth, you’re absorbing negative ions, which can help to improve your mood and mental wellbeing. Some people also report improved sleep and reduced anxiety when they start earthing, as well as a general sense of good health.

From reducing anxiety to boosting energy levels, earthing or grounding can help you feel your best during the summer months. By kicking off your shoes and connecting with the earth, you can enjoy all the benefits of earthing in just a few minutes. So why not give it a try?

…and not just in the Summer!

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The Fountain of Youth – secrets explained

Fountain of Youth Tibetan Rites

Ancestral or ancient movement practices such as the daily Tibetan Rites have been passed down from exactly where and from whom we don’t know.  Just as fountain of youth with nature sensethe pyramids don’t entirely make sense in our accepted time line, neither do the detail and insights of ancient medicines such as the Ayurvedic or Chinese practices.  We are still in the west uncovering the deep science behind the millennia of their wisdom.

The fountain of youth or the Tibetan Rites is another mystery, a practice so simple but so effective.  It’s all about working with energies – alas another area our modern medicine doesn’t recognise, despite science acknowledging it.

The fountain of youth – as the name suggests – comes from Tibet.  Revealed through the monk’s ancient knowledge of the energy healings of China and India combined.The Five Tibetan Rites - fountain of youth  In doing the rites it was observed that people became younger. A beauty regime better than skin deep.  The exercises activate energy vortexes, harmonising a life force which then flows, attracting more energy. They touch our energy channels ( meridians) stimulating our endocrine system and feeding our organs.   Ultimately leading to our feeling recharged, refreshed and regenerated.  Alas this is no modern style quick fix.  The rites must be practiced ever single day after a year you will start to feel and it will be observed that you are physically between 5 and 10 years  younger.  In your way, stamina and in other’s observations.   But suiting the modern demand for speed, they take only about 10 to 15 minutes out of your day.

Improvements seen : Vitality comes back into your life.  Sleeping becomes deeper. Joints and spine feel more supple.  Eyes, senses, organs work better and energy replaces fatigue.

So to the how:  Start with three of each and build up to 21 over 4 or 5 months.  You may be able for more, but this is about organ energy, not physical ability.  All breathing during the rites must be in through your nose.  You start with the spin, clockwise – with the planet -activating your energy field for the day.  While you do the exercise, try to visualise your energy travelling through your spine.  The final rite combines both  energy directions in the one exercise.

You can combine these moves with your other exercise, more formal western or yoga, tai chi or chi kung – but they must be done daily.   Oxigenating your day, your energy.  Ideally you would also in time bring in meditation and nasal breathing.  But one thing at a time.  Let’s get these 5 movements first into your day. Visualising and energising.

You can do it – put the life into your years, not just the years into your life.the fountain of youth - secrets

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Move it Move it

Are you an Active Couch Potato?

Living a modern life for many means we’re spending increasing periods of time sitting.  Since 1960 the number of jobs that involves sedentary activity has increased by a massive 83%. That’s a whole lot of sitting!  What are the implications?

It was found that our athlete heroes are actually not necessarily better off than those of us who are partial to a bit of sofa love.  Dr. Richard Weiler,  who’s credentials include physician for a British premier league football club and Senior Sports Physician at the British Olympic Association, looked into what his footballers did off the pitch. What he found was surprising. About 80% off pitch time was spent in sedentary states.

I’m reminded of my favourite dystopian film Wall-e!

It turns out that just because we exercise, it doesn’t give us a pass to have a mega ass-rest.  Too much sitting is bad.  Just a few hours of sitting suppresses a gene that helps our cardiovascular system maintain a healthy aspect, and reduces the reparative inflammation that works our natural defence against injury.  Not good for a footballer, not good for us.   This gene specifically reacts to how are we spend our whole day. It reacts to our overall low intensity physical activity. A burst of exercise doesn’t seem to turn these identified genes back on.  

These genes are sensitive to sitting but not affected by exercise.

All it takes is over 2 hours of sitting and the gene suppression begins. If you spend about 7 hours a day sitting you need a solution!  This is where low intensity physical activity comes in. We’ve to start thinking about doing just a little bit of movement spread over our day rather than packing it all in at the end or at the beginning of our day.  When we do these intense exercise bursts we tend to think we’ve earned butt-time and crash on the couch – it’s called the ‘compensation effect’.   But the key is we’ve got to stay moving all day.   Micro moving!  This is good news for those who aren’t that fond of exercise.
Bonus: Moving also helps clear our mind, our productivity goes up and so does our processing.

Researchers discovered 70,000 deaths a year in the UK were linked to a lack of activity. Westfield Health surveyed 2,000 people for the NHS and found only 60 per cent knew inactivity was bad for their health, but sadly only 12 per cent thereafter took action to reduce the time they spent sitting down.

So what can we do?  
1) Start using a standing desk or if that’s too much a hybrid standing/sitting desk.  There’s treadmill desks too if you feel eager!
2) Set a reminder on your phone and get up to think on your feet.
3) Don’t send internal eMails – visit in person and deliver the information.
4) Take some stairs if it’s just a few floors to get somewhere.
5) Go for a walk in a local park at lunchtime.
6) When you are standing – be mindful of standing with your shoulders back. Balance.
7) No playstation sitting marathons for you ( or the kids! )

.. To be honest it’s fairly instinctive – but also quite personal to how you live your life.  Just give it some thought and know a little can make you healthier than a pro-footballer!  Who knew emptying the dishwasher could save your life!  ?

.. What can you do to Move a bit more throughout your day?