Monday 30 March 2015

Negative is Positive?! Why Being Barefoot Is Just SO GOOD For Us!


Hello there! Welcome back, it’s great to have you here again! 
Wow am I excited about this week’s tip! I’ve been thinking all week how to write this post and do the topic any semblance of justice. I’m not sure how it’ll come out, but here I go!

We humans are electrical beings. Every part of our body has an electrical charge, and the interactions of those charges go a long way to regulating our systems. This week I want to talk about a MAJOR benefit in going barefoot, and I expect not many of you will already be familiar with this.

I first stumbled across this topic when I heard during my reflexology study – “if you walk on wet grass in the morning your car will stop trying to electrocute you…“ 

Puzzled and intrigued, I filed it away in the back of my mind to look into on a rainy day. What I discovered was this: our earth’s surface is covered in free (mobile) electrons. This may sound a bit abstract in terms of stress relief, relaxation and or general health, but it is of real significance.

A lot of the health issues these days are caused by things like free radicals in the body, inflammation and blood coagulation. Balancing our internal electrical system can actually neutralise all these issues and more!

For instance – a free radical is a molecule missing one or more electrons (so it's positively charged, and not happy about it). These electron hungry molecules roam around our bodies and try to steal electrons, throwing other healthy body parts out of balance. Consuming antioxidants (fruit, tea, etc) is one way to put free electrons back into our bodies to balance the charge, but the resource is limited to how much you eat/drink. Walking barefoot is another, free way, and you’re tapping into a limitless supply of free electrons to balance you body!

A number of studies have been conducted into the various health benefits of grounding one’s body. Some key benefits you’ll be interested in are:
  • ·      Reduction in stress
  • ·      Improved sleeping patterns (and cortisol cycles)
  • ·      Reduced inflammation (all types!)
  • ·      Reduced pain
  • ·      It also helps your body maintain it’s natural balanced charge in the midst of all the electro-magnetic fields we live in these days!


So to expand on my 2nd GEM from last week – I totally recommend walking around barefoot outside, as much as you can! Any time spent barefoot outside, will be beneficial to your health (again, don’t walk on harmful surfaces though). If you can spend 30-40 minutes barefoot outside each day – ideal! But any amount of time will be beneficial.


I have one other cool tip regarding free electrons. Have you heard about Salt Lamps? These beautiful little lamps are quirky lumps of Himalayan Rock Salt with a little bulb inside. What’s really cool though is, they emit negative ions into their surrounding space (more free electrons!). It's a neat way of balancing the charge in our homes, bringing that healthy negative potential back inside.


Phew! I got a bit excited there! If you would like to know more about these free electrons and what some studies have found specifically, let me know and I’ll forward you a great article I’ve been reading from the Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Also, if there are any topics you're curious about and relevant to this blog, ask away in the comments below and I'll do a post on it - yes, topic requests are welcome!

Next week I want to talk a bit more about going barefoot, but this time talking about it’s healing nature through reflexology (another favourite topic of mine! Tee hee hee).


Until then!

With love and light, be peaceful.

Annalise

Monday 23 March 2015

Introduction and Welcome ^_^

Hi! My name is Annalise. I have a special interest in stress relief – my mission is to help people break
free of the constant physiological stress response that so many of us live with, for no other reason
than by thinking its ‘normal’. It is not normal or necessary and it is time to change that mentality. I
invite you to come along on a journey with me - a journey of reconnection and rebalance. Welcome
to my blog space!

In coming weeks I will share some of my stress relief and relaxation gems with you. I also welcome
your gems, insights, observations and feedback - we are all walking this road of modern life
together.


Do you pay much attention to your own stress levels?


I thought I did, until about 2 years ago I had become so highly stressed in my job that I mentally
burnt-out.  While recovering from that burnout without properly resting myself, I became
chronically ill with appendicitis. That was when I started to seriously rethink my priorities in life.

Having developed a love of foot massage over 20 years ago thanks to my mother's hobbies,  I decided to study Reflexology intending self-treatment only. What I have discovered through my study
however, is just how powerful it is as a tool for healing. I now feel it is my privilege and obligation to dedicate my time to helping others as I myself have been helped.

If “1” is stretched out on a tropical beach somewhere, free of any and all worries and “10” is so
stressed you can’t easily eat, sleep or think, how would you score yourself today?


So! This week I want to share the bare essentials of two core gems.

GEM 1: Stress tends to restrict our breathing. Right now, sit back, place your hands comfortably in
your lap, and take 3 deep, slow breathes. Feel each breath you take – feel the cool air drawn
through your nose and down into your lungs. Then feel the warm air flowing back up, and out your
mouth or nose.

GEM 2: Our feet lead our way through life and are our direct connection with the Earth. Kick off your shoes and walk around barefoot for at least 10 minutes each day, preferably on as many different (non-damaging) textures as practical. Next week I will give you some background into why this is a gem – I’d love to hear your feedback on how walking around barefoot has felt for you.

With love and light, be peaceful.

Annalise