The Dosha way to walking barefoot
How can walking barefoot help balance your dosha?
Walking barefoot on any natural surface or as it has been termed, “Earthing” lets us connect directly to the earth and its magnetic field.
It’s believed that the relationship between our bodies and the earth’s natural electrons is an important one, providing us with a number of notable health benefits. Scientific studies show that “earthing” helps regulate our body’s nervous systems; helping to reduce inflammation and stress, increase antioxidants, and improving sleep.
In Ayurvedic philosophy it is believed we are made up with energies of the five great elements—Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth. These can manifest in doshas, known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. We're all made up of a unique combination of these three forces. When unbalanced, nature can have an effect on balancing these energies.
Earthing can bring an abundant amount of health benefits to your life. However, for each of us, the health benefits may differ depending on your dosha.
EARTHED VATA
Vata is the most fragile of the 3 doshas and can fall out of balance quickly. As a Vata, sometimes you may feel ungrounded and your mind is racing with clear signs of excessive air and wind. This is an important time to seek out the stability of earth.
Vata’s tend to lean toward the long and slim figure with thin skin and a natural coldness of the body that comes on quickly and seems to reverberate throughout their system. When earthing, try to choose a warm environment as well as a softer surface if possible. Vata naturally embodies the qualities of hard so walking on hard surfaces may increase a sense of rigidness.
It will also be important not to make your bodies temperature even colder. To balance the cold nature of Vata, spend a little time in the sun, allowing its light and warmth to permeate you. In these moments relfect on the energy-giving force of the sun and allow it to warm and regenerate you.
EARTHED PITTA
With excess Pitta it is easy to feel overheated and irritable. Earthing in these times can be important to help balance the fire and see things more clearly.
Pitta does well from the cool and moist environment. Walking in the hot summer for example on sand, even though it is a natural environment, the heat from the summer sun can make it unattractive for Pitta and would be better to walk in the water alongside the beach shore. Allow the water’s cooling influence to calm and soothe you.
To help with any anger or digestion issues, surround yourself with lush vegetation, the colour of green plants, blue sky, and rich earth are wonderfully pacifying for Pitta types.
Walking in the morning dew on the grass is also a wonderful remedy for boosting immunity and cooling the body and would serve well for those suffering from inflammatory conditions. As well as the early morning dew, the night-time moon has an immense cooling influence and is very soothing to Pitta. So not next time if you are feeling irritable, take a moonlit stroll outside, or even walk barefoot through dew-covered grass.
EARTHED KAPHA
Kapha can get through tough terrain and is the most tolerable to the ground conditions when earthing. If you have excessive Kapha it is common to feel dull and lethargic, with a lack of energy and motivation. In these moments seek out the invigorating elements of space and air and get outdoors.
The more you move, the more energy you will create in your body, resulting in a boost of energy. Moving the muscles and increasing circulation would be highly advantageous.
Your most intimate experience with air is the breath. Try having a few deep breaths when you are earthing to have the full-body experience and reap the benefits of the experience.
Kapha’s should choose to walk on tough terrain with different shaped stones and sticks. The texture beneath their feet will invigorate them and increase the circulation.
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