Friday 1st June is Barefoot Day, an annual event organised by Soles4Souls, a global charity trying to put shoes on the feet of 300 million underprivileged children. What a great cause!
We love what these guys are doing and are 100% behind Barefoot Day. We hope you will be too.
It’s not just the cause we support though. As you well know, Firewalking and Glass Walking are both done Barefoot, but we also get people to kick of the socks and shoes on our retreats. Going Barefoot is part of the Firewalk Instructor Training Course too and here are some benefits of going Barefoot:
Fresh air
Of course, you can go barefoot in the house, but the best way is to get outside. Get some fresh air, get connected to nature, feel the earth with your feet, and listen to the bird singing. You’ll feel better for it.
Feel better
Walking barefoot in the grass increases your good endorphins and can help decrease anxiety and depression. It’s also believed that walking barefoot on grass is a good cure for insomnia, which leads into…
Michael Franti
Yoga for your feet
Walking barefoot will stretch and strengthen the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet, ankles, and calves. Which is great for injury prevention as well as knee and back problems. Shoes restrict some of your feet muscles and when they are removed you will be exercising them. In turn, this will strengthen your core and improve your posture.
Increased awareness
Going barefoot requires paying attention to every step, especially if you want to avoid sharp stones and thorns. Paying attention increases your awareness and to really pay attention you will quiet your Monkey Mind, your inner chatter. You will be more mindful, and you will be focused on the here and now. This is a big part of Firewalking and Glass Walking too.
Reflexology
It’s well established that there are reflex points to every part of your body in your feet. Walking barefoot helps stimulate these little reflex points, especially over uneven ground. If you aren’t used to being in your bare feet or your feet are sensitive, this might hurt a little at first. That’s ok though, give it time and it will become easier as the areas in your feet and body are rejuvenated. Again, this comes up time and time again with Firewalking and Glass Walking.
It’s Grounding
There is more and more research about grounding or earthing and the easiest way to do this is spend half an hour outside, in your bare feet. It has been proven to detoxify, calm and reduce inflammation. It is used to help people with arthritis and those suffering chronic pain. Not to mention the emotional benefits of grounding.
Go for it, Go Barefoot Day
If you have read this and you think it is for hippies and “new age” folks, why not challenge your belief system, do some research or better still, try it anyway. What’s the worst that can happen?
We hope these examples will encourage you to go Barefoot this Friday and support Barefoot Day.
And remember, whether you go barefoot or not, there are millions of people who have no choice and you can donate here to make a difference – https://soles4souls.org/get-involved/give-money/