Barefoot With Nature

A Messge From Manuka

Categories: My Story, Spiritual, With Nature

Tags: Healing, Manuka, Message, Nature, New Zealand, Walking

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Published on: March 9, 2013

Over the past few days I have received many downloads and insights, mostly on a personal level, answers to questions that I have. However I have also received a message from Manuka, a message that I am to share with you. This message may not be for everyone, but it is definitely for a few people that I know, it is also an incomplete message, there is more to come, but for now this is all I am guided to pass on.

It started with a dream

A few nights back I had a very vivid dream, a dream that I a woke with, one that sat in my memory and didn’t start to fade as many do.

I was in a forest, completely surrounded by trees, the trees were all the same species, a tree that I am familiar with here in New Zealand, there was no path and I wasn’t in a clearing, and I could see nothing beyond the trees that enclosed me. Above the sun was shining and the sky a clear blue, the light filtering its way down through the leaves, providing me with warmth and healing. All around me all I could hear was the whisper ‘Manuka’, ‘Manuka’, ‘Manuka’. Beyond the whisper was the sound of silence, the place from which all sound is born and to which all sound eventually returns.

Manuka

The Manuka tree, those which surrounded me in my dream, are the scab on the wound of the Earth. They are the first trees to grow in an area where the bush has been cleared, they grow in places that are barren to most other trees. Their small leaves allow the sun light to reach the ground, they take minimal water from the soil, the provide the perfect environment for the bush to regenerate to flourish under their protection. They provide healing for the land that has been ravaged, ravaged by natural forces, ravaged by man.

The Manuka tree is well known for its healing powers, for many it is known as The Tea Tree.

The Manuka Forest

On my ramblings I chanced upon an area that needed the healing power of Manuka, a Manuka forest, healing an area that had previously been cleared by logging. This area was in much need of healing, if had been badly abused by man, destroying it, rending it completely barren. Then the Manuka moved in and the healing started.

The Message (Part One)

As Manuka heals the Earth, in doing so part of it also dies, the balance must be maintained. The way it was told to me is that as Manuka heals it takes out, or draws out the ‘poison’, it takes on the energy of the wound it is healing. As it gives positive healing energy then it must take on the negative energy of the land it heals. (I don’t like the terms positive and negative, but this is as I was told). The balance must be maintained. Manuka has finely tuned its healing powers over many millennia and doesn’t allow the ‘poison’ or the negative energy it is healing to kill it, as it surely would. Manuka passes this ‘poison’ or negative energy into its bark where it mixes with its oils and is rendered neutral. The process kills the outer bark of Manuka and it sheds, falling to the ground to add to the compost of new growth, safe and neutral. If Manuka where not to shed it’s bark it would die as a direct result for the healing. Thus Manuka can heal efficiently for many years without itself coming to any harm.

There are many who NEED to learn the lesson of Manuka, there are many healers, light workers, way forgers, activators there are many who are falling ill, contracting diseases and ailments as a direct result of the enrgy work the healing work that they are doing. Manuka has the answer, Manuka has shown us how to heal with no harm to ourselves.

The Message (Part Two)

Well there isn’t a part two, just yet, but I do believe that there is more to this message, but what that is I wouldn’t like to say. I know of many people who do great work, healing the planet and the people of the planet who themselves have become ill or developed ailments. In fact it’s an uncanny coincidence, one that I hadn’t realised until I mentally went through the energy works that I know and of those who had developed an illness or ailment.

Waitakere Ranges

by Chris

Categories: My Story, With Nature

Tags: Barefooting, New Zealand, Nihotupu, Tramping, Waitakere, Walking

Comments: No Comments

Published on: October 7, 2012

To the west of Auckland is a vast area of land known as the Waitakere Ranges, a National Park. The Fat Cats Backpackers hostel is only a short walk from this area of natural beauty (well a short walk in New Zealand terms, it actually took me about two hours to walk into the Range!)

As with all the National Parks in New Zealand, Waitakere is riddled with tracks and trails, I chose a more straightforward track that took me along a creek (The Nihotupu Stream) and down the side a lake that was created by a dam. The dam is used to feed the city of Auckland with fresh water, and is one of eight such dams in the area.

From what I remember (it was almost four weeks ago when I walked this trail – I know it’s taking me an age to get round to posting), the dam was build in the 1920′s and is one of two such dams along the Nihotupu Stream. As with many of these dams the area in which they are constructed is relatively inaccessible. In order to even build this dam and the second dam further down stream an extensive, pontoon had to be build in the bay as the only way to get the materials close to the site was by sea. Then a small tram line had to be constructed up the mountain to ferry the materials from the pontoon to the actual site. Now the pontoon has been removed, however the small tram line still exists.

Here is the track that I took and some of the pictures that I took along the route. As I say this trail was only a short trail, a couple of hours walking. I would have continued further along the stream to the lower dam however time was not on my side and thought of walking back the two hours to the road and the further two hours to the Fat Cats in the dark didn’t hold that much appeal!! As it happened once I returned to the road I managed to hitch a lift back into Auckland, but at the time I didn’t know that! Hindsight a wonderful thing!

As you can see from some of the pictures the one thing that I found was that vegetation was very different from that which I was used to in the UK, it was almost tropical and definitely reminded me of being in a Rain Forest. The other thing that I noticed was the how sheer the slopes were down to the creeks, the sheerness of these slopes were something that I would come across later, and would be something that could almost be life threatening… but more about that when I post my next tramping experience (tramping is the term used over here for hiking by the way and has nothing to do with being homeless!)

Workday Tuesday

by Chris

Categories: My Story

Tags: Coombe Abbey, Nature, Sun Shine, The Woods, Walking

Comments: No Comments

Published on: July 25, 2012

Workday Tuesday

Just a little background information for you; every Tuesday I meet up with my good friend Mel to work from her house. As we both work from home it gives us the chance to bounce ideas around and have some company!

Not Every Tuesday is a Work Day

It’s not always work, work, work as you can see this week we took a trip to Coombe Abbey (although now a hotel it has extensive grounds that are open to the public), and why not the weather was glorious and after all the rain it was great to get out into the sun shine for a walk with nature even if it was for just a few hours.

Coombe Abbey

Travelling

Remember I told you that I’m off travelling? Well this is a little experiment to work how easy it is to share my treks with everyone, including pictures!

It would seem that this is working wonderfully, please let me know how you got on with the interactive map.

New Beginnings

by Chris

Categories: My Story, Spiritual

Tags: Change, De-Cluttering, Nature, New Zealand, The Woods, Travelling, Walking

Comments: 3 Comments

Published on: May 28, 2012

As we experience life and get older we can look back and see that there are certain landmark events that either signifies the beginning or the end of different periods of our lives. Sometimes these can be changes in jobs or career paths, changes in where you live, changes in relationships, some of these periods can be significant landmarks others minor landmarks but all changes.

New beginnings are nearly always started by change, for some these new beginnings pass unnoticed as they drift through life, for others each period in their life has a deeper more spiritual meaning.

Change Is The Only Constant

Change is the only constant; that has to be one of my favourite sayings and it really is so true, everything is changing all the time, nothing ever stands still; nothing, especially Nature.

If we as human beings are to grow then we to must change also, as the world around us changes then we must respond to those changes in our own ways.

My Story

I haven’t shared much of my life story with you up until now but that will be changing over the coming months, but more on that in moment. Let me tell you a little about myself and why it is time for change.

Almost three years ago I split up with my partner of eight years; the separation was relatively amicable, all things considered. At the time I took a lease on a small flat on the edge of town close to the fields and woods, surrounded by trees. For me the perfect location, not only a five minute walk to open countryside but also a ten minute walk to work, this change signified the end of one period of my life and the beginning of another.

My job is nothing taxing or difficult, but it is extremely satisfying for me. I work in a small coffee shop selling hot drinks and snacks at the local train station. What’s even better is that I work the early shift, which means that I am normally finishing work when everyone else is starting! I also get the rest of the day to do as I please.

Everything Seems Perfect

So for the past three years I have been living on my own, in a wonderful location doing a job that I enjoy, I have plenty of free time to develop any ideas that I have and to generally explore life. This past three years have been a period of personal and spiritual exploration and growth for me, a time to discover who I am, what I want to do, where I am going, what my purpose in life is and other such momentous questions. The answer to all of which I have yet to find.

It’s Time For Change

So why is it time to change? Everything seems to be spot on, what more could I ask for?

Many moons ago I wrote in a blog post (for an old blog of mine) how the meaning of life was experience, not just experience but growth and experience.

Well as perfect as everything is I have grown and experienced as much of life as I can where I am, if I am to grow further as a human being and experience life to its fullest then I am going to have to expand my horizons, I have grown almost as much as I can here, doing what I am doing, at this point in time.

What’s The Change?

For some people this may be very difficult to understand for others it’s perfectly normal, I am being guided to up sticks and move, this all started about twelve months ago, when I got the sudden and unexplainable urge to move to Cornwall (a particularly beautiful part of England, an area that I love very much). At the time I did very little to follow this urge, but it never left me, no matter how much I ignored it or pushed it to the back of my mind, it was always there.

The time to move to Cornwall has now past; that was then, this is now, however the urge to move has not past, not at all and it’s been niggling away at me for the past six months or more. So around the end of last year I decided that was it, I WAS going to move, decision made! Where to I didn’t know, doing what I didn’t know that either, but knowing I was going to move, for me that was enough, so I left the Universe to fill in the gaps.

… and Fill In The Gaps It Did!

I had made the decision, admittedly at this point I had not told anyone, but that’s not the point, the decision was made and as far the Universe was concerned it was written in stone! Within about a week of making the decision to move I had four different and totally unconnected and unrelated people tell me that I would like New Zealand! But still no-one knew of my impending move.

New Zealand

I’m no stranger to New Zealand, although I have yet visit. At University I studied geology and wrote a dissertation on New Zealand, which geologically is a fascinating country. Also I dated a New Zealand girl in my late teens. So I am familiar with the country and to some extent the culture and I must say that I do have a fascination with the country.

Over the following weeks, I was spotting more and more references to New Zealand and its culture, in fact it did seem for a while that everywhere I looked there was something about New Zealand or a New Zealander!

Okay I get the message that the Universe is wanting me to go to New Zealand, so it’s off to New Zealand I go!

The Coffee Shop

Remember my little job, well when I took the job I remember my boss (at the time my father-in-law, but that’s another story altogether) saying that he had always struggled to get someone to cover the morning shifts, as nobody liked getting up at 4.30am, having had horses until I was in my twenties, early mornings are definitely no stranger to me, in fact more of a friend. So with this in mind I thought it best that I have a chat with him about my plans so that he can start looking for someone to take over my shifts.

That’s Odd! No That’s Another Sign

So I told him my plans and that I was planning on finishing work mid to late August this year. In truthfulness I didn’t know what to expect, but what I didn’t expect was him to tell me that he too would be making sweeping changes (I can’t say what because it isn’t public knowledge) and these changes would coincide exactly with my plans. Perfect! Everyone was happy, and because everyone was happy it was the right thing to do.

De-Cluttering, Letting Go, New Beginnings

Three years ago when I moved in here, I did just that, I de-cluttered, let go and started a fresh. I moved in with my trusty laptop, a chest of draws, a desk and a small table, my clothes and about 6 boxes of personal items, a massive debt that was it, that was all I owned at the time, everything! Not even a bed!

I completely de-cluttered on the physical level, it took time to let go on the emotional level, but I made a new start, it was a new beginning and I look back on those days, even though they were only three years ago with a glowing warmth, a sense of anticipation and expectation, a not knowing but having trust that everything will work out as it should.

Extreme De-Cluttering – not for the faint hearted!

So this time I am doing the same I am going to be either selling or giving away everything that I own all apart from that which I will be travelling with and a few, very few personal items that I want to keep hold off for now. Extreme De-Cluttering!

I will go carrying everything I own and will most likely return carrying everything I own. What I will return to, I don’t know, where I will live, I don’t know, what I will do, I don’t know, but what I do know is that so long as I follow the path that I am guided to then I will be in the right place at the right time with the right people and for me that is more than enough.

And now I’m sat here about to go travelling again, with a glowing warmth, a sense of anticipation and expectation, a not knowing but having trust that everything will work out as it should.

Change Is The Only Constant

I don’t know if you know about Dreams, Tarots & Spells, another site of mine where I offer Tarot Readings and Dream Interpretations, well that will be undergoing changes in preparation for my travels as will Bare With Nature, this site.

I plan to be sharing more of my story with you from now on, things that are going on, experiences that I have had, walks in the woods etc. Part of the purpose for us all, is for us to share our stories, this is why Social Media is so popular; it’s a way for us to share our stories. This is something that has really only just dawned upon me, so that is why I will be sharing my life story with you, especially as Barefoot With Nature hits the road, the BWN Roadshow!

I also have plans to add much more to this site but that won’t start until I find somewhere to park myself for a couple of months, most likely when I get back. Exactly what I will be adding, well to be honest I have some ideas but I know that those will change and grow as I travel, and I do look forward to where both sites will be going but as I say I don’t know for sure where that is.

I know this is a longer post than normal, and if you’ve got this far then thank you for taking the time to read a little of my life story as it unfolds, exciting times are ahead of us, not just me but all of us. For now very little will change here, I will add a subscribe box for those that don’t use RSS so that those who wish for follow my story can do.

Blessings
Chris

Grounding

by Chris

Categories: Barefooting, Things You Should To Know, With Nature

Tags: Bare foot, Barefeet, Barefooting, Benefits of grounding, Earthing, Grounding, Nature, Walking, Well Being

Comments: 3 Comments

Published on: March 26, 2012

I kind of stumbled into the barefoot lifestyle, for no other reason than I really liked the feeling underfoot and that it seemed to be something that I should be doing. Both of which are reason enough for me to do anything.

Following My Feelings

Barefooting is one of those things that, once I cast aside my shoes and boots and planted my bare feet squarely on the bare Earth; I knew that it was most definitely the ‘thing’ for me. What has amazed me is that after I started barefooting I have come across web sites, video clips and articles giving more and more facts as to why I had done the right thing. You see for me I knew very few of the benefits of the barefoot lifestyle until after I had embraced it fully.

Just goes to show that I was right in following my barefoot feelings!

Grounding

Grounding is one of those benefits that I didn’t fully appreciate until I watched the series of video clips that I have included below. After I had finished watching the fifth and final clip, I really wanted to know more, so I viewed several other video clips and web sites about grounding and they are bore out the same message and the same benefits.

I’m not going to go into loads of detail about Grounding and the benefits, as the five clips below cover everything and do it far more succinctly in just over 30 minutes of video than I can in the small amount of space that I have available to me here. However I will cover off some of the major points and benefits.

What Is Grounding?

So what is grounding? Grounding is the process of physically connecting ourselves to the Earth, the plant Earth. There are several ways that this can be done; barefoot walking on the bare ground or grass is one way, as is swimming in the sea or a river. Others ways involve having a physical connection (via bare skin) to something or someone who is grounded.

We as human being are essentially complex, dense energy fields, we are pure energy; energy is the most fundamental building block from which we are made, even more basic than molecules and atoms.

As energy fields we have or can acquire an electrical charge, you’ll know this if you have ever touched something metal and received an electric shock.

If we are disconnected from the Earth, as we go about our day to day business, we will start to build up an electric charge, most of the time this is almost unnoticeable (apart from when it builds up to the point of discharging when you touch something metal).

Placing our bare skin against the bare Earth is the quickest and easiest way to remove this electrical build up. It literally earths us in much the same way that an electrical appliance is earthed, any charge that we are carrying is instantly neutralised by the planet Earth.

From a barefoot perspective it is interesting to note that the most electrically conductive parts of our bodies are the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet!

Why Ground Ourselves?

Our natural state is to be electrically neutral, having no charge whatsoever, neither positive or negative. In order for our bodies to function at an optimal efficiency it needs to have no charge, it needs to be neutral, in its natural state.

This is what grounding does for us, it neutralises any electrical charge so that our bodies can operate at peak efficiency, and when our bodies are operating at peak efficiency then so does our mind.

What Are The Benefits?

The benefits of being grounded for prolonged periods; for example while working on your computer, sitting watching the television or while sleeping, are numerous but here are just some of the benefits that have been reported.

Reduced inflammation.
Reduction of certain pain.
Increased longevity.
Separating of clumping blood cells.
Reduced stress and anxiety.
Improved sleep.
Improved creativity (increased activation of the left hemisphere of the brain).
Increased calmness.
Reduced calcification.
Stabilisation of Circadian Rhythms.

… and so the list goes on.

Is This True?

The honest answer is I haven’t looked fully in the research behind all these claims; however what I will say is that these claims do not just come from this series of video clips these claims are made by many different people from around the globe, over a number of years, but please research them yourself and if I’m wrong then tell me.

What I will say is this, every time I go for a walk especially if I’ve had a stressful time, within about 10 minutes of my bare feet hitting the bare earth I can physically feel my anxiety and stress levels drop, sometimes I’ve even had what can only be described as the sensation of mild euphoria when walking on the bare soil. I guess that would be the grounding!

Also there is one place in my house where I spend a large portion of time, a place where I seem to do all my best thinking, where all my best creative ideas are born, the place where I’m struck by flashes of inspiration the most. This place is in my kitchen! I have a spot in the kitchen where I sit on the worktop (I know kitchen worktops are not a place for sitting before anyone says anything). However since the day I moved in I have always sat there to ponder and think. This spot places my feet on the edge of the kitchen sink draining board. In the UK metal kitchen sinks have to be earthed by law, so in my favourite spot I sit with my feet touching an earth point, I am literally earthed when I’m sat in this spot. Could being grounded be the reason that I have most of my best ideas while sat there?

Grounding Ourselves

After I watched the first of these videos I was struck by the importance of grounding, for me there are two situations when I would want to be grounded. The first is when I’m a sleep and the second is when I’m sat in front of my computer, as I am now.

In my next post I will be explaining why I feel that it’s so important to be grounded at these two times and I will also be looking at ways to ground ourselves no matter where we are, because it really is something that feels to me as though it’s so very important, and it’s something that I believe we can do without spending a fortune on fancy gadgets and gismos.

The Video Clips

Here are the five video clips that I mentioned; David Wolfe does a very good job at introducing the subject in a manner that most can understand. There are a few anomalies in his scientific explanation and logic on some of the things he discusses but his basic principles are sound, and further more he conducts the entire lecture barefoot!

Grounding Part 1

Grounding Part 2

Grounding Part 3

Grounding Part 4

Grounding Part 5

Expanded Awareness (Part 1)

by Chris

Categories: Things You Should To Know, With Nature

Tags: Distractions, Expanding Awareness, Into The Heart of The Earth, Meditation, Nature, The Woods, Walking

Comments: No Comments

Published on: February 29, 2012

In a number of my previous posts I have mentioned and touched on Expanded Awareness, and each time I do I keep saying I’ll be posting more about Expanded Awareness at some point in the future, well that point is now.

Before I get into the details I must say that Expanded Awareness is something that is best experienced firsthand, I will try and describe the process of entering a state of Expanded Awareness (this will be in ‘Expanded Awareness Part 2’) and the experience as best I can but as I say it’s something that is best experienced for yourself.

Please excuse the plug for my friend and mentor’s courses that are going on this summer in the South of England, “Into The Heart of Earth”, during these courses Ben guides you through the process of Expanded Awareness and allows you to experience it and work with it both physically and spiritually. His contact details are on the above link give him a call if you have the slightest interest.

What is Expanded Awareness?

Assuming for no disabilities we all have five senses, seeing, hearing, smelling, feeling, and tasting. The various organs that are responsible for these senses send information to the brain, the brain filters and processes this information resulting in the awareness that we have of the physical world around us.

It is important that you note that the brain filters the information that it receives from the various sensory organs. What you actually ‘see’ is only a fraction of what the eyes actually take in; in fact it’s only a very small fraction. The same applies to the other four senses as well. A prime example of this is the person who moves into a new home next to a busy road, the first couple of weeks the noise of the traffic is a conscious hum but after a while the brain filters this hum out to the point where the person doesn’t hear the traffic at all.

Also when we concentrate on something our brain filters out information that is not related to the subject of concentration. Have you ever been engrossed in a book and not heard your name being called, we’ve all done it.

The process of Expanded Awareness is to remove these filters that the brain applies to the sensory information it receives, so that we can perceive more of the physical world around, so we can see more, hear more, smell more, taste more and feel more. We literally increase our awareness of what is going on around us, we Expand our Awareness.

What Are the Perceived Benefits?

Expanding Awareness is more than an increased perception of the physical world, it is a subtle shift in consciousness and the way we use that consciousness to experience the world around us.

1. Expanded Inner Awareness

The way we see the world around us is to a greater extent governed by our consciousness. There is a saying ‘as above, so below’ or ‘as within, so without’. Expanding our awareness of the outer world, the physical world around us, also expands our awareness of our inner world or inner self, the person we are inside.

So the first benefit of Expanded Awareness is an expanded inner awareness of what is going on in our inner world, that world that only we know about, a greater understanding and appreciation of the inner self, the true you.

2. Inner Peace and Calm

The process of Expanded Awareness is a form of meditation. Any process, routine or exercise that changes the brain wave patterns from beta to alpha is a form of meditation. Expanded Awareness does just that, it is a quick and very effective way to enter a meditative state, and as such brings with it a deeply relaxing feeling and an instant sense of peace and calm.

I will add here that just because it’s a form of meditation is doesn’t mean that it’s practiced sitting cross legged on a yoga mat, although it can be. Once in a state of Expanded Awareness I would recommend moving around while staying in this state, the way you perceive the familiar world around will be totally changed.

3. Being Present

In this modern world there is so much to think about that sometime you just feel as if your brain will explode, thoughts about what went on yesterday, what will happen tomorrow, where you have to be and when, what’s for dinner and so the list goes on. Once you enter Expanded Awareness all these thoughts just fade away, as you become more Present more in the Now. This really is part and parcel of being in a meditative state, but even so it’s still worth mentioning as an individual benefit.

4. An Increased Ability to Absorb and Retain Information

When in a state of Expanded Awareness you’ll find that you have none of the usual chatter going on inside your head, everything is quiet. This means that the information that is presented to you is absorbed as presented it is not being dilute or distorted by your own thoughts. You also become aware of the other or complementary ways that this information is being present, subtle changes in the tone or volume of the speaker’s voice, slight body movements or subtle body language, there is also an increase sense of the energy that the information is delivered with, all of which increases your ability to absorb and retain what is being told to you.

There really is less vying for your attention, you are not being pushed and pulled because you are aware of it already.

5. Increased Connection

For me personally Expanded Awareness increases my connection with Nature, with the natural world around me, be it the woods, in the open countryside or in the middle of the city. Once you become fully aware of everything that is around you find that you start to develop a deeper more meaningful connection with it, and this includes the people that you interact with.

This increased connection is also a two-way street, not only do you develop a deeper connection with your surrounds but your surroundings develop a deeper connection with you and this does apply to people too. I have found that in a state of Expanded Awareness that I become part of Nature and Nature accepts me as being a part of it. In this state I have had an Owl land next to me in the tree I was climbing, I’ve had Squirrels and Mice scamper across me, I’ve had Foxes walk past me. All as if they were perfect natural occurrences, all as if I was just another part of The Woods.

6. Beauty

As I said at the beginning of this post Expanded Awareness increases your perception of what is around you, you see more, hear more, feel more, smell more, taste more. You experience things completely differently. Colours become more vibrant and alive, sounds become more vivid and clear, smells become more intense and somehow sweeter. The world takes on a completely different ‘look’ and feel. The only way that I can describe it is that the world becomes more beautiful. You start to sense beauty in places that you would never imagine, you start to sense things that you previously missed. It really is a completely new way to experience life, a beautiful new way.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of the benefits of Expanded Awareness, and each person’s perception of the world is different, what you experience may be the same as what I have described here, it may be similar or you may have a completely different perception of the world in Expanded Awareness. Whatever your experience, once you start introducing Expanded Awareness into your everyday life, practicing at every opportunity, then you’ll soon be amazed at everything that you’ve been missing out on, this I truly believe.

How Do You Expand Your Awareness?

Well I’m afraid that you may have to wait for my next post (which is here) for me to explain this to you, as I’m contemplating recording a mini guide to Expanding Awareness, almost like a guided meditation and it may take me a couple of days to sort out the technology to accomplish this. But rest assured I haven’t finished on the subject of Expanded Awareness… not yet.

I Can See With My Feet!

by Chris

Categories: Barefooting

Tags: Bare foot, Barefeet, Barefoot Senses, Barefooting, Meassage, Refexology, See with your feet, Walking

Comments: 2 Comments

Published on: February 14, 2012

I have mentioned in several other posts that sometimes, especially in The Woods at night that I feel that I can see with my feet. That my feet guide me as to whether or not I am on the path and heading the right direction, I have referred to this as seeing with my feet, although I don’t actually see with my feet, the sensory input that I gain from being barefoot tells me an awful lot about the ground over which I am walking.

200,000 Nerve Endings!

The human foot contains 26 bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles and over 200,000 nerve endings! Just think about that for a minute. The majority of these nerve endings are also on the sole of the foot, the human foot is designed to have one of the body’s richest concentrations of sensory neurons.

With so many sensory neurons in the soles of our feet, it’s hardly surprising that so many people have ticklish feet!

Reflexology

The practice of reflexology involves applying subtle pressures to various points on the sole of the feet (as well as other parts of the foot, the hands and the ears). It has been shown that various parts of the foot correspond to different parts or areas of the body. Applying pressure to specific parts of the foot creates a physical change in the corresponding part of the body.

There is a reasonable amount of evidence that massaging the feet does release tension and stimulate physical changes within specific parts of the body. The exact reasoning behind this mechanism is unclear, but as reflexology has been around for several millennia, and based on its longevity it cannot be dismissed instantly out of hand.

Bearing in mind the number of nerve ending in the foot, it is hardly surprising that stimulating them has a direct affect of the corresponding part of the body.

Just thinking about the contention between reflexology and being barefoot, it would seem to me that with every barefoot step that I take I am receiving a mini reflexology session. This calming or relaxing affect that stimulating the foot neurons by barefoot walking, is something that I can personally testify to.

Barefooting

The sheer number of nerve endings in the sole of the foot would imply that the foot has evolved, partly, to transmit information from and about our environment to our brains, as well as providing us with a way to get from A to B!

Modern shoes pretty much act as a blindfold for your feet, providing a sensory barrier between your foot and your environment. Effectively ‘blinding’ you to the ground on which you walk, yet just another good reason to go barefoot!

Foot design by Morgan -

5 Simple Steps to Connect With Nature

by Chris

Categories: With Nature

Tags: Bare foot, Barefeet, Barefooting, Distractions, Expanding Awareness, Nature, Parks, The Woods, Walking

Comments: 2 Comments

Published on: January 16, 2012

No matter how much we distance ourselves from Nature it is unavoidable that ultimately we are part of it! In the modern world with so many distractions and gadgets we often forget that it wasn’t that long ago that we also lived as part of Nature, in a time before our modern houses, cities and technologies.

Connecting with Nature or RE-connecting with Nature allows us to connect to ourselves and the rest of humanity. To shun Nature is to shun ourselves and our fellow human beings.

Nature is the greatest teacher, if you’re prepared to be the student.

Here are 5 very simple thing that you can do to connect with Nature.

1. Be Present

Being present is being in the Now and directly emulates Nature. If you watch any animals, wild or domestic they live completely in the moment, in the Now, and if you are to connect with Nature then you too must be 100% present or fully in the Now.

When out and about don’t walk along thinking about what you’re going to be doing when you get home, or mulling over that problem at work. These are all things that you cannot do anything about while you are out walking, unless you’re carrying some mobile device. This brings me onto another point about being present.

Turn off your mobile phone or any other technology that could interfere with or disturb you while you are out about and this applies to mp3 players as well. All of these can and do bring you away from the Now.

Act on impulse also, if a certain path looks inviting then follow it! Don’t think about where it will take you or how long it will take you to get home, follow it; be in the Now.

2. Be Observant

So many people I see walking through the woods or across the fields or even down the street, walk along with their heads down, only focusing on the ground in front of them, while over some terrain this is advisable most of the time it is perfect safe to look around you as you walk along.

Being observant doesn’t just mean just looking around, being observant also means that you hear the sounds around you, you notice the smallest of movement in the undergrowth, you feel the wind on your face or the undergrowth against your legs.

Being a part Nature also means observing Nature, I have touched on this before, I was taught this as Expanded Awareness, and I will go into greater detail about Expanded Awareness in forthcoming posts.

3. Establish a Direct Link

Direct links with Nature will give us a greater connection with Nature. Bringing Nature into our houses or gardens is one of the most effective ways to establish that direct link.

There is any number of ways that we can bring Nature to us; pets, house planets, a ‘wild’ section in the garden are just some; alternatively we buy an acre of wood land, or adopt a tree.

Bringing Nature to us gives us a connection that we can tap into 24 hours of the day, 7 days of the week.

You could add to this another method that I use to establish a direct link with Nature and that is to go barefoot! Walking barefoot is the simplest and easiest way to have a direct physical connection with the planet and Nature.

4. Compassion and Love

When you are loving and compassionate towards another human being you develop a strong, direct connection with that person, doing the same with Nature will also develop a strong, direct connection with Nature.

Compassion and love can come in many forms, recycling all that you can is a start. Picking up litter that you see as you walk around and of course not littering! Using the car less and walking more shows both love and compassion for Nature, and take only that which you need, no more.

As well as showing love and compassion also be grateful for what Nature you have, you may not be surrounded by open fields and woodland but that doesn’t mean that you cannot be grateful for the parks and open spaces that you have around.

5. Get Outside!

Well this may seem like I’m pointing out the obvious, but it is the most important way to connect with Nature and it is one that is over looked so often. You don’t need to go on a 10 mile walk through the woods every day, but that will help

I am lucky I live on the edge of town and less than 5 minutes walk from the nearest wood and open fields, but I have lived in the city; in fact I lived in New York city and even there on Manhattan island there are more parks and open spaces than you can believe.

Every town or city has parks, woods or just open spaces. Make the time to get outside into these open spaces, there you WILL find Nature, even in the middle of a city like New York.

Nature is Everywhere

There are numerous health benefits that you can achieve by establishing a connection with Nature, by being a part of Nature. Not just improved physical health but improved mental health as well. As I say this doesn’t mean that we are reject modern society and move to a little shack in the middle of nowhere. Nature is all around us no matter where we live, it just takes a little time and effect to join it.

The Full Moons

by Chris

Categories: With Nature

Tags: Blue Moon, Full Moon, Full Moon Cycles, Moon Names, Nature, Natures Cycles, The Woods, Walking

Comments: 6 Comments

Published on: January 13, 2012

Being a part of Nature is more than just walks in the woods or across the fields. Being a part of Nature is also watching and understanding Nature, watching the changing cycles and how they affect the flora and fauna, how they affect the world around us, how they affect us, after all we are part of Nature even if we choice to distance ourselves from her.

The Moon

As many can attest, especially when she’s at her fullest, the Moon cycle has to be one of the most influential and easily observable cycles in Nature. The most obvious affect of the Moon is the gravitational pull, responsible for the tides in the oceans.

In fact the affect of The Moon on Nature is so potent that many gardeners, horticulturists and farmers use the cycle of The Moon to decide when sow, plant, prune and crop. Also it’s no mistake that my long weekends living in the woods coincide with either the Full Moon or the New Moon depending on what work we are undertaking.

Moon Facts

The Moon obits the Earth every 29.5(ish) days, this means that the Full Moon moves throughout the calendar year as does the times of the moonrise and moonset. The 29.5 day cycle also means that every 2 or 3 years there are 13 Full Moons in a year instead of 12.

Blue Moon

This extra Full Moon is termed a Blue Moon. Generally there are 3 Full Moons to each ‘season’. When a 13^th Full Moon is introduced 1 season will have 4 Full Moons, it is the third Full Moon of that season that is called a Blue Moon. This year is a 13 Moon year. January – March have 3 Full Moons as does April – June and October – December, however there are 4 Full Moons between July – September, two in August, the second Full Moon of August is the third Full Moon of that season and is a Blue Moon.

Naming the Full Moons

Many cultures around the World give the various Full Moons different names, generally based on the time of the year and other significant cycles within Nature and the naming culture. There are just too many names to cover them all and their meanings, I have included a number of links at the end of this post where more information and be found on the Full Moon names.

This Year’s Full Moons

Below is a table of all the Full Moons this year and the various names that they have been given, I have included the time of the Moonrise, Moonset and the time when the Moon is full (these times are for the UK so if you live elsewhere you’ll have to adjust the times accordingly). The Algonquian name is the name derived from the various North American Indian tribes.

Date	English Name	Celtic Name	Algonquian Name	Other Names
09 January Moonrise 16.49 Moonset 08.20 Full 07.30	Old Moon	Quite Moon	Wolf Moon	Ice Moon
07 February Moonrise 15.42 Moonset 06.48 Full 21.53	Wolf Moon	Ice Moon	Snow Moon	Hunger Moon, Storm Moon, Candles Moon
08 March Moonrise 18.33 Moonset 06.23 Full 09.40	Lenten Moon	Moon of Winds	Worm Moon	Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sugar Moon, Sap Moon, Chaste Moon, Death Moon
06 April Moonrise 19.49 Moonset 06.14 Full 20.18	Egg Moon	Growing Moon	Pink Moon	Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, Seed Moon, Waking Moon
06 May Moonrise 21.28 Moonset 06.03 Full 04.35	Milk Moon	Bright Moon	Flower Moon	Corn Planting Moon, Corn Moon, Hare’s Moon
04 June oonrise 21.24 Moonset 05.43 Full 12.11 (Lunar eclipse)	Flower Moon	Horse Moon	Strawberry Moon	Honey Moon, Rose Moon, Hot Moon, Planting Moon
03 July Moonrise 20.54 Moonset 05.45 Full 19.51	Hay Moon	Claiming Moon	Buck Moon	Thunder Moon, Mead Moon
02 August Moonrise 20.28 Moonset 07.13 Full 04.27	Grain Moon	Dispute Moon	Sturgeon Moon	Green Corn Moon, Lightning Moon, Dog Moon
31 August Moonrise 19.17 Moonset 07.20 Full 14.58 (Blue Moon)	Blue Moon	Singing Moon	Corn Moon	Red Moon
30 September Moonrise 18.25 Moonset 08.33 Full 04.18	Fruit Moon	Harvest Moon	Harvest Moon	Corn Moon, Barley Moon
29 October Moonrise 16.17 Moonset 07.32 Full 19.49	Harvest Moon	Wine Moon	Hunter’s Moon	Travel Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Blood Moon
28 November Moonrise 16.00 Moonset 08.17 Full 14.45 (Lunar eclipse)	Hunter’s Moon	Snow Moon	Beaver moon	Frost Moon, Snow Moon, Moon Before Yule
28 December Moonrise 16.29 Moonset 08.21 Full 10.21	Oak Moon	Cold Moon	Cold Moon	Frost Moon, Winter Moon, Long Night’s Moon, Moon After Yule

Confused Yet?

If you look through the above table you’ll notice that different Moons have been given the same name but from different cultures (the January Moon is given the Algonquian name ‘Wolf Moon’, but the February Moon is given the same name by the English). To be honest this did take me a while to work out. The reason for this appears to be that The English names are based on the Gregorian Calendar seasons and the Celtic and I believe the Algonquian names are based on the Solstice and Equinox seasons.

From what I understand The Full Moon and New Moon where convenient ways for our indigenous people to follow the passage of time and naming the Moons was no more than naming the months, hence the confusion when the Gregorian Calendar is introduced.

The Full Moon and Nature

For me the names are a nicety, what is important is getting outside on the Full Moon (and the New Moon), either at night or during the day (preferably at night) and observing, moving amongst, being part of Nature. Nature changes with the changing Moons; take a little time to notice these changes, changes it animal activity, the sounds that you hear, notice the changes in the general energy, and notice the changes within you as the Moon moves through its various phases. Noticing and working with the various cycles of Nature will help you tune in those natural rhythms and give you not just a better understanding of Nature but a better understanding of yourself.

External Links

I have nothing to do with any of these pages; I have included the links because they cover even more names as well as some of the reasons behind these names. I am not responsible for their content or accuracy that said they are interesting!

Farmers’ Almanac – Full Moon Names and Their Meanings

Moon Names

Indian Moons, Days & Other Calendar Stuff

Spring Wolf’s Pagan’s Path – Full Moon Names

Willow Grove – Esbats & Full Moon Names

Moon Names for a Full Year

Pictures courtesy of Robert Schoeller (top) and Dave Illig (Bottom)

Barefooting – The Benefits

by Chris

Categories: Barefooting

Tags: Bare foot, Barefeet, Barefoot benefits, Barefooting, Nature, Shamanic, The Woods, Walking

Comments: 8 Comments

Published on: January 6, 2012

I have spoken about the dangers of going barefoot in ‘Barefooting – The Dangers’, I now want to have a look at the benefits of going barefoot. I discussed the dangers first as this seems to be the most commonly asked questions when strangers approach me.

The Benefits

The dangers of going barefoot are factual, sharp stones, glass, cold etc. the benefits or reasons why people go barefoot however are far more subjective. There are probably as many reasons why people go barefoot as there are people without shoes (discounting third world countries).

Lower Back and Leg Pain

I know many people wander into barefooting for medical reasons. The most common conditions or irritations are back and lower limb joint pain of one sort or another; these people are normally but not exclusively runners.

We are all unique individuals with a unique make-up and design, we all walk differently, distribute our weight differently and move differently and there is no shoe designer that can accommodate every possible configuration and shape of the human body. This means that any shoe (unless you are extremely lucky) will cause you to alter your natural gait slightly, this can be seen in the way different people wear down the soles of their shoes differently. Going barefoot allows you to move naturally the way you were designed to, with altering your gait, this means that there is no unnatural pressure on the lower body, result no pain!

Balance

One benefit that is often reported is improved balance.

Here’s a little experiment for shoe wearers (it will need two people); With shoes on stand on one foot, without any support get a (trusted) friend to gently sway you side to side or back to front and notice how difficult or easy it is to maintain your balance. Now take your shoes (and socks off) and try again. This time you’ll find that with bare feet you’ll be able to keep your balance far better.

Walking barefoot increases both the flexibility and strength of the muscles in your feet (something that shoes have previously done for you). This increased strength is what gives you that additional balance. Have you have wondered why gymnasts compete barefoot?

Verrucas, Athletes Foot, Corns and Other Nastiness

Most complaints of this nature come from having your feet in warm, damp conditions for prolonged periods. Obviously being barefoot allows the foot to naturally condition itself and provides an environment where these conditions cannot survive let alone thrive.

Not all conditions of this nature are caused by the warm damp conditions in a shoe, some are caused by the shoe itself, especially if you have unusually shaped feet that don’t fit into shoes. The shoe can and does apply pressure to certain parts of the foot resulting in corns and bunions. No shoe, no corns!

Also it is recognised that being barefoot helps those with flat foot, due to the strengthening of the foot muscles from being shoeless.

Spiritual

The reason why I started barefooting was a more spiritual reason. To cut a long story short I went on week’s Shamanic retreat where the Apache trained Shaman actively encouraged us to go barefoot for the week… and I just never put shoes back on! The primary reason why we were encouraged to go barefoot was so that we could feel the ground beneath our feet, so that we could walk with Nature with the minimum amount of disturbance. It is almost impossible to walk through a wood with complete anonymity with any form of footwear on.

Being barefoot, especially in Nature, does give you a direct and physical connection to the Earth and Nature. It literally grounds and in some cases energies you. Remaining grounded, which is quite literally that, achieving an energetic or electrically neutral state, is I believe a most fundamental part of our overall well-being.

There are any number of Spiritual practices that recommend being barefoot, and I have spoken of one on here before; Sun Gazing.

It’s Natural

Shoes have often been seen as a symbol of civilisation. However if you look at the majority of the Earth’s indigenous cultures they are all barefoot! Some of these indigenous cultures are anything but uncivilised; take the Ancient Egyptians although they had sandals they were reserved for special occasions only. There are still cultures in the modern world where barefooting is a part of everyday life; New Zealand and Australia are prime examples.

It is a perfectly natural state to be in, and before anyone says “so is being naked!” a bare foot is more socially acceptable than a bare backside!

I Like It!

Finally, we come to the reason cited by most; they just plain like the feeling of the ground beneath a bare sole.

Being barefoot does allow you to feel, or as the Shaman told us, see with your feet (this is true if you walk through a wood at night under a New Moon with no artificial light, the only way you can stay on the tracks is by seeing with your bare feet!)

The change in texture and temperature under foot as you move through any terrain be it a city street or a remote forest is one of the most amazing feelings that you can have, try it you might be surprised

Are You Barefoot?

Before I finish I must say that I am NOT a medical person and as such some of my comments relating foot pathology and physiology are all from the research that I done and I cannot testify to them being medically correct.

So are you a barefooter? If so please tell us why you started out on the barefoot lifestyle.

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