Barefoot Walking: Reconnect with Earth's Energy

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For several years now, in New Zealand, barefoot walking has become a genuine lifestyle choice, defined as "barefooting", which is founded on a very simple principle, yet one often overlooked: achieving wellbeing by maintaining a constant connection with nature, through direct contact with the earth and, therefore, without wearing footwear.

A philosophy that, over time, has rapidly spread throughout the United States and the rest of Europe, so much so that it is now shared by numerous communities of people around the world—walkers who move barefoot in any context and on any occasion: during daily activities, at home or at work, while strolling or running in the park, in the mountains, on the beach, or in specific places designated for this practice.

An apparently alternative trend, but one that, in reality, belongs to us far more than we are accustomed to thinking. Walking without shoes, in fact, should manifest itself as a natural way of being that allows us to amplify our awareness towards the environment surrounding us, refine our tactile sensations and, therefore, our perception of ourselves in the world, strengthen our feet as the body's supporting structure, and encourage a more spontaneous gait.

Barefoot walking to connect with the earth

With the advent of modernity, we have strayed somewhat from this expression of living, and today, walking barefoot might make us feel uncomfortable and more vulnerable to possible cuts, wounds, or unforeseen incidents. In reality, free from constraints, we would be able to pay greater attention to the present moment, to where we are and where we are going, gaining tremendous benefit from it.

When, for example, we find ourselves lost in thought or with our heads in the clouds, the best solution to reconnect with ourselves is precisely to ground ourselves to the earth: Mother Earth offers us all the support we need and the same nourishment it offers to plants to grow, develop, and flourish. There is nothing to fear!

Moreover, it is absolutely useful for eliminating accumulated toxins and revitalizing the body. There exists, in fact, a particular relationship between our body and the earth's crust that allows us to prevent or rebalance malfunctions of the entire system, as if we were connecting to an outlet or a battery, through the direct exchange between our skin and the electrons that accumulate on the earth's surface: a genuine energy recharge.

How and where to walk barefoot

Walking barefoot is healthy for everyone, but especially for children, who need to stimulate the soles of their feet, develop the ability to recognize their position in space, and support the development of their arches. It may, however, be uncomfortable and, in some ways, harmful for adults who suffer from plantar fasciitis, heel pain, or other specific inflammations and problems.

There are, however, no serious contraindications, as long as you exercise some care and listen to your body, along with paying attention to the terrain. In Italy there are several places, open to the public, where it is possible to walk barefoot without shoes, some of these are:

• at Moena, in the surroundings of the Roncac mountain hut, there is a trail of several kilometres, with a very varied but pleasant surface, immersed in the spectacular nature of Val di Fassa
• at the Rifugio Boschetto, at the border between the provinces of Verona, Trento, and Vicenza, a path leads into the beating heart of the Giazza Forest
• between Gubbio and Assisi, along the Franciscan Path for Peace
• the Five Senses Park, located in Viterbo and Messina, where you can have a sensory experience full of surprises to smell, touch, and tread upon, with both dry and wet ground basins.

No matter where you are, kick off your shoes and walk!

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