3 Ways to Reconnect with Earth

We. Are. Here.

Nowhere else. Root yourself, now, into whatever surface you’re on: floor, grass, mat, table, chair, sand. Press your feet down, push through your toes. Take a breath in. Close your eyes. Loosen your jaw and your fingers. Unlace the abdominals, relax as you breathe in, relax as you breathe out.

The marvel of moments like these is that it doesn’t take much to become connected with where we have all come from: the natural world. It takes a moment to feel disconnected, though, and that’s the flip side of the coin here.

Here are 3 ways that you can reconnect with earth in the month of April (and beyond)…

• Get Naked.
  As in, take off your socks. What did you think I meant?! Step on to soil, or grass with bare feet. This one is most foundational: think of all the neurons that exist superficially in your skin and the soles of your feet, sending messages to your brain “warm, wet, cold, dry, soft, spikey, crunchy"…
  Bonus: when we “disturb” or ruffle soil, something called mycobacterium vaccae is released. These have been found to mirror the effect that drugs like Prozac provide! According to a study1, “Antidepressant microbes in soil cause cytokine levels to rise, which results in the production of higher levels of serotonin. The bacterium was tested both by injection and ingestion on rats, and the results were increased cognitive ability, lower stress, and better concentration on tasks than a control group.”
• Get Stepping.
  Walking is one of the best things we can do for our bodies. It regulates both heart rate and blood pressure, encourages flexibility in the legs, ankles and trunk. Before cars, trains, and bikes this is how humans used to get around. Imagine that.
  Bonus: go walking in a forest or meadow, there’s additional benefit: lowering of cortisol, depression symptoms, elevated diastolic blood pressure, and “improvement of autonomic and immune functions”!2
  I love listening to music or podcasts when I walk, what about you?
• Breathe. Breathe in the air.
  Don’t be afraid to care.
  Best to do this outside if you can.
  Cold out? Put on some layers.
  Good old inspiration/expiration. We know that pulmonary (lung) function improves when we use the respiratory diaphragm muscle to breathe, so why not try it out!? Click here to sign up for my FREE breathing series which includes 7 different breathing techniques. For now, bring one hand on to your belly and one on to your chest, then try to make the lower hand on your belly expand more than the hand on your chest. Keep the shoulders down. Unclench your jaw. Bring your tongue to the roof of the mouth. Let everything go, for a moment, don’t worry about what the rest of your day looks like, just breathe. Breathe in and out 5 times

1. “Identification of an Immune-Responsive Mesolimbocortical Serotonergic System: Potential Role in Regulation of Emotional Behavior,” by Christopher Lowry et al., published online on March 28, 2007 in Neuroscience. http://www.sage.edu/newsevents/news/?story_id=240785 Mind & Brain/Depression and Happiness – Raw Data “Is Dirt the New Prozac?” by Josie Glausiusz, Discover Magazine, July 2007 Issue. https://discovermagazine.com/2007/jul/raw-data-is-dirt-the-new-prozac

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6589172/

​

Rebecca S. Alexander Carey, PT, DPT, E-RYT/YACEP

Rebecca is one of our local physical therapists specializing in women's reproductive health and also teaches local prenatal yoga classes. 

Connect with Rebecca here.