One of the books that I most recommend to my students is Clintin Ober’s Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? because, as Ober explains,
“the surface of the Earth contains limitless healing energy. Science has discovered this energy as free-flowing electrons constantly replenished by solar radiation and lightning. Few people know it, but the ground provides a subtle electric signal that maintains health and governs the intricate mechanisms that make our bodies work-just like plugging a lamp into a power socket makes it light up.”
Being aware of the difference between being “grounded” to the earth’s energy and being “ungrounded” is important, especially to those who work with healing energy. See, we spend so much time connected to the higher vibration of healing energy, that after a while, we can feel a little “floaty.” Some may start to feel forgetful (ever been an “air head”?), clumsy, or just really distracted. All of these feelings and results are because we need to get our energy fuuly back into our bodies.
If this sounds strange, think of being on a boat for a long time, and then coming back onto land. It feels weird, right? That’s because we got temporarily used to being gently rocked around on the water instead of firmly anchored to the ground as usual. Same would happen if we spent about 30 minutes walking around on a bouncy trampoline, and then got back onto the land. Temporary physical disorientation occurs. A similar thing can happen if we spend a lot of time working with higher chakra energies. This means meditation, Reiki, or other intuitive practices.
Come to think of it, even “monkey mind” can take our awareness away from our bodies. (We all have times of the day with monkey mind – it means that our thoughts are chattering away constantly as we try to remember everything we need to do, what was said before, where we’re going next, and how to handle various issues, on and on.) When we find ourselves dropping things, bumping into door jams, and stepping on objects on the floor, it’s a signal that we need to stop and ground our energy, bringing our awareness back into our bodies. The best way to do this is by connecting, intentionally, with the energy of the earth.
If we could walk around barefoot all the time, we’d be more naturally connected with earth energy. It would help immensely with being more grounded and receiving the healing benefits of this energy. Interestingly, the Reiki method that I teach, Practical Reiki, is developed from Kundalini Reiki. Kundalini Reiki combines the earth energy with the Ki energy from above, and the healing properties are enhanced and strengthened by this combination. So the benefits of earth energy are found in the healing method I teach and practice.
That’s where these unique and brilliant sandals come in. Juil is a new company that understands the concept of grounding, and they’ve taken it to the feet. They realize that sometimes we need to wear shoes. But shoes have soles that are typically made of rubber or other insulating materials which separate us from the energy of the earth. The folks at Juil have developed sandals that have copper conductors beneath the toes and heels, connected inside the leather sole. The conductors sit on the outside of the bottom of the shoe, so every step brings the grounding effect to the wearer, allowing her to be grounded while wearing shoes.
I had the privilege of testing out a pair of Juil sandals. Many thanks to the folks at Juil for sending me a pair to test and review. Since I work at home much of the time, I wore them comfortably around the house. The best part is that we’re having an unusually warm winter, so I even had the chance to walk around outside a little in them. I’m totally looking forward to the summer when I can just live in these sandals.
First of all, they are really comfy. They fit nicely and the leather straps are smooth against my feet. I noticed the benefits the most when I was intentionally grounding my energy after Reiki healing sessions or meditation. I really did feel like it was easier to feel more present faster than when I’m sporting my Keds or Bearpaws. All I had to do was think of bringing my energy down into the earth and back up into my body and I had an instant sense of being HERE, now. I think, besides doing the grounding exercise barefoot, the Juil sandals were the next best thing.
So if you’re interested in supporting a company that wants to support energy workers and those who are just becoming aware of the benefits of connecting to the earth, check out Juil.com. I also love that they’ve started a Soles for Souls program, where they donate a pair of shoes for every pair sold. Companies that do good like this are so awesome!
By the way, they’re also coming out with sneakers soon. This Midwest girl will be ready to click and place my order when that happens!
Happy grounding.