I and another Earth Runner recently went on a multi day packing trip into the Ansel Adams Wilderness. We wore a new Alpha prototype we are testing, and things could not have gone any smoother for our feet! This continues to be the universal favorite model for it’s all purpose application and superior moldability.

Being the first backpacking trip in sandals for us both, we marveled at the complete freedom from foot issues usually associated with such a trip in boots.

There is something profoundly invigorating about minimalist travel into the back country. Existing for a time in a way that connects us to our deep ancestry is incredibly fulfilling on many levels. The satisfying simplicity of this humbling experience quickly reminds us of our true needs and provides great perspective on what is really important in life.

#RewildBeFree

My passion for real food is magnified while immersed in nature. Flavors become incredibly pronounced and my gratitude for nourishment never so strong. I have been consuming a whole foods centered diet for many years but this was my first camping trip with Bulletproof–butter infused–coffee! A revitalizing way to start the day which fueled our adventures with lots of well needed energy! Long days on the move, burning lots of calories, I felt I earned my food more than in my "civil" life back in town. Packing in all the ingredients for the adventure, aside from water, made for much simpler meals that easily digested. Back home, this trip has encouraged me to "earn" my food through more regular daily movement and to keep my menu simple.

When the sun goes down–and fires are out of the question, there is not much to do other than admire the stars and drift off to sleep. Once liberated from the societal comfort of sleeping indoors I uncovered an innate magnetism to sleeping out in the wild. As my teacher always said in my Psychology of Sleep class, “Remarkable dreams happen in remarkable places.” It was amazing to camp in pristine nature at eight thousand feet and experience how it affected my dreams.

#BeFreeSandals www.EarthRunners.com

Experiencing this be free lifestyle is something I wish everybody would do more. Upon returning to society my circadian rhythm is re-calibrated and I feel revitalized. I don’t believe there is any better conditioning on Earth than to truly experience it’s wildness.

In the modern world we have created a lifestyle that starves our neurology on both a physical and electrical level. When comparing the developments of today with primitive lifestyles, you notice our interaction with the outside world has been muted in many ways. Here at Earth Runners we promote a rewinding lifestyle encouraging people to spend more time out in nature.

In modern society we live in raised houses and walk around in thick insulated shoes, minimizing out contact with the natural world. When we do make it outside into the elements we usually get around in cars and rarely walk or run. Our exercise usually takes place in a gym or on a flat paved surface in thick rubber shoes. This lack of interaction with our natural surroundings both physically and electrically affects our body’s ability to perform at its natural abundant state.

As a society we have developed weak physical conditioning where most people don’t practice the full mechanical capacity of their bodies. Conventional fitness shrinks everything down to simple, repetitive, and predictable processes that lack the stimulation needed to maintain healthy nerve function. By compartmentalizing our exercises into non-engaging regular activities deprives our nerve receptors of stimulation, and as a result, hinders their ability to send proper impulses to the brain.

Our nervous system is composed of a constantly evolving web of electrochemical sensors we must stimulate and exercise regularly to maintain their proper function. By walking around our entire lives in over cushioned shoes and confining our movement to domesticated processes limits stimulation to our nerve receptors in the joints, tendons, and muscles throughout the body. This lack of afferent stimulation can lead to what is called dysafferentation. Dysafferentation is abnormal afferent input that slowly deteriorates motor control by weakening reflex muscle activity, affecting joint and muscle mobility, and later on can lead to compromised spinal function and all sorts of disease.

We have some 1,300 nerve ending per square inch on the bottom our feet which makes one think we were designed to plug into the harmonizing effect of the Earth, by walking barefoot. When barefoot on a natural surface we are grounded to the zero potential of the Earth, this is also known as Earthing. Earthing is believed to allow the body to achieve greater physiological stability by coordinating diverse bodily rhythms with not only with the light and dark cycle, but with the natural rhythms of the environment. Studies have shown an immediate reduction in skin conductance when grounded, indicating a rapid activation of the calming-mode of the parasympathetic nervous system. Grounding our body’s electricity essentially restores our natural state by synchronizing our biological clocks, hormonal cycles and physiological rhythms.

Both our body and the Earth run at the same frequency of 7.83 Hertz, also known as the Schumann resonances. This portion of the Earth’s electromagnetic field spectrum is an alpha brain wave that works as a timing signal for the human body, helping to coordinate complex internal functions with our circadian rhythm. Blood tests taken before and after grounding reveal a smoothing in the blood with normalized secretion of Cortisol, the main hormone responsible for combating stress. Heart monitoring also shows an increased variability in heart rate, another sign of balanced neurological function. These are all clear indications of how a more grounded lifestyle can help improve the function and heath of your body.

Here at Earth Runners we are excited to provide a solution to this neurological deficient epidemic by offering rewilding minimalist sandals; footwear that will help to rewild and reconnect people on a neurological level. Our goal is to inspire others to get outside and tap into their true nature through movement exploration. As Earth Runners, we advocate the development of functional strength through natural movement to help cultivate one’s best self.