July is a perfect time in the garden. Things are growing; weeds are manageable (thanks to mulch); flowers are deadheaded and tomatoes and squash tied up. It's time to grab a beverage, kick your shoes off, find a nice spot in the grass and enjoy the weather.
At a recent reunion, I was explaining this enjoyment of the garden to an old schoolmate. "Oh," she said, "you were earthing." What? She went on to explain that the Earth has energy and connecting to the earth promotes good health. Really? Seriously? You have to "call" it something.
"Look it up!" she said grabbing her smart phone. "They even sell copper yoga mats to help you connect."
Ugh! Why do they have to take every simple pleasure in life and commercialize it? I thought I was simply enjoying my garden… now I'm 'earthing.' The worst part is that when I was walking around barefoot in my nice thick grass last night, I couldn't get that WORD out of my mind. No, I'm not earthing, I'm enjoying. I'm not transferring electrons, I'm wiggling my toes.
The thing is that no matter how angry I got at the world for stripping simple pleasures, I could not help but feel calmed. That's what my garden does, that's what walking barefoot in grass does. We don't have to 'call' it anything. We just do it because it feels good.
So maybe this weekend when the humidity is thick and the lake is cool, I will take my towel down to the beach. Strip down to a bathing suit, kick off the flip flops and have some kids bury me in the sand up to my neck. That ought to transfer some electrons!
What are you doing to 'earth?"
