10 Ways to Reconnect to the Earth

Many things that we think of as “normal” and “natural” are the product of industrialized civilizations and are new concepts to our kind. These ways of being have severed our connection to the Earth and ultimately the connection to ourselves and our very innate nature. 

This is the genesis of Feminine Shame and reconnecting to our primary home, Earth and Nature, is how we heal.

Things like living off processed and fast foods, sitting in a chair all day, staring at screens from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, living in climate controlled environments, ignoring our circadian rhythms, pushing past our limits, glorifying exhaustion, and going against seasonal needs and flows, etc. have all contributed to the state of our planet, our rapidly declining physical and mental health, and I’d even go so far as to say crime rates, the objectification of women, and more.  It’s all connected.

So, how do we reconnect and reclaim an authentic, nourishing way of living in a modern world?  It must start with us and it must begin with shifting our mindsets and objectively analyzing the beliefs we’ve been programmed with and the habitual ways we live our lives.

Here are 10 things to consider and ways to get started:

  1. Earthing

Simply: let your bare feet, bare skin, come in contact with the Earth. Touch plants, hug a tree, dig your hands in the soil and plant something.

Mindset Shift: Commit to walking outside barefoot daily or at least several days a week.  Savor this time, breathe deeply, feel the sun and air on your skin and the Earth below your feet and imagine releasing your burdens down through the soles of your feet and into the Earth.  Mmmm…

  1. Reduce Screen Time

This ties in with number 8 below on a macro-level, however, for your individual health, reducing your exposure to the blue light emissions and electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) from screens can be hugely beneficial!  The blue light has been shown to impact our circadian rhythms by reducing the secretion of melatonin (the sleep hormone) from our pineal glands.  In simpler terms, it’s screwing with your sleep and smooth hormone function.  EMFs have been shown to be responsible for everything from increased anxiety, trouble sleeping, nausea, and more.  Walk into a Best Buy and you’ll feel exactly what I am talking about; it’s a highly sensitive person’s nightmare!

Mindset Shift: For many, the screen time is unavoidable due to work (I get it!), however, there are ways that our technology consumption has become addictive and a way to avoid our lives.  Challenge yourself to a few days of either a total digital detox OR being very disciplined and using it for work ONLY.  Notice what arises for you.  Is it anxiety, loneliness, or a feeling of missing something?  Get clear on what the actual need is so that you can meet it in more nourishing ways – like perhaps partaking in some Earthing.

  1. Plant Your Own Food

There’s truly nothing like planting a seed in the soil with your own hands and watching as it goes from a sprout to something you’re able to harvest and eat.  This simple act is profound.  It’s life sustaining and life affirming.  We are dependent on this giant spinning rock in the Universe and She always delivers and nourishes us selflessly.  Reconnecting to this most basic act is my favorite way to remind myself of the interconnections of all beings and the dependence I have upon my Earthly home.

Mindset Shift: Plant something!  You don’t need a giant plot of land, experience, or anything fancy. A simple pot with an herb will do. For more on the four main forms of plant medicine, check out this video. By the way, plants are living, intelligent beings and respond best with lots of love and mindful attention.

  1. Follow the Sun

With light pollution out the wazoo, a 24/7 news cycle, a society that applauds constant action and encourages wearing exhaustion as a badge of honor (all major symptoms of Feminine Shame and exhausted Triangle energy, by the way), it’s no wonder that many clients come to me suffering from major burnout. 

What does your sleep/wake schedule look like?  Is it different daily?  Do you consider yourself a “night owl”?  Do you watch screens after sunset and rely on artificial light late into the evening?  Do you wake feeling rested?  As I explained in number 2, screens and artificial light mess with our hormones and with our sleep.  Without healthy melatonin secretion, you’re not going to get that deep, restorative sleep and won’t feel very rested upon waking.  Everything in Nature exists in cycles and we are part of Nature – not separate.  Honor your body’s needs for rhythms and routines and the fact that we’re designed to slow way down and retreat into restful ease around sunset. 

Mindset Shift: No screens after dark.  Yes.  What?!  If you’re like many of my clients, they think this sounds ridiculous.  Try it for a few days this week and see how you feel.  At least 30 minutes before bed, ideally an hour, shut it all down.  Take it further by ensuring a consistent sleep/wake schedule for yourself aiming to gift yourself around eight hours every night.  You’ll be amazed how easy this is and how rested you are when you implement the no screens rule! Here are some additional sleep tips.

  1. Live Seasonally

As I mentioned, Nature exists in cycles and rhythms.  The moon waxes and wanes, day turns to night, and winter into spring into summer into fall.  Each cycle has its own flavor, energy, and invitation for us and our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health can thrive if we follow along.  Come to know the eight archetypes of The Mother on InnerSpark’s Wheel to be reminded of your own journey and cycles and rhythms.

Mindset Shift: How can you honor the seasonal rhythms more in your life?  Endeavor to eat as seasonally as possible.  Checking websites like Sustainable Table can be helpful and shopping at Farmer’s Markets whenever you’re able is the best.  In addition to food, how can you reconnect to the primal energies of the seasons and recognize the rhythms in your own being? Practicing seasonal self-care is another fabulous tool.

  1. Follow the Moon

The moon’s cycles impact us even if you are the most anti-astrological, anti-woo person of them all, there’s no denying this fact.  It makes me truly sad to hear people ask what a “waning” or “waxing” moon is and which corresponds to which cycle.  Many people aren’t even aware of the moon’s current phase.   Generally, from the New Moon to the Full Moon (the waxing phase, by the way), there’s more energy available, more clarity, more enthusiasm, more zest.  From the Full Moon to the New Moon (the waning phase), energy is lower and there’s more of an introspective, docile, and planning energy.

Mindset Shift: Pay attention to the moon and its impact on your energies and emotions.  Dedicate yourself to at least one full moon cycle, from New Moon to New Moon, and keep a journal to jot down any observations.

  1. Use Reusable Bags

Seriously, people, just buy those lovely reusable grocery bags and freaking use them.  The amount of paper and plastic bags used daily is truly sickening and many people don’t seem to give it a second thought.  I watch baggers at stores place one measly item in a big ol’ bag and just keep on going, as though the goal were to use more bags, not pack each one efficiently.

Mindset Shift: Buy reusable bags and use them.  That simple.  Take it a step further by challenging yourself to reduce as much waste in your life as possible.

  1. Reduce Your Usage

The average household has a ton of electronics and many are on 24/7.  Not only does this produce a ridiculously high amount of electromagnetic frequencies whizzing around your space, but it adds major bucks onto your electricity bill and increases your carbon footprint. 

Mindset Shift: Do an electronics audit of your home and experiment with using way less with methods like switching all the way off or unplugging.  Watch your bill decrease! Woohoo!  Even bigger bonus challenge?  Consider solar panels!  I know that’s our next big endeavor over here!

  1. Reduce Your Exposure to Chemicals

Chemicals.  They’re bad for Earth, which makes them bad for us.  We are one in the same, after all.  Nature isn’t this abstract concept outside of us.  From cosmetics to cleaners to vehicle fluids to pesticides, we’re constantly inundated.  So, if much of this is outside of our control, why wouldn’t we reduce what’s in our immediate environments?  I find with many clients that this is an area of straight habit.  Whatever they had as a child still reigns in their households today.  I’m all for family loyalty, however, there are some areas where we should really think for ourselves and break a cycle.  Exposing ourselves to endocrine disruptors that are honestly worse than that blue light I talked about earlier sounds like a pretty good cycle to break to me.  Nowadays there are many natural options and there are also easy recipes available online to learn to make your own products.  I began making my own self care products and many cleaning products years ago and haven’t looked back since.

Mindset Shift: Where can you reduce your exposure to chemicals in your immediate environment?  Use air fresheners?  Make your own with essential oils.  Still using conventional deodorants?  Switch to a natural one.  Think you need those harsh chemicals to really get surfaces clean and “kill bacteria?”  Think again.  The plant properties of essential oils are Nature’s ultimate antimicrobials.  Experiment with new cleaning products and research natural product substitutes.  Dr. Bronner’s, Mrs. Meyer’s and Seventh Generation are all excellent brands if you’re not up to making your own yet.  

  1. Exercise Your Purchasing Power

How you choose to spend your money is a powerful thing. Are you investing in brands whose values align with yours? Do you tend to simply purchase habitually and not think about it? This energetic exchange represented by money is our way to condoning or not condoning the practices, values, beliefs, etc. of a business. What’s important to you? What kind of world do you wish to inhabit? Let your purchases amplify that and support those invested in the same vision.

Mindset Shift: Spend your money on things you TRULY need, not want, AND on companies that align with your values.  Aren’t clear on your values?  Spend some time on that first.  Sucker for a “bargain” find at a Target and think you need another five dollar tee-shirt?  Buying generic brands of foods, “conventionally grown” food?  Spend some time educating yourself on the true cost of these things, like the health impact on the Earth and Her inhabitants,  and I bet you’ll find some areas for adjustments.  

Which of these 10 tip resonates with you right now? Where would you like to begin making changes or reinforcing existing practices? These suggestions and others can quickly become new habits and the benefits in your life will speak for themselves.  Want some suggestions on making new habits stick?  Read this

The InnerSpark Method

Timeless Wisdom to become Naturally Resilient

Transform life's storms and cultivate peace, resilience, and vitality with Nature's wisdom.

Dive deep into nature’s rhythms, unraveling from the complexities and strains of modern life, and align yourself with the ebb and flow that has sustained life for millennia.

Drawing from nature, our eternal mentor, we glean lessons of steadfastness, flow, and unity.

But as the digital age surges forward, our intimate connection to these timeless rhythms is diminishing, causing our physical, emotional, mental, relational, and spiritual well being to teeter.

The InnerSpark Method bridges that gap, guiding you back to your innate resilience and rhythm, reigniting your zest for life and sense of purpose.

Come discover a whole-person, trauma-informed system of Nature's self-care to rekindle natural cadences across all dimensions of your being -  whether it's the physicality of daily routines, the depths of emotional resilience, the realms of mental clarity, the vibrations of energy, the art of relationships, or the ethereal world of spirituality.

More Seasonal Living + Earth Wisdom:

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    Welcome to a time of rebirth and rejuvenation! Spring is blooming here in the Northern Hemisphere and it reminds us to realign with nature’s rhythms through inviting a period of cleansing and renewal, not only for our physical body and surroundings, but also for our inner world as well. Today we’ll explore the essence of…

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Greetings! I’m Devon Ray Battaglia, MS, AHA, ACC. As an Integrative Health Expert, Ayurvedic Health Advisor, and Holistic Life Coach, I’ve devoted myself to living and sharing the timeless wisdom of Nature’s rhythms to unlock our natural resilience and joy!

I mentor individuals like you on a heartfelt journey toward the life-changing simplicity and nourishment of living in sync with Nature.

Ready to transform life’s storms, amplify resilience, boost health and vitality, reconnect with your InnerSpark, and discover a life overflowing with peace, confidence, and clarity?

Click here to learn more about me and The InnerSpark Method.

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