Benefits of Walking Barefooted in the Himalayas

Benefits of Walking Barefooted also is a kind of self-awareness that promotes spiritual wisdom as per the old traditions of India, is an ancient practice that promotes brain and sensory development especially in children. In the context of India in the Himalayas, in the temple, we always enter barefooted, and the monks whether Hindu or Buddhist or from any other religions, always go barefooted.

• For millions of years, the man walked barefoot, and until a few decades ago it was still possible to see someone going without shoes. Today the tendency to stand barefoot is back in vogue thanks to a growing number of research and proven benefits.

• There is nothing more wonderful than to look at children as they begin to learn and explore the world in which they live. With the innocence that characterizes childhood, the innovations they experience allow a deep connection inside and outside of themselves.

Walking barefoot develops higher brain centers

• The sensory system is the primary system that lays the foundation for the development of higher brain centers. We know the five basic senses: touch, taste, vision, hearing, and smell. It is through these basic paths that children create neurological connections and perceive life outside the uterus.
• Two equally important sensory systems, which are not so commonly recognized, begin to take on a dominant role when children begin to coordinate movements and have greater interactions with the world. These two systems are known as the proprioceptive system and the vestibular system.

Vestibular

• Proprioception is the ability to perceive the movement and position of our bodies in space and is generated by receptors located in our joints, connective tissue, and muscles.
• When activated by pressure and movement, the proprioceptors send signals directly to the brain that indicates the orientation of the body.

• The vestibular system contributes to the creation of balance and coordination in the center of gravity, in the posture, and in the displacement of the position of the head.
• When children acquire awareness through the five primary senses, they begin to generate deliberate movements and gradually learn to lift their heads, roll, sit, crawl, and finally start walking.

The feet are the keystone of the brain

• Encouraging pleasant activities that stimulate the basic senses is obviously important, but we cannot underestimate the value of supporting proprioceptive and vestibular activities.
• One of the easiest ways to motivate proprioceptive and vestibular development is to allow our children to walk barefoot as much as possible!

• The feet are one of the most sensory parts of the human body. The soles of the feet are extremely sensitive to the touch and there are large concentrations of proprioceptors in their joints and muscles. In reality, feet alone have as many proprioceptors as the entire spine!

Create strong neurological connections by walking barefoot

• This is exciting news, but we live in a culture where wearing shoes for most of the day is the norm and, therefore, we inhibit the creation of strong neurological pathways and connections.
• Parents often wear shoes for their children even before the children start walking, life requires us to use shoes constantly which often affects the natural development of the foot, which as you can imagine is a fundamental part of our body.

• When children begin to walk, they will be used to having limited movements and a barrier between the sensitive soles of their feet and the ground.
• The proprioceptors are not allowed to be stimulated optimally and the vestibular entry is inhibited because the small muscles and the joints of the feet cannot adapt to the changing terrain of the surface on which they walk.