Most people have a preference where they want to live if they had a choice.

I have friends who love living in the forest on the mountain. Another friend spends as much time as she can at her weekend house at the lake to recharge her batteries. An athlete friend of mine loves running at the river and does train there every day.

I love living close to the beach. Which is rather strange because I come from a land-locked country. I always loved water and I still swim regularly. However, I absolutely love walking on the beach and try to do it on most days. I live probably three minutes from the beach.

If I have the chance, I kick off my shoes and walk barefoot on the beach. I love having the sand between my toes and even more I love walking in the water. Does not matter how cool the temperature of the sea might be, I love putting my feet in the salt water. I have a favorite beach where I go whenever I can. It is a long stretch of beach, you can see very far. I enjoy that I can rest my eyes in the distance in every direction, both on the shore and out on the horizon of the sea. I enjoy the changing and fast moving clouds above the sea. I love sitting close to the water and listening to the waves. I always feel rested, refreshed and very relaxed after spending time on the beach, regardless of what the weather was like.

If the weather is rainy or stormy, I just sit in my car looking at the water, observe the changing sky or listen to the drumming of the rain on the roof. Occasionally, I read on my IPad or close my eyes enjoying the sounds that surround me. These are truly magic times in my life. I must admit, it was a long journey until I arrived to this point of relaxation and enjoyment of nature. Sometimes I look back and wonder how far I have come in recent years.

I always loved massage, especially, my feet being massaged. I have a few places where I go for reflexology or just foot massage. I love it so much that I could go and enjoy it easily every day.

More and more we read about the benefits of walking barefoot. According to Eastern Healing practices we run on vital energy that is called Prana in India, Chi or Qi in China and Ki in Japan. This vital energy is carried to every part of our body in a system of channels called meridians, the same way as the blood is carried to and from the heart in veins and arteries.

There is one major difference between the Western and the Eastern systems that you could dissect a human body and reveal all organs, veins and arteries, but you could never see the meridians under the microscope. You could never take a sample of Chi and analyze it. Just like you could never see our emotion or the soul, our life force, Chi exists at a level, we can't see.

To Chinese practitioners, the balance in our body is important. Especially Yin and Yang, opposite forces that compliment each other. Yin energy is connected to what is receptive, restful, cool, ingoing, dark and soft. Yang energy is forceful, active, warm, outgoing, light, and hard. We need a balance of the two to create healthy Chi and prevent illness.

Reflexologists consider that all parts of the body are connected by subtle energy, which flows down the body from the head to the feet through to zones or channels. When there is an illness or discomfort, the channels become blocked and the flow of energy is blocked.

Our feet are extraordinary structures. The feet contains 26 bones (1/4 of all bones of our body!), 7200 nerve endings and 107 ligaments. Our feet are full of reflex points that connect to our organs.

When you walk barefoot on natural ground like grass, sand, water, soil, wet cement, wood floor or tiles, you massage your foot, giving your entire foot surface impulses that stimulate and activate not only the points of your foot but the connected organs, too. You get more Chi. Sometimes our foot becomes very sensitive, signalling some problems with our inner organs.

Walking on rough surface can be even painful. Short, gentle walking will ease this pain and your foot will get used to the surface. Once it is not painful, seek out rough surfaces to get used to and give your foot and your inner organs a better work out. Always listen to your body. Don't overdo it.

Barefoot walking has other benefits as well. It helps you to clear your mind. Fights varicose veins. It is truly a free reflexology session. Walking without shoes gives your feet a chance to relax and to spread the toes which give you better balance and support during walk. Barefoot walking gives you a chance to connect with nature, decreases anxiety and depression. Walking on uneven ground barefoot strengthens and stretches the muscles, tendons and ligaments in your feet, ankles and calves.

According to experts, Earthing, walking barefoot on Earth has many other health benefits as well. The Earth is negatively changed. We get negative ions from the sea and from the Earth. Earth also has antioxidant effect. Getting in touch with the ground helps reduce inflammation, autoimmune and chronic diseases and it slows down premature aging.

A few tips. Always buy and wear leather shoes. It conducts electrons from the Earth. After barefoot walking get a foot bath, remove hard skin and massage your foot with coconut oil, hemp oil or any good quality, organic cold pressed oil. Put up your feet until the oil is absorbed and rest.

Go outdoors as frequently as you can. Walk barefoot, swim in the sea, in a river or in a lake if you can, go bush walking, camp and sleep on the ground, rest and read on the grass and soak up the sunshine. You will feel re-charged and relaxed. Love and enjoy Nature!

Cheers, Piroska