For the past week or so, I have been shifting my daily walks to a lesser-known Leland beach called “North Beach.” Since parking is an issue for any Northern Michigan beach in the summer, I ride my bike. I park my flip flops under my bike and head towards the sound of the shore.
With the water level down for the last two years, there is plenty of sand to walk on for quite a while. I usually walk down to the base of Clay Cliffs, turn around, and head back to Leland. The shore changes so much from day to day. One day, it could be perfectly sandy with smooth water, and the next littered with rocks and pummeled by crashing waves.
Regardless of the day, season, or time of day, there are rock hounds hunched over wearing water shoes looking for Petoskey stones or Leland Blues. I saw them in January and February while cold plunging; they are relentless. I have pockets on my swim trunks and will often pick up a stone or two, which pleases me. I am not looking for the same rocks they are, but in the words of Marie Kondo, the ones that “spark joy.”
Apparently, many rocks have sparked joy for me because I stored them in pickle jars and water until I finally bought a tumbler. Yes, that is how old I am. I am the age at which one finds joy in the four-week process of slowly tumbling (through 4 different stages) rocks that please me. If you remember from my alarm clock post, I am easily amused. To be fair, for all but one load, I stopped after two stages. I prefer the rocks to still look like rocks and not polished glass.
After stage 2, they look like they did when I plucked them off the sand, while still wet, brilliant, colorful, full of interesting designs and striations. These make me happy. I have been teased by family members (I won’t mention which ones, they know who they are). I have thick skin and remain unbothered by teasing.
Back to the beach, there is something deeply satisfying about walking along such a large body of water in such a natural environment. Once you get past the first couple of hundred yards, there are no homes visible. I don’t listen to podcasts or audiobooks (which are piling up in my library this time of year). I listen to the waves, the birds, and my own thoughts.
What I have noticed in the last couple of weeks is that my sleep has been considerably deeper, filled with more dreams, and more restorative. My sleep scores are hitting highs. As a consequence, my energy levels, measured by body battery, have also increased dramatically. Finally, my stress levels have decreased noticeably as well. All of these changes are enough to be perceptible.
My diet has not changed. No other variables that I can consider have changed but this one physical activity. I am curious as to the reason and have a few theories, all of which will likely further push me into the wacko domain, but I am finding comfort there.
The first theory is the idea of grounding or earthing as a way to discharge any electrical charges the body has been bombarded with from modern life on Earth. This practice involves direct skin contact with the surface of the Earth by walking barefoot. If you think about it, we transmit millions of electrical signals every second through the various systems in the body. The electrical impulses outside the body, such as 5G, wi-fi, radio waves, and the like, are fairly recent stimuli. I am not a scientist, but I think of grounding as discharging those additional electrical inputs through connecting to the earth, in the same way that your home or other buildings have a grounding line into the ground.
You may be thinking that I am cuckoo, but for you doubters, I have attached an academic article from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Here, they make claims that grounding has effects on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. I have learned that inflammation is at the root of most of our modern dis-ease.
I don’t need an academic article to inform me of the real way that I am noticing a difference in my body. I feel great, sleep soundly, and have an abundance of energy.
The second theory is no less out of the mainstream, but again, I have become more comfortable out of the mainstream. This theory is what the Japanese call shinrin-yoku, also known as forest bathing. They have discovered that exposing ourselves to nature, in particular forests and trees actually has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety in addition to alleviating symptoms of depression. Some of the other benefits include: increased focus and attention, lowered blood pressure and heart rate, boosted immune system, and improved mental well-being.
I read about this last fall and intentionally focused on walking in or around the woods. I grew up in the woods as a kid, well, the woods or the beach (what a great place to live). The fact that I was never depressed while in the woods is only because I was a pretty happy kid. I can honestly tell you, when I spend time in the woods, hiking or walking, I am transported back to that ten-year-old kid traipsing around the forests on the Old Mission Peninsula.
For the sceptics, I have included another academic article from the Cleveland Clinic called “Forest Bathing: What it is and Its Potential Benefits”. While walking along the beach, I have on one side of me the vast expanse of one of the Greatest Lakes, on the other side the lush foliage of trees that line the banks and dot the cliffs.
As the peak of the summer season hits Leland, my normal walk becomes more challenging. Once I turn the bend from North Beach, I may not see another soul. It is quiet, it is calm, it is my new happy place, and I am pleased to report that it is my newest medication.