Nature Immersion: Earthing with BHC

2020 was quite a year. One of the biggest impacts that we noticed on our communities has been the transition into a more digital world and how that plays a part in our nervous system and mental health.

This got our founder, Pam Fischer, thinking. When she sent us her thoughts, we thought that it was something that everyone should hear.

Here are Pam’s thoughts on how we can work towards remedying our plight of digital dependence, as well as some upcoming opportunities through the Berkeley Herbal Center to decompress amidst a community of plant-loving folks.

The Need for Nature Immersion

Many among us have been isolating at home staring into computer screens. Others are glued to smartphones, waiting for updates from our beloved. Still others have had to navigate unseeable dangers to find and maintain work.

I am asking – what is the impact of this new lifestyle? What does the increase in electricity do to us? How does it affect our health and sense of well-being? 

Many of our friends and relatives are finding this too much. They are suffering. Depression and anxiety is at all-time highs. It is known that the speeding up of electrons used to power our electrical devices also affects our nervous system (which are electrical). This may be contributing to our community’s depression, anxiety, insomnia and anger. 

Berkeley Herbal Center has been working on ideas of how to remedy this stress.  This is “Earthing.”

Earthing is just coming back to the Earth.  Feeling your feet on the dirt, wind in your hair.  Simple. Retreating into nature resets your life force, quiets your nervous system, improves your melatonin cycle, and generally makes you feel good. 

Come Earthing with the Berkeley Herbal Center

We have been busy planning two separate trips to facilitate Earthing.

Each location is free from cell service or internet connections. Helping students with a technology fast and facilitating earth education.

We provide a safe environment to join a small group, both trips are on private land and allow you to have lots of room while connecting with the various plants in the region.  We have carefully planned these trips to avoid the fire season.

The first, Herb Camp, happens near the end of June. It takes place at Gold Lake Beach Resort in Sierra Butts.  A place known for its beautiful display of wildflowers. If you decide to come along, you will abandon your car, take a boat across the lake and stay in various tents and cabins (Glamping!) for five days. You only need to bring your clothes, sleeping bag, and pillow.  All of your food is provided. This trip is limited to 8 single people. 

Our second retreat will be in August and is called Redwood Medicine and the Wild Mind: Nature Immersion Trip.  This camp is six days long and much more primitive than the first. You will make a nest in the middle of a redwood forest, a special retreat for those who want to fall deeply into the mind of nature. Here, campers will bring their own food and equipment.  Each day holds a new lesson from our teaching staff to help facilitate personal healing and growth.  There are 12 spots available for this trip.

We are excited by our new program additions and hope you can make it to one of these beautiful offerings. 

If you are not able to join that you, please take some time to do earthing yourself.  Lay on the earth, hug a tree, walk barefoot on the lawn.

Remember the Earth is our first mother, take a moment to experience her.

Have you ever gone Earthing? Tell us your favorite way in the comments.

A great resource about Earthing from the National Institute of Health.