Trends, Cults and Superstitions

Image by meineresterampe from Pixabay

 

 

 

I participated in my first outdoor Yoga session of the year this morning. In bare feet, grounding or earthing myself. Of course, it felt good. Grass between your toes always does, doesn't it?

It seems, however, that grounding is becoming something of a cult with pseudo-science claiming that connecting ourselves to the Earth enables positive electrons in the ground below to stimulate and energise our bodies. In fact there was even an urban myth doing the round after our yoga session to the effect that there are parks in London that charge to allow you to stand and connect with the grass under the soles of your feet. If it is true then I do wonder if my back lawn could become a money spinner.

Now I am not one for mumbo jumbo nor for what potentially seems little more than an old form of pagan worship. That said, there is no doubt that stretching slowly under the warm sun does wonders for your inner sense of calm, along with breathing deeply in the fresh air. 

Getting down and close to nature has to be of benefit, although sometimes nature can get a little too close. Hence, whilst lying on my back impersonating a banana, I suddenly became aware of a sudden itching as an army of spiders simultaneously arose from the grass and descended on their silver threads from the air, to crawl all over me. Nobody else seemed affected as I began to flick them away, noting that they were clearly money spiders doubtless intending to endow me with great wealth.

Then, moving into Cat from Cow pose, my eyeline was directed to a patch of clover and there I spotted it: a four leaf wonder bringing the finder good luck.

Superstitions, cult worship, ancient Indian asanas: they are apparently all part of my retirement. Cynical though I may be, I squeezed every ounce of enjoyment from them.