As I’ve stated many times before, I believe our modern obesity epidemic can be traced precisely to an enormous disconnect between our current environment and our genetic evolution as human beings. In short: We are fat, sick and unhealthy because we are living in an environment that looks nothing like the one we evolved to embody.

Living in this this unnatural “alien” environment, skills and activities that were once universal among our ancestors are no longer necessary for survival. We aren’t required to move our bodies and no longer consume healthy nutrient dense foods directly from nature. In addition, we are also deprived of a tribal sense of belonging, time for relaxation and stillness, and any dimension of spirituality. While all of these factors play a large role in the physical degeneration of the global public, I believe one stark mismatch causes more suffering and discontentment then all the others: lack of contact.

The Need for Physical Sensation

We live in a safe, sheltered and insulated world. Modern homes, cars and offices are made of smooth, refined and unnatural materials. Shoes shield our feet from direct contact with the earth. Comforts initially designed to increase quality of life have escalated and backfired on us, shielding us from things that are absolutely critical to our health and wellbeing… removing us from our natural habitat. Today more than ever, our bodies need direct exposure to earth, water, air, trees and sunlight. Not only this, but we also crave vigorous play and human to human contact. Our modern world fails to see the all encompassing and deeply integrated reality of human life on the planet. Our bodies are NOT isolated organisms. We are deeply embedded in the ecological and planetary systems and change in accordance to the people we surround ourselves with and the environment we consciously place ourselves in.

Now more than ever, we need contact.

In order to embody the robust health that is our true nature, we must start by removing barriers between us and physical sensation. We must seek out experience, seek out feeling, seek out adventure.

To help you out, here are 6 ways to achieve direct and empowering contact with the world around you and rediscover your inner animal.

6 Ways to Rediscover Your Inner Animal

1. Go Barefoot

As I said above, the key lies in removing barriers between us and physical sensation, in pulling back the veils that lie between us and the natural world. With this in mind, the obvious place to start is by removing the barrier between us and the earth we walk, run and play on: our shoes.

Throughout all of of human history, our feet have been our direct connection to the earth. Absolutely covered in nerve endings, our feet rely information back to the brain and help us safely navigate the planet. Not only this, but the direct response connection between our feet and our brains also teaches us how to move. The nerve endings in our feet trigger cognitive commands which cause us to move in a way that puts the least amount of strain on our bodies.

However, when this direct connection to earth and sensation is shrouded by shoes, injuries become prevalent because our feet are no longer able to relay accurate information to the brain about how to move gracefully and efficiently. if this weren’t enough, shoes also play a huge role in covering up the deep bond to nature and habitat that we as a people have shared for thousands and thousands of years.

Your feet are your direct link to earth, sensation and habitat. Let them free.

2. Embrace the Sun

Another visible barrier standing in our way of robust and vibrant health is the clothes and houses that shield us from the suns rays.

You’ve probably seen the bad press about sunshine. Countless reports claim that even small amounts of sun exposure can be extremely dangerous. While you CAN overdose on UV rays, a much larger problem lies in not getting enough sunlight. Regular exposure to sunshine is essential to proper bodily function and regulation. It is absolutely critical to our health.

Among other benefits, sunlight strengthens the cardiovascular system, increases metabolism, aids in weight loss, improves digestion, normalizes blood sugar and is the best way to synthesize Vitamin D. In addition, sunlight also creates external, visible benefits as well. It gives you healthy, smooth and radiant skin, heals infections, and builds up natural resistance to burning skin complications.

You know that sunlight is good for you, but how much exposure should you get? While I tend to air on the side of more rather than less, I recommend no more than one hour of direct (summer) sunlight a day. That’s not to say you shouldn’t be outside for longer than that. Simply find a shady (or partially shady) area after one hour.

Another factor to take into account (and a cool piece of evolutionary insight) is that depending on the color of your skin, you may need more or less exposure in order to get an adequate amount of Vitamin D. As a general rule of thumb, the darker your skin, the greater exposure you need.

3. Sleep On the Ground

I’m a big fan of personal experiments. For the past three weeks, I’ve adopted what I call “Paleo sleeping habits” in an attempt to explore another less common aspect of the Paleo lifestyle. I’ve been sleeping on the ground with only a small blanket between me and the floor. The first night I tossed and turned. The second was better. Now I’m not sure if i’ll ever sleep in a bed again.

Looking back to our evolutionary past, it’s clear that our ancestors slept directly on the ground. Perhaps a small layer of leaves, fur, or animal skin separated them from the earth, but certainly not the 8 inches of cushioned, chemical treated mattress that we sleep on today. With this in mind, it makes sense that our bodies would would be naturally inclined to sleep on a hard surface.

While it certainly makes sense when looked at through an evolutionary perspective, the benefits of sleeping on the ground have also been validated by many recent studies as well. Evidence now points to the fact the mattresses actually wreck havoc on our bodie’s natural alignment, causing the body to hunch and compress during sleep rather than expand and stretch. This mattress induced “hunching” has been linked to many back and hip problems that now affect a huge percentage of people. In fact, 65 million Americans suffer from lower back pain annually, and by the age of fifty, 85 percent of the population will show evidence of disc degeneration.

In addition to promoting proper alignment and reducing the occurrence of lower back pain, sleeping close to the earth is also a way of achieving the contact with nature that we as a people so desperately desire. Win, win, win if you ask me.

Pretty soon, I’m going to take this experiment to the next level: sleeping on the ground… outside. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes :)

4. Roll, Crawl and Play

What’s the easiest way to achieve contact with the natural world? Go outside and roll, jump, crawl, climb and play in nature.

A good old wilderness romp allows you to kill multiple birds with one stone. Barefoot movement, exposure to sunlight and fresh air, and a whole lot of physical sensation. Not only this but time spent in nature is also visually stimulating. Our modern world is slowly becoming more and more boring to the eyes. Smooth, refined and calculated angles have replaced the perfect disarray of the natural world. Monotonous buildings, sidewalks, and streets have replaced the rugged, varied and visually stimulating natural terrain we are designed to embody.

A daily epic adventure does the body good.

If you’re not ready to run, crawl jump and play like a wild animal, or you simply don’t have access to large expanses of nature, this kind of contact can also be achieved through activities like gardening, carpentry and other intimately physical projects.

5. Eliminate Noise

In addition to eliminating physical boundaries between us and sensation, it’s also important to eliminate useless distractions that form “barriers” between us and authentic experience and cut back on distractions that sap our energy and pull us deeper into the materialistic trap that so many people fall victim to.

Make an effort to eliminate all “noise” that does not align with your vision of your highest self. If you envision direct, authentic life experience and vibrant wellbeing, focus your efforts in that direction and ignore everything else. Do away with artificial visual stimulation and seek out raw, primal experience. The media tsunami of mind numbing radio waves is enticing, but I’ve found once you’ve had a glimpse of what you’re truly after, the seductive (and destructive) pull naturally seems to fade.

In addition to the noise caused my television, radio, computers and cell phones, there is another form of noise that often restricts people more than anything else: mental noise. Together, external and internal stimulation work together to create a detrimental noise spiral that is wrecking havoc on our mental and emotional wellbeing. As someone who’s been involved in some sort of spiritual practice for many years, I know first hand that many of us suffer from destructive and compulsory thinking. However, I also know that quieting the mind is one of the most liberating things we can possibly achieve. If the mind is clear and calm, any amount of external stimulation holds no power in throwing you off course.

5. Connect With Other Humans

Not only are we deprived of physical contact with the natural world, but we are also deprived of human to human contact. Because human to human intimacy is longer socially acceptable in our modern world, a brisk handshake is often the extent of our connections.

As social beings by nature, we crave connection, contact and belonging. We crave rough and tumble play, intimacy and companionship.

What are some of the best ways to get this kind of human to human contact in a world where social norms often discourage it? Massage, rugby, martial arts, sex, wrestling, contact yoga and lots of good hugging.

6. Seek Out Adventure

As I said in a recent post, our bodies THRIVE when faced with challenges and new experiences. And, contrary to popular belief, true health lies not in comfort, ease and affluence but rather in hardship, sweat and struggle.

In our “comfortable” world, it’s easy to become bogged down in a physically and mentally destructive routine, I know I still do. However, I’ve found that while such a routine is easy to fall into, it’s also easy to disperse. The key lies in seeking out new and challenging adventure. Climb a new mountain, swim in a new lake, try a new and exotic food, take a trip around the world...

Use your body and mind to its fullest capacity. Force it to adapt. Challenge it to perform. Watch it flourish.

Final Thoughts

We are physical beings by nature. I hate to re-use the “zoo” analogy, but after seeing Planet of the Apes, I am once again shocked by the zoo-like reality so many of us are now living in. Without connection with earth, without vigorous playful movement, exposure to sunlight and fresh air, adventure, challenge and human to human contact our bodies rapidly degenerate and our minds become lifeless.

Like super smart monkeys, we must break free from any real and imagined cages we might be living in and start a revolution of strong, healthy and free individuals. We must seek out contact, challenge and adventure and rediscover our true nature as strong, healthy and powerful human animals.

That is my goal here at Wild Movement: To empower people to make small personal changes in their lives and in turn create a movement of people charting healthy, vibrant and sustainable courses. Thank you for being part of that change. Your support means a lot to me.

Now I want to know what you think. Are there other areas of life that we need contact? Are there other effective ways of achieving this kind of contact with nature and other humans? Is contact necessary at all?

Leave a comment below and let’s start a discussion about what it really means to fully experience life!