Harmony Between Nature and Human – The Key to Longevity
Modern science prides itself on the manner in which it has been able to extend the life span of man. Statisticians point to the fact that, in the western world at least, the living years of modem men have been extended about fifteen years over those of the nineteenth-century men. And, though they have no accurate figures to prove these claims, they also assert that in our century, men live more than twenty-five years past the span of life in the Middle Ages.The division between modern and ancient civilizations can most accurately be made by drawing a line between that time when men lived upon the land, each growing his own food, each toiling in his own fields, and that moment when huge, dirty, sunless cities of commerce sprang up, tearing men from the soil, removing them from that source of health and natural power which we call mother earth.These people, without exception, live upon the soil. They use the methods of planting, cultivation and harvesting used by man two thousand years ago. They walk barefoot, sleep upon the ground and bath in running streams. These people live as close to the natural sources of life as men did at the birth of civilization, and as a result they outlive the town and city dwellers by over seventy years! What are the sources of their natural health? They are four – Earth, Sun, Air and Water!
Man, the most complex and highly developed form of life on earth, is yet a product of earth. He feeds upon plant life, which is of the soil, and even gains, through plant life, direct elements of the soil such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, chlorine, sodium, and others adding to some twenty-seven in number. When we realize how much of the human body can be identified among the elements found within the earth, we understand how accurate is the biblical adage, “Dust thou art.”
Adolf Just, one of the greatest names in natural therapy, realized the curative powers of earth more than hundred years ago when he wrote, “Animals and man are as much products of the earth as the plants; in consequence of their higher development, the former have separated themselves from the earth, have become walking nerve-plants. But animals and man are still as much subject to the laws of nature as plants, they still draw their strength and vitality from the earth.”
The power which we speak of as earth-magnetism has been likened to other forms of natural power. The comparison between earth-magnetism and electricity, for example, is a rather logical one. The earth itself can be compared with an electro-magnet. Indeed many physicists, chief among them Dr. Albert Einstein, have proved that it is this very force of magnetism which holds the earth and all other planets within their orbits, or space-paths. Naturists contend that this amazing force of which Einstein speaks is, in fact, earth-magnetism.
If you conceive of earth-magnetism as a force similar to electricity and having similar properties, then you can see why contact between the earth and any one area of the body is as effective as the full contact that takes place when you lie outstretched upon the ground. If you want to send a charge of electricity through a mile of wire, it is not necessary for you to place the entire length of wire in contact with the source of electricity. By placing just one end of the body in contact with earth-magnetism, we are able to supply the entire body with the benefits derived therefrom.
The parallel between earth-magnetism and electricity becomes even more interesting when you realize the effect that water has upon both. Everyone should by now be aware that water creates excellent electrical contact. For that reason you are warned never to go swimming during an electrical storm and never, under any circumstances, to answer the telephone or switch on an electrical appliance when your hands or feet are wet. The relationship between water and electricity is well known to you. But are you aware that this property of water also applies to earth-magnetism? For many years now, nature-wise folks have practiced walking barefoot upon dewy grass. Those who have felt the health benefits of earth-magnetism know that early morning or evening dew upon the grass increases the degree of contact between earth and body. And, for most of us, such walks are a far easier and more practical means of receiving the benefits of earth-magnetism than by outdoor sleeping.
In Africa, where the people are constantly exposed to sunlight all the year round, you will find that they attempt to avoid the direct rays of the sun wherever possible. In the jungle, the sunlight is filtered through the trees. And in the African villages, you will find that great sun-breaks of leaves and branches are built along the streets, filtering the sun’s rays from direct contact with the body. These “green roofs”, in addition to being picturesque, actually recreate the conditions of the jungle, where the sun is also filtered through leaves before touching the body. This seems to have been nature’s intention from the start. Not direct and parching exposure, but filtered, cool and enjoyable sunlight which will not concentrate on any one area of the body and harm the tissues therein.
Thus, the natural sun-bath should be taken in the semi-shade of trees and brush. This does not mean to avoid the sun entirely. To gain the power of the sun, you must feel its warmth. But this is best done beneath the green, where the rays are filtered and where the process of growth which sun brings to trees and plants can become a part of our sun-bathing. Where the tree-filtered sunlight is not readily available, much the same advantages can be derived from merely covering the body with leaves and grass that have been damped with fresh water, much as dew damps growing plants. Once you have felt the wonders of plant-filtered sun-bathing, you will never again return to the scorching direct-contact method.
All sun-bathing, of course, is best done with as little clothing as possible. This does not mean, however, that nudity is essential or even beneficial. In particular, the sex organs of the body should never be exposed to direct sunlight for any length of time. Much as the exposure of male and female sex organs to X-rays has proved extremely destructive, so such exposure to direct sunlight will induce sterility.
To attain maximum exposure (always remembering to protect the sex organs), it is best to have some means of withdrawing yourself from view. No matter how we may attempt to educate others, there are always those who will fail to understand the total morality of living in harmony with nature. For this, in fact, is the highest morality known to man. If you have a convenient retreat, a roof or balcony, field, wood or solarium, or even a sunlit part of your own room, you may enjoy your private sun-bath with complete satisfaction. You need a space no more than three feet wide and six feet long, with just enough room for a relaxing bath of sunlight. Something in that much space is possible for all of us.
Water is possibly the most vital and versatile of all natural agents. Its uses and benefits are varied and many. In addition to the external bath, water is used internally as in the various colonics (enemas) and liquid diets that cleanse the interior of your body as the natural bath cleanses your surface tissues. None should be overlooked in the quest for joyous health.
Earth, Sun, Air and Water are four of nature’s greatest agents in the creation and maintenance of health and longevity. Each serves an important purpose in the great and glorious scheme of life, health and happiness, called nature’s cycle. Live with and apply each to your own existence and your life will be the fuller, richer and longer for it.
Live In Harmony With Nature For Better Health