It is believed by many cultures around the world, including indigenous people of this land, that embracing the practice of sleeping or lying on the earth at night could alleviate all diseases and serious nervous troubles. Grounding the entire body during sleep could awaken new manifestations of vital energy, facilitating the effective removal of old morbid matter. Going barefoot throughout the day, except in extreme cold, was also endorsed as a path to good health and genuine happiness. This practice, believed to enable individuals to draw vital energy and strength from the earth through their feet, was emphasized by figures such as Jesus Christ, who not only walked barefoot but also instructed his disciples to do the same.
For the indigenous people of America, their custom involved burying individuals suffering from various ailments up to their necks in the earth for hours. They believed that this process harnessed the earth’s healing minerals and magnetism, resulting in significant cures.
MUD PACKS
Contemporary nature cure practitioners increasingly employ moistened earth, specifically mud packs, in the treatment of various diseases. This therapeutic approach has proven highly beneficial for addressing chronic inflammation resulting from internal diseases, as well as injuries such as bruises, sprains, boils, and wounds. Typically integrated with a comprehensive scheme of dietary adjustments and other natural therapies, mud treatment offers distinct advantages, including its ability to retain moisture and coolness for more extended periods compared to cold water packs or compresses.
The cold moisture in mud packs serves to relax skin pores, draw blood to the surface, alleviate inner congestion and pain, promote heat radiation, and facilitate the elimination of morbid matter. Prepared with clay sourced about ten centimeters below the earth’s surface, ensuring its purity, the mud pack is created by forming a smooth paste with warm water. Applied to a cloth strip, the size of which varies based on specific needs, the dimensions for abdominal application in adults are generally 20 cm x 10 cm x 2.5 cm.
Mud packs emerge as a valuable treatment for diseases related to general weakness or nervous disorders. Their efficacy extends to reducing fever and proving beneficial in managing conditions such as scarlet fever, measles, influenza, swellings, eye and ear troubles, gout, rheumatism, stomach ailments, kidney and liver malfunctions, diphtheria, neuralgia, sexual disorders, headache, toothache, and general aches and pains. To enhance their effectiveness, mud packs, when applied to the body, are covered with flannel or another protective material and left in place for 10 to 30 minutes.
Focusing on the abdomen, a mud pack can address numerous disorders, including various forms of indigestion affecting the stomach and bowels. It effectively decreases external heat, breaks up morbid matter, and aids in the inactivity of labor pains. The mud pack also serves as an alternate treatment, applied directly to the skin for five to 15 minutes after a preceding fomentation of five to 10 minutes to heat the treated area.
Hot and cold applications, alternately applied, prove useful in relieving chronic pains, intestinal cramps, and lumbago. This approach aids in alleviating discomfort caused by flatulence and intestinal obstructions, making it helpful in conditions such as amoebiasis, colitis, enteritis, and other inflammatory conditions of bacterial origin.
MUD BATHS
A mud or clay bath presents an expansive mode of treatment, applied akin to packs but on a larger scale encompassing the entire body. The process involves grinding and sifting mud or clay to eliminate impurities, followed by the creation of a smooth paste mixed with hot water. This paste is then spread on a sheet, which is wrapped around the body, with one or two blankets layered depending on the room and pack temperature. Subsequent to the mud bath, a cleansing warm water bath and a brief cold shower follow.
Notably, the mud bath enhances skin tone by promoting circulation and invigorating skin tissues. Regular mud baths contribute to complexion improvement, addressing skin spots and patches resulting from disorders like smallpox or skin conditions such as psoriasis, leucoderma, and leprosy.
Furthermore, the mud bath proves valuable for alleviating rheumatic pain or joint discomfort caused by injuries. The recommended duration for the bath ranges from 30 minutes to one hour, with precautions taken to prevent you from catching a chill during the process. Mud applications also play a significant role in natural beauty treatments.
