Queen Mary of Denmark has made a surprising admission about a daily wellness habit she loves during an interview that took place in her garden.
The Australian-born queen was interviewed for a lifestyle TV show by renowned Danish garden and nature expert, Søren Vesters.
The royal was joined by the host for a tour of the private garden at Fredensborg Palace, as reported in a translated report by local publication Her & Nu.
But amid the discussion about the ‘wild’ growth in the garden and the biodiversity it’s cultivated, the royal revealed it’s led to her adopting a rapidly growing trend: ‘earthing’.
Mary explained that the simple act of walking around barefoot in the garden – commonly referred to as ‘earthing’ or ‘grounding’ – allows her to re-centre at the start of her day.
‘I really like coming out in the morning with a cup of coffee and bare toes and just walking around and seeing what’s going on out here,’ she said in Danish.
‘For me, it’s just being able to be. Nothing or anyone expects anything from me,’ the 53-year-old said.
‘It gives me so much room to be able to reflect and notice [my surroundings].’
Queen Mary of Denmark has made a surprising admission about a daily wellness habit she loves during an interview that took place in her garden
Queen Mary opened up to host Søren Vesters in the TV interview. Their discussion about Mary’s own daily wellness act in her garden prompted her to speak about her growing belief in the healing power of being in nature
The Queen’s admission about her daily wellness act led her to speak more broadly about her growing belief in the healing powers of being in nature.
‘I have met many people with challenges in life who use nature to relieve,’ she reflected.
‘It’s not just your mental health. It can also [provide] a time [to heal] when you have lost someone you love.’
The royal continued by noting that she’d encountered many people who found outdoors to be ‘the best elixir for grief’.
Queen Mary’s daily earthing act is something that has become increasingly prominent and is now being heralded by health experts.
Australian psychologist Shannon Webb from The Banyans Healthcare explained to Daily Mail that ‘earthing is a practice of bringing the body in physical contact with the earth’.
‘Earthing is theorised to stabilise the body at deep levels due to the earth’s natural electric charge,’ she added.
The beauty of earthing is that it costs absolutely nothing to do.
The Australian-born queen appeared on a lifestyle TV show and was interviewed by renowned Danish garden and nature expert, Søren Vesters
Queen Mary and her husband King Frederik were pictured on August 26 enjoying a barefoot frolic during a visit to the famous Råbjerg Mile sand dunes (left) and Grenen beach (right)
‘It can be as simple as walking outside barefoot and can really contribute to calming your mind and bringing you into a meditative state,’ Shannon explained
At present, research around earthing is mostly anecdotal with just a few formal studies.
Even so, the health expert notes that earthing is being hailed for its potential ‘physiological and psychological effects’, which could include reducing inflammation, pain and stress as well as improving energy and sleep.
‘It’s not a new phenomenon but helps by allowing time to simply notice one’s surroundings, breathe, and connect with the natural world,’ Shannon added.
Today, many spend far less time outdoors in nature compared to previous generations.
Shannon explained that this has contributed to a growing rise of people actively looking to ‘incorporate opportunities for earthing’ as a means to ‘support overall restoration’.
‘As children, it was normal to play in the dirt and spend a lot of time barefoot, but as adults, we spend much less time connecting with the ground and spend less time outdoors,’ she explained.
‘Instead, we are constantly inundated by stressors and an overwhelming amount of information through technology and social media.
‘Therefore, being able to step away from this and connect with nature is an incredibly understated practice that is so beneficial for both physical and mental health.’