What’s Bare 5 About?

There are a million and a half philosophies on health out there but one gets to the heart of it all. The Bare 5 philosophy is pretty simple: approach life and health from a place of reconnection to human experience. We are creatures of the natural world that have gotten increasingly intangled in an artificial world. This changes our experience in a number of ways, some good and some bad, and is ultimately responsible for how we think, feel, act and age. The more disconnected we get from natural habitats and experiences the more our body and brain struggle to reconcile the mismatch. We think of ourselves as evolved creatures but we cannot overlook the increasingly troubling circumstances we have gotten ourselves into. Humans have more advances and luxuries than ever before but struggle with more disease, unrest and unhappiness than any time in history. We think we have conquered so much of the world but it seems the more changes we make the more our existence parallels animals in a zoo. Enclosed, controlled and predictable. Animals may be able to survive easier in the luxury of captivity and zoo life but are they healthy, happy and are they able to express their true nature? We need to ask ourselves that same question? If the answer is no, then it’s time to reconnect. This is Bare 5 at its core: reconnect to being human.

The deeper we get immersed in technological advances, science, media, culture and specialization the more difficult it is to break free of the metaphorical ties that bind us to the modern world. The goal isn’t to rebel against human advancement it’s to take advantage of the things that add to human experience without dishonoring human nature.

How can we figure out what’s best in this crazy world of overloaded, biased, profit motivated, conflicting and ever-changing information? By taking a step back, using our common sense and implementing a multifaceted, balanced and comprehensive filter to approach human health and existence.

This is where the Bare 5 perspective can help. Using the broad theme of human connection as a backdrop, look at everything through the following paradigm…

This is the Bare 5 filter. Every health decision you make can be assisted by looking at things through these five lenses  (evolution, traditional cultures, modern day hunter gatherers, science/biochemistry and individualized) and seeing where they all overlap. This intersection is the key. We don’t have answers to most things in the world of health these days so the best we can do is make informed decisions based off sensible paradigms. The goal of the Bare 5 philosophy is to find the sweet spot. Once you find the sweet spot things get much easier and you’ll find making health decisions becomes enjoyable and quite rewarding.

Reconnect to Human-ness

More than anything, Bare 5 is about reestablishing our connection to being human by recapturing our relationship to the natural world. Reconnecting to natural food, simple and basic ways of moving the body, rest and recovery, the earth, enjoyment/purpose, other people and ourselves is the key to recovering optimal human experience. Allowing our senses to get the natural input so many of us find lacking in today’s modern society will ease the discontent so many of our brains and bodies feel. From the sun to moon, fresh air to green grass, sounds of the outdoors and other people to the taste of real food, the feel of moving our bodies appropriately to the feel of a good nights sleep and seeing natural scenery to having fun with friends, humanness is about experiencing the world around us. We have systematically disconnected ourselves from everything natural the last few hundred years and particularly the last few decades, leaving our human nature starving to reconnect. This is what we are missing. We need to reconnect. That’s what Bare 5 is all about: to help us reconnect.

Ready to explore this concept more? Head over to the Bare 5 Elements and start your journey to reconnecting to your optimal human experience. Then take a look at the Barefoot HQ and Resources pages or head over to Bare 5 Fitness or Playground Ninja to see more fitness related material. Wherever you go from here, I wish you luck and hope you connect with your true nature.