PHOENIX – Jordyn Tyson stands alone at the back of the end zone in an empty Mountain America Stadium.
At this moment, Arizona State’s Associated Press All-American wide receiver is just a human being feeling the sensation of the perfectly manicured Bermuda grass reaching between his bare toes.
Three hours before the stadium will fill to capacity with a crowd of 57,759, all packing high expectations for the 2025 season, Tyson inhales.
And exhales.
He is practicing “earthing,” a mental well-being exercise also known as “grounding,” which involves walking barefoot outdoors to connect with the Earth’s energy.
Tyson is a Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, a preseason all-conference selection and one of just 11 Sun Devils all-time to reach double digit touchdowns in a season.
But the former three-star recruit had never faced as much anticipation as he did going into this season, even following his senior year at 6A Allen High School in Texas where his 80 catches went for 1,512 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns.
His somewhat unexpected breakout in 2024 with the 11-3 Sun Devils was cut short by a shoulder injury in the most crucial part of the season; a month before Arizona State’s first berth in the Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff.
Now, his absence in the playoff weighs as one of the biggest “what if’s” in ASU football history. But before the gates open, Tyson’s only concern is what is happening now.
“It’s just a peaceful moment,” Tyson said. “Just thinking about how blessed I am to be in this position, how blessed I am to be able to walk in that stadium with that amazing grass.”
This pause for gratitude while connected to the ground is backed by health science, according to Ann Sebren, a professor of the science and practice of stress management and regulation at Arizona State’s College of Health Solutions.
“Having contact with the earth is a sensory experience,” Sebren said. “Orienting the attention to that experience in and of itself, moves the attention away from that anticipatory anxiety or the kinds of external narratives.”
She added that the more in tune an athlete is with their body, the more likely they are to turn pregame nerves into productive energy for the competition ahead.
Tyson’s mindfulness doesn’t just come from a level mind. It comes from the grass itself. He said that it feels better on his knees, ankles and feet.
With a calm demeanor and quiet confidence, reaching his level of bodily awareness and connection to the playing surface did not come overnight for Tyson.
During training camp in late summer, when Phoenix saw its fifth hottest August on record with daily highs frequently peaking above 106 degrees, Tyson found time before anyone arrived at practice to sink his soles into the sun-baked grass.
But, the 21-year-old Tyson’s relationship with the grass dates back further than when earthing became popularized during the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago.
“I think I was like 5 the first time I did it, to be honest,” Tyson said. “I always loved rolling in the grass with my brother and stuff, playing backyard football and stuff at recess. I’ve just always been a grass person.”
But his love for grass isn’t just rooted in the feeling on his feet and joints, but a desire to become more in sync with his faith. He references the Bible and believes God can be seen in the morning dew that collects on the grass.
Yoga therapists like Mally Paquette of Awakenings Sedona seconds that philosophy, even adding that religions such as Christianity are intertwined with the spirituality of connecting with nature.
“What he’s doing is working on his Root Chakra,” Paquette said. “The ultimate goal would be to find an alignment of his entire body, to literally have the energy of the Earth running through him, so that he’s basically a conduit of perfect energy.”
According to Paquette, everything has energy, from congested grocery stores to the peak of Wilson Mountain in Sedona. Humans can shed negative energy because of their symbiotic relationship with the planet.
“With our feet on the Earth and the arch of our foot in energetic healing is where energy comes into our body and where we give the Earth and dispel negative ions and the negativity of unseen energy back to Mother Earth,” Paquette said.
She refers to the Earth as humans’ “home frequency,” and if one is to maintain homeostasis, then one must stay aligned with the planet’s energy through earthing.
Sebren is hesitant to invest in that theory, however.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s not plausible. I’m saying we don’t have real evidence yet,” Sebren said. “The research on earthing is still quite limited.”
Electrical charge or not, Whether he’s touching a toe inbounds on a catch or simply connecting with the soil before a game, Tyson knows how to be where his feet are.
“When he does that before a game,” Paquette said, “that is allowing him to kind of tap into his superpower.”
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