Grounding (otherwise known as Earthing) is the act of having direct contact with the earths surface electrons. The easiest way to ground is by simply walking barefoot on the grass! You could also walk barefoot on stone, gravel or sand (like in a lake, river or beach) to achieve that same connection with the earth. Lying down on the ground (like for a picnic) or even swimming or wading into the shallow end of water would work too. There are also inexpensive indoor options such as conductive mats, pads, shoe bands, body bands and patches if access is limited to an outdoor setting.
The Earth’s surface has a negative electrical charge (with an abundance of free electrons). When the earth comes into contact with human tissue, there is an equalization that takes place. This equalization has been scientifically proven to aid in a number of physiological functions and improve people’s overall well being. By grounding yourself, you restore what is commonly referred to as “electron deficiency syndrome” which is often overlooked by many health professionals. Although the area of grounding/earthing needs more medical and scientific attention, there have been a number of scientific studies proving just how beneficial earthing is to the human body.
Below are some amazing examples of health benefits.
Improved Blood Flow
Dr Stephen Sinatra MD took blood samples before and after 40 minutes of grounding on 3 individuals. He’s also repeated this live, more than once, with the same results. You can clearly see the dramatic decoupling of the blood cells on the right, after less than an hour of grounding. This 2013 study (the Zeta potential of 10 healthy subjects) essentially proved that earthing has a natural blood thinning effect to reduce the blood viscosity and clumping. This could be very helpful for people who need to reduce cardiovascular risks or events. You can watch a video of this experiment here.
A 2014 Study was the first imaging evidence proving that Earthing improves facial blood flow and enhances ANS regulation of peripheral circulation. In other words, your blood more efficiently flows throughout the face and body which allows for improved nourishment and repair of facial tissues and skin. This image below shows the facial results of one of the subjects in this study (a 55yo female after 20 minutes of Earthing). The image was captured by a Speckle Contrast Laser Imager (dark blue = lowest circulation; dark red = highest circulation)
Reduced Inflammation & Pain
This 2015 Study showed that grounding has a measurable effect in the concentrations of white blood cells, cytokines and other aspects involved in the inflammatory and pain reduction response.
A 33 year old woman who sustained a serious gymnastics injury at age 15 had chronic pain, swelling and instability in her knee. She was not able to stand for long periods of time. After 12 weeks of daily grounding, for the first time in 15 years she was able to play soccer with 90% of her pain eliminated and zero swelling! After 6 months of grounding she ran a half-marathon.
Other reported benefits include
Rapid Wound Healing
Improved Sleep
Digestion Improvement
Lowered Blood Pressure
Improved Respiration (asthma relief)
This amazing diagram, created by Science Direct here, shows a high level overview of the bodily benefits of Earthing (based on a large volume of scientific reports, collectively).
Who would think just connecting to the earth could be so powerful in helping the human body heal and restore itself!? I think the better question is, how has humanity become so disconnected from the earth that we need scientific studies to remind us of how critical it is to connect. After all, the Earth’s literally provides us with almost everything we need to survive (oxygen, water, food etc.) outside of the sun providing UV sunshine. I think this grounding electrical connection to earth is a HUGE component to our life experience that humanity has been oblivious to until recently. For hundreds of thousands of years, we have been in direct contact with the earth. The “refined clothing invention” of insulated shoes (rubber soles) actually hindered humanity's ongoing connection and has affected our ability to maintain optimal health.
Luckily now there are some Earthing/Grounding shoe brands that either use conductive materials (like leather) or have proprietary grounding technology built into the soles. This is a great option for city dwellers, people who don’t like going barefoot, and the average person who wants to benefit from grounding.
Here’s some great Earthing/Grounding Shoe Brands:
This company offers a variety of Earthing/Grounding products (aside from shoes)
You can also find a variety of grounding/earthing products on Amazon (links below).
There are lots of options to get some grounding in, no matter what your preferences are. I encourage everyone to create a daily practice of grounding. Something as simple as drinking your coffee or eating a snack barefoot in a chair in your backyard could really give your body & well being a huge boost.
Comments