How Earthing Supports Optimal Health
Have you ever wondered why you have a greater sense of wellbeing and peace when you spend time in nature – particularly when you feel the ground directly beneath your bare feet?
We are bioelectrical beings living on a planet that is infused with tremendous energy. Some scientists believe that the electrical interaction between ourselves and the earth is essential to our health: that the earth’s rhythms and energy cycles directly impact our own, especially when we are in direct contact with nature.
Research is now beginning to show that “earthing” aka “grounding” (or being in direct physical contact with the natural ground so as to connect with the earth’s natural energy) produces tremendous health and psychological benefits such as:
- A greater sense of wellbeing
- Reduced stress and anxiety
- Improved sleep
- Relief from chronic pain
- Help in regulating the endocrine and nervous systems
- Help in regulating blood glucose levels and concentrations of iron, magnesium and other nutrients in the blood
- Reducing inflammation
- Thinning of the blood
The health implications of earthing are so great in fact, that researchers of one particular study in Journal of Environmental and Public Health concluded that “grounding or earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity.”
Alive Magazine offers some great grounding tips:
- Ground yourself 2-3 times per day- the more you do the better you will feel
- If mobility is an issue, you can sit with your bare feet planted directly on the ground
- Dampen the soil with water to make it more conductive, thereby helping you experience results faster
- Go for a swim in the lake or ocean- their minerals can increase electrical conductivity.
Walking, standing or sitting barefoot on the soil or grass can be difficult for some, especially those who live in urban areas far away from natural spaces. But there are other things you can do to connect with the earth’s energy:
Other “next-best” options:
- Stand or sit with your bare feet on unsealed and unpainted concrete
- Purchase earthing items: shoe inserts, seat pads for your vehicle, sheets and mattresses and universal earthing pads (to be used as a floor or desk mat).
There are times, however, that you should avoid earthing. When you are near a computer, cell phone, multiple power lines, a smart meter or any other device that gives off a lot of radiation or has a high electromagnetic field (see this article by electricsense.com for more info) . In these such cases, earthing can actually increase your exposure to high electric fields.
For instance, if you are interested in earthing sheets, you might want to check that your bedroom is nowhere near your smart meter or computer and that you do not sleep anywhere near your cell phone. Electricsense.com even goes so far as to recommend that you “switch off the mains circuits to and around your bedroom.”
Earthing or grounding is incredibly beneficial to your health and an easy and effective strategy to add to your wellness plan. Just be sure to do it safely!
Sources:
Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S. T., Oschman, J. L., Sokal, K., & Sokal, P. (2012). Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2012, 291541. doi:10.1155/2012/291541
Bare Feet and Bare Soil. Alive Magazine, June 2015, Issue 392
“Reducing The Effects Of Electromagnetic Pollution Naturally,” electricsense.com, July 2011
Clinically diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at the age of 28, Pam chose an alternative approach to recovery. Now decades later and still symptom free, she coaches others on how to treat the root cause of chronic disease, using a holistic approach. She can teach you how, too.
Pam is the author of Become a Wellness Champion and founder of Live Disease Free. She is a wellness expert, coach and speaker.
The Live Disease Free Academy has helped hundreds of Wellness Champions in over 15 countries take charge of their health and experience profound improvements in their life.
