“Feeling rooted in the earth is soothing to the body, and it is our connection to the earth that gives us our most basic sense of belonging, home, resilience, and safety.”
Jessica Moore
Has anybody ever told you that you need to get grounded? Although you may have taken it as an insult, they may have been offering some very helpful advice. It is interesting that we use the term ‘get grounded’ to refer to settling our minds and our emotions. The words also apply to our physical well-being. Are you familiar with the earthing movement? I must admit I was a little skeptical at first but I am always open to trying things so that I have first-hand knowledge.
After just a couple of nights with an earthing mat, I was convinced. The first night my legs felt tingly, in a good way, as if my circulation had improved. Almost immediately, I noticed the joint pain I had been having went away. I also found myself sleeping better.
Research has shown that grounding with the negative ions carried by the Earth can be an important source of antioxidants and free-radical destroying electrons. As it turns out earthing may be another essential factor in human health along with fresh air, sunshine, clean water, nutritious food, and physical activity.
Earthing may be another essential factor in human health along with fresh air, sunshine, clean water, nutritious food and physical activity.
In electrical engineering, grounding is connecting a circuit to something which has the potential to absorb an excess charge without changing its potential energy. The Earth is so large that it can easily handle the imbalance and either transfer electrons to or transfer electrons from the object. Most of our household electrical equipment is grounded (the 3rd hole in the plug) to prevent us from being electrocuted if the insulation fails and to protect the actual equipment itself if there is a leakage.
For earthing, specifically, this means connecting a neutral wire to the earth so that excess energy can be discharged.
Earthing appears to protect us against chronic stress, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, inflammation, pain, poor sleep, heart rate variability, thick (coagulated) blood, and many other common health disorders. By simply reconnecting to the Earth, many symptoms are rapidly relieved and even eliminated and recovery from surgery, injury, and athletic overexertion is improved. Another significant benefit is that earthing can help mitigate the negative impact of the electromagnetic fields from our TVs, cellphones, computers and other technological devices.
Probably the most interesting application is how grounding can help reduce the effects of free radicals, the unstable, volatile molecules that do not have an electron. Free radicals cause chronic inflammation which is believed to be a root cause of most disease. Earthing can transfer electrons back to the body stabilizing the free radicals and preventing the damage to other cells.
Chronic stress raises adrenaline, cortisol and other hormones disrupting normal body processes.
Anecdotal evidence has shown that individuals report significantly reduced inflammation with regular use of a grounding mat while sleeping.
The autonomic nervous system controls most basic functions including: heart rate, digestion, respiration and elimination.
Chronic pain can cause chronic stress and lead to decreased functioning of most systems of the human body.
Disrupted sleep can cause a variety of physical, emotional, and mental health issues.
An arrythmia is a malfunction of the electrical pulses from the heart. These can cause inefficient blood circulation and put strain on the heart.
Other Potential Health Benefits include:
The simplest way to get grounded is to take your shoes off and walk in the grass or on the sand. Another way to do it is to use a grounding mat that plugs into an outlet. I have been using a mat in my bed for a number of years and I do not sleep the same without it. I have definitely noticed a difference in my mild chronic aches and pains and the quality of my sleep. Even now I notice pains creeping up on me if I do not use the mat for as few a couple of nights.
I have been using this grounding mat. You can also buy sheets , and other devices, but I have given the simple mats as gifts because they are easy to move around from the bed to the desk and pack for travel easily.
While the research is not yet conclusive there is a significant amount of anecdotal evidence to suggest there may be some real benefits. Try it for yourself. For starters take off your shoes and socks and put your feet in the grass, on the beach, in the dirt or on some stones for 20 minutes or so.
Frequently asked questions about earthing.
Most people recommend at least 30 minutes a day to begin to experience some benefits. Remove your shoes and socks and put your feet on the ground and try it.
Sleeping with a grounding sheet or mat is obviously significantly longer than that. Many people experience a change quickly this way.
Of course not, if you have the time and inclination exposing your bare feet to the ground is the way to try it for yourself. If you find yourself wanting to go to the next step, the devices can be helpful. Most of us find the ability to ground “passively” (while sleeping or sitting at a desk) appealing because it is easier to make it part of a routine.
Gaétan Chevalier, Stephen T. Sinatra, James L. Oschman, Karol Sokal, and Pawel Sokal
Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons
Jan 12 2012
Clint Ober, Gaetan Chevalier, Ph.D. and Martin Zucker
Grounding the Human Body: The Healing Benefits of Earthing
Mar 28 2017
https://chopra.com/articles/grounding-the-human-body-the-healing-benefits-of-earthing
James L Oschman, Gaétan Chevalier, and Richard Brown
The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases
Mar 24 2015
Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Chevalier G, Sinatra D.
Electric Nutrition: The Surprising Health and Healing Benefits of Biological Grounding (Earthing).
Sep 2017
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Disclaimer The information on this website is NOT medical advice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Before making any changes please seek advice from a medical professional.
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