The Many Benefits of Earthing
As we move through our very fast paced lives and become more aware of the negative impact of stress and other lifestyle factors on our body, we have created a multitude of industries, therapies and supplements to counter-act the damage we do to ourselves and each other each day.
What if we knew there was a simple medicine we could take each day that almost instantly reduces stress and inflammation, slows down aging, eliminates chronic pain and balances our adrenals and hormones – all while improving blood flow and infusing our bodies with more anti-oxidants than a truck full of blueberries? On top of that, the only known side effects are positive feelings of calm coupled with increased energy! What if we also knew that this medicine is totally free and accessible to all… right beneath our feet?
Earthing (noun): The process of absorbing the earth’s free flowing electrons through the soles of ones feet.
Throughout history, we’ve always had direct contact with the Earth as part of our day-to-day lives – walking and running barefoot, sitting in the grass, dirt and sand, planting, growing and building with elements of earth. At night the only thing separating our entire body from the earth was usually an animal skin.
In our modern western world we spend less and less time outdoors and when we do we’re often more concerned with protecting ourselves from the elements than making direct contact with them. We have literally created a shield between us and the earth and, with our rubber/plastic soled shoes, elevated buildings and beds and paved footpaths between each life activity, many of us have almost zero direct skin connection with the Earth’s surface on a daily basis.
What researchers and proponents of grounding are now revealing is that by living this way, we have severed our connection to many life-giving resources and restricted our exposure to the greatest antioxidant source in the world. Is it possible that many of our modern health problems are being perpetuated and accelerated by our separation from the Earth?
The Negative Side of Positive Electrons
Among the many things that challenge our health and wellbeing is that in our modern world we are being constantly bombarded with electromagnetic energy.
With the high prevalence of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), Wi-Fi and mobile phone waves, many of us have an excess of unpaired, positive electrons (a.k.a free radicals) building up in our bodies on a each day. Free radicals take electrons from healthy cells in order to stabilize themselves, and in the process, create more free radicals in the body. When we are continually exposed to environments that perpetuate this state, we end up unleashing a whole chain of events in our body that can ultimately lead to deterioration of our cells, accelerated aging, inflammation and “dis-ease” with complex symptoms on multiple levels in our body.
The good news is that the surface of the Earth has a virtually unlimited storehouse of accessible negatively-charged electrons, and when we connect directly to the Earth with our skin, our bodies become suffused with these electrons, which go where they are needed to neutralize free radical propagation. When we consider that one of the primary root causes of most chronic diseases is inflammation, it is beyond exciting to discover that the very ground we stand on can be one of our greatest allies and sources for healing, simply by bringing our bodies back into balance with the Earth.
The Benefits of Earthing
Many fascinating studies have now been done to explore the measurable impact of Earthing / Grounding on inflammation, the immune and auto-immune response of the body, blood flow, mood and more. As a writer, one of the greatest creative breakthroughs I have ever made is the discovery of how a simple barefoot walk in the grass or trees always moves, transforms, opens, shifts and allows fresh creative impulses to flow into whatever story or idea I may be working on (this one included!). According to emerging research, there are many other clear and measurable benefits, a few of which include:
Decreasing inflammation and chronic pain by defusing excess positive electrons
Improving Sleep by normalizing biological rhythms including circadian rhythm
Increasing Energy through improved blood flow and blood pressure
Lowering stress and increasing a sense of calm by reducing stress hormones
Improving menstrual and female hormone symptoms
Accelerates the healing of wounds and shortens recovery time from injury or athletic activity
Relieving muscle tension and headache
Protecting the body from EMFs and re-directing damaging electromagnetic energy
Supporting adrenal health
How do we get Earthed?
Perhaps one of the best things about this potent Earth medicine is that it is free and easy to use. All that is required is our direct contact with rock, dirt, grass or water.
The beach and ocean are two of the best places to ‘get earthed’ because sand and salt water are both extremely conductive, and salt water is also very high in magnesium which further contributes to relaxing our muscles, relieving pain and (in case you didn’t notice in your last beach holiday) promoting good sleep.
According to some research which tracks the impact of Earthing with medical infrared imaging, the benefits of our electromagnetic exchange with the Earth begin almost instantly upon contact with the Earth. Measurable reduction in inflammation becomes visible within the first 30 minutes and metabolic activity increases during the same period – followed by an increase in oxygen consumption and a decrease in blood oxygenation shortly thereafter.
While researchers believe that “filling” our reserves of negative electrons may be a more gradual process (many corners of our body are often out of balance), when the “charge reservoirs” are saturated, the body enters a state of “inflammation preparedness” – at which point it is ready to respond and deliver antioxidant support to any area of the body as it is needed.
Infusing our Bodies with Life-Force
The basic take away – the more time we spend connecting directly with the Earth, the more our bodies will be infused by her life-force giving and balancing energy – the ultimate outcome being lasting, transformational benefits to our health, state of being and overall length and quality of life.
I can’t think of a better invitation to stop whatever we may be doing right now (including reading this article) and go spend some time reconnecting our bodies and our being to this incredible source of healing and vitality. I’d love to write more about it, but I’m hearing the call myself… so I will see you out there walking barefoot in the field of all possibilities!
“Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.” - Thich Nhat Hahn
By Chip Richards, via UpliftConnect