“Be like a tree. Stay grounded. Connect with your roots. Turn over a new leaf. Bend before you break. Enjoy your unique natural beauty. Keep growing.” -Joanne Raptis
Do you enjoy walking barefoot on the beach or laying out on a grassy meadow? For many, it produces an incomparable sense of calming in the body. Turns out that it really is incomparable and the direct connection to the earth is known as grounding or earthing. Connecting to the ground helps to restore the rhythms of the body to optimal functioning. The earth is negatively charged and the direct connection brings us back into balance, like an antidote against all of the positive charges buzzing around in our busy modern lives.
It is commonly known that appliances need to be grounded to function properly. This means they are connected to a backup pathway for the current to flow into the ground if there is a fault in the wiring system. This electrical grounding protects against overloaded circuits, stabilizes the voltages levels in the appliance, and prevents damage and misfunction.
Like appliances, our bodies function best with regular connections to the ground. The negative charge of the Earth contains electrical charges that have positive effects on the body. Our bodies, after all, operate with electrical circuitry. While being in nature is highly beneficial to our physical and spiritual wellbeing, walking barefoot and sitting or lying on the ground offer the greatest benefits. Swimming in the ocean, lakes, and rivers also fortifies us with this same energy as water is a conductor of electricity. Research continues to be done and we are learning more and more of how this physical connection to the earth is shown to reduce inflammation and support health across a variety of markers including cardiovascular function, muscle and joint comfort, sleep, anxiety, fatigue, weight maintenance, hormone balance, and more.
Native and traditional cultures have always known this, and they revere the connection and the gifts of the Earth. In the book Earthing, author Clinton Ober shares a story from his childhood of a Native American friend’s mom telling him, “Take your shoes off, they make you sick.” For many of us, modern life has greatly interrupted this connection as we walk on concrete often with rubber soled shoes which do not conduct and transmit the electrical charges from the Earth to our bodies.
Even if you are unable to get grounded and be barefoot outside or sit on the ground, you can bring the grounding to you. There are grounding mats available to put your feet on at any time and any place. Grounding sheets are also an option to sleep on and have been shown to be very therapeutic and great for reducing inflammation. These are referred to as grounding mats or earthing sheets and there are many options available with a simple online search.
Grounding is our foundation, our roots; and practicing grounding supports body, mind, and spirit. Well-grounded roots have a greater chance not only to survive, but to thrive. Sometimes seeds are planted in soil and environments that they are not best suited to and they struggle, they are disconnected from their best source of energy and sustenance. Distraction, difficulty focusing, fight-or-flight, and fear are all indications of being ungrounded. While we can support being grounded in many ways and in particular by establishing strong spiritual roots through regular practice of meditation, yoga, prayer, and walks in nature, literally standing on the ground provides incredible benefits. Barefoot is best as the feet are known to have the highest density of nerve endings in the whole body – up to 1300 per square inch! Grounding is our sense of safety and security, it’s time to get grounded.
