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In today’s screen-focused world, it can be easy to feel out of touch with nature. But nature is deeply rooted inside of us. So without a doubt, there is great benefit to reconnecting and being in-tune with our environment. One way you can do this is by grounding, which is the act of being barefoot – absorbing the energy of the living world.
Grounding (or earthing) is not a new idea. It’s been around since the beginning of mankind. Obviously, our ancestors were walking barefoot before the shoe was invented. And those ancestors were much more connected to earth than we are today.
Reconnecting with nature has plenty of health benefits but the most valuable outcome that comes from grounding is the reduction of inflammation in the body.
Electric Nutrition reports that chronic inflammation and stress are the number one cause of many of the world’s deadliest diseases. With this in mind, let’s dive into how you can get started grounding.
How Does Grounding Work?
Grounded.com explains this very simply – surfaces such as soil, sand, and grass conduct free electrons. When we touch these surfaces the free electrons then flow through our bodies. This influx of energy is considered a natural antioxidant but more importantly the electrons helps to attach onto free radicals and neutralize them.
Benefits of Grounding
So you might wonder why neutralizing free radicals is important. Free radicals can lead to excess inflammation and disease within the body says Barefoot Healing.com. Additionally, they even go as far as saying earth’s energy contributes to wellness by allowing the body to cope and repair.
The publication, Electric Nutrition, has done extensive research while providing supporting analysis from the many studies related to grounding and its benefits. Clinical trials conducted from this research has resulted in a few different findings. These findings include:
Reduced pain and inflammation
The main indicators (swelling, redness, pain) of inflammation are significantly lessened by Earthing. An overabundance of inflammation that tends to stick around can be threatening and damaging our health, specifically our immune system.
Improved blood flow and reduced blood viscosity
Author Gaétan Chevalier, out of the University of California, researched the effect of 40 subjects who grounded for one hour. The results demonstrated that earth’s surface restores blood flow and circulation to one’s extremities.
Reduced stress
Multiple studies report grounding decreases cortisol i.e. stress. Along with decreased cortisol (stress hormone) comes a calming effect to the brain and resting muscle tension.
Improved sleep
The most common result from grounding was improved sleep quality. Participants who grounded for 8 weeks reported falling asleep faster and waking up fewer times throughout the night.
Improved energy
9 out of 12 participants explained they felt less fatigue
Improved response to trauma and injuries and accelerated wound healing
With improved circulation and a reduction in inflammation, wounds from injury, surgery, or burns heal noticeably faster.
Read more on Health and Wellness
Grounding Sessions
The book Earthing by Ober, Sinatra, and Zucker (2014) recommends grounding for at least 30-40 minutes a day if you want to significantly reduce pain and stress.
Being so disconnected in our modern lives, it’s essential we find the time to reunite with Mother Earth. Water, oxygen, food – everything we need to survive comes from nature. We could never deny that. And now it is very clear the healing capacity associated with this essential relationship.
That being said, I encourage you to take charge of your own health. One easy and free way to start doing that is by grounding. Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know if grounding works for you.
