Humans evolved in environments that included us walking barefoot on the earth and sleeping on the ground or in trees.
Yet over time as we have become more sophisticated and economically prosperous, we have become more disconnected with the earth’s energy. Today we live in concrete filled cities, wearing shoes for most of our day and rarely, except on vacation, allow our feet to make contact with mother earth.
It is little wonder that our energy may seem low or that we feel disconnected from life.
For we are energetic beings and electrical energy animates everything we do.
Consider that our brains produce electrical signals that control all of our functions and our bodies emit an energy field. Just like it is critical that your home’s electrical system is properly grounded so too is it important that your body is grounded as well.
Earthing is a term for making contact with the natural ground with our bodies– be it grass or beach sand. The theory with earthing is that being in contact with the earth allows negatively charged electrons emitted by the earth to flow into our system.
Grounding on the other hand is a principle in which you remove any voltage from your body by electrically connecting to a ground rod driven into the earth. You can ground yourself by connecting your body to your homes neutral wire.
The following are some ways that earthing and/or grounding may benefit you:
- Sleep Better
Studies show that grounding helps improve the quality of sleep. Early indicators suggest this is related to lowering levels of cortisol in the system and resynchronizing the 24-circadian rhythm profile.
If sleeping on the ground is not an option or does not seem appealing to you, you can try sleeping on “grounding sheets”. These electrically conductive sheets are electrically connected to your home’s neutral wire by being plugged into the electrical wall socket.
- Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Inflammation is strongly associated with chronic illness and reducing it can help improve symptoms of conditions and allow your body to heal faster. Inflammation results from oxidation caused by free radicals being released into your body. Stress, poor diets and other environmental factors contribute to oxidative stress in the body.
Earthing advocates believe that the earth emits excess electrons into our bodies, counteracting the free-radical induced inflammation. In essence the earth brings balance to our bodies by donating excess electrons that otherwise are lost due to the stress we experience.
- Stop Being Shocked
Getting your body more grounded can help reduce how often and how severely you get shocked from static electricity. By being grounded you discharge any voltage in your body before the static charge can build up.
- Improved Mood
Being in nature has been shown to improve people’s mood. Camping, hiking or simply spending time in a city park can do wonders for a person’s demeanor. Escaping the concrete jungle for a relaxing respite in nature is a wonderful thing. The next time you are at a park bench – kick off your shoes and put your feet in the grass.
- Heal Faster
Experiments have shown how grounded flowers live and bloom much longer than their ungrounded counterparts. In addition, people have been shown to heal faster by being grounded as well. Injured racers in the Tour De France already take advantage of this fact by using special bags and other connections to ground themselves and recover.
- Improve Cardiac and Circulatory Health
A study has shown that grounding helps improve blood flow. Red blood cells are high in iron a magnetic mineral. When you ground the body, the cells end up with the same charge and repel each other allowing less clumping.
- Recover Faster from Workouts
Are you tired of having sore muscles after working out? Being regularly grounded can help you recover more rapidly from Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and see muscle function improve as a result. This can help you reduce the amount of time you spend with an ice pack, trying to soothe your sore muscles so you can get back in the game.
Getting Grounded
Unfortunately the shoes we wear act as insulators prevent us from making contact with the earth. One way easy way to get grounded is to take your shoes off and walk barefoot. If you camp and sleep on the ground your body is closer to the ground of course and depending on your sleeping bag may allow you to connect to the earth.
You can also electrically ground yourself by physically connecting yourself to an electrical ground in your home. Earthing mats and grounding sheets work by connecting your body through the electrical outlet to the ground wire, which is ultimately connected to a ground rod driven into the earth.
Julian Kaufmann is an energy expert, author and entrepreneur. Julian helps people waste less energy enabling them to more efficiently accomplish their life’s work. Please visit him at Julian Kaufmann to receive free resources on how to do more with less.
Sources:
“Grounding Technology: Earthing Sheets, Mats & More.” Grounding Technology: Earthing Sheets, Mats & More. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 May 2016.
The Journal Of Alternative And Complementary Medicine, Volume 10, Number 5, 2004, Pp. 735-736, and Inc. @ Mary Ann Liebert. Our Place in Nature: Reconnecting with the Earth for Better Sleep (n.d.): n. pag. Web.
Oschman, James L., 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.” Journal of Inflammation Research. Dove Medical Press, n.d. Web. 13 May 2016.
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