Sometimes the simplest things bring us the most health benefits. Did you know something as simple as having the soles of your feet connected to the earth could increase your health and well being?
Throughout history, humans have strolled, sat, stood, and slept on the ground – the skin of their bodies touching the skin of the earth – oblivious to the fact that such simple contact transfers a natural electrical signal to the body. This is the opening of the book, Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever
You are an electrical being. Your body regularly produces positive charges, which oxidize and harm you if excessive. The Earths surface is electrically conductive, it maintains a negative charge with its free electric supply continually replenished by the global atmospheric electrical circuit.
The terms “earthing” and “grounding” are interchangeable. It is simply the act of placing your bare feet on the earth, or walking barefoot. When you do, free electrons are transferred from the earth into your body, and this grounding effect is one of the most potent antioxidants we know of.
The Benefits
Grounding has numerous benefits, aside from creating a general feeling of well-being. For example, walking barefoot can help counteract the constant assault of electromagnetic fields and other types of radiation from cell phones, computers and Wi-Fi. By getting outside, barefoot, touching the earth, and allowing the excess charge in your body to discharge into the earth, you can alleviate some of the stress put on your system. That is the grounding effect.
One of the primary health benefits of grounding is its antioxidant effect. The earth is struck by lightning thousands of time each minute, primarily around the equator. Subsequently, the earth carries an enormous negative charge. It’s always electron-rich and can serve as a powerful and abundant supply of antioxidant free radical-busting electrons.
It helps alleviate inflammation throughout your body. inflammation thrives when your blood is thick and you have a lot of free radical stress, and a lot of positive charges in your body. Grounding effectively alleviates inflammation because it thins your blood and infuses you with negatively charged ions through the soles of your feet.
The Disconnect
Practically no one has the slightest notion of an electrical or energetic connection between his or her body and the Earth. Our bare feet, with their rich network of nerve endings, rarely touch the ground. We wear insulating synthetic-soled shoes. We sleep on elevated beds made from insulating material. Most of us in the modern, industrialized world live disconnected from the Earth’s surface. Although it is not something you probably have ever thought about, you may be suffering needlessly from this disconnect.
It should come as no surprise then that when we reconnect to it through walking barefoot we experience incredible health benefits. This is our natural state and we are simply returning to it.
What Surfaces Will Allow You to Properly Ground?
Good grounding surfaces include:
- Sand (beach)
- Grass (preferably moist)
- Bare soil
- Concrete and brick (as long as it’s not painted or sealed)
- Ceramic tile
The following surfaces will NOT ground you:
- Asphalt
- Wood
- Rubber and plastic
- Vinyl
- Tar
There’s not a “right way” to participate in grounding. It’s the most natural thing in the world, though it may feel oddly foreign when you first start practicing it. The quickest and easiest way to do this is to kick off your shoes and walk around in the grass (or dirt, sand, rocks, etc.) or lie on the ground and take a short nap in the sun.
Touch the earth whenever you get a chance: on the beach, in the yard, wherever it’s safe to go barefoot.
You have the power to heal yourself, it is your birthright. And it is my mission to help you learn the many ways available to you.