Years of research has shown that connecting to the Earth’s natural energy, by walking barefoot on grass, sand, dirt or rock can diminish chronic pain, fatigue and other ailments that plague so many people today. This connection is referred to as Earthing or Grounding.
Our connection to nature, the planet and the universe is vital, however, with rapid advances in technology and our modern fast-paced lifestyles, many of us have become separated from our basic bond with mother Earth.
When your bare feet make contact with the Earth’s surface your body uptakes a natural and subtle energy which could be referred to as vitamin G – G for ground. This could be the difference between feeling good and not so good, of having little or a lot of energy, sleeping well or not so well, looking vibrant or looking tired and old, suffering from an auto-immune disease or having a strong immune system.
So, why bother earthing? Some of the science-backed benefits of grounding include:
- Regulates cortisol, your body’s main stress hormone (better regulation means you recover from stress quickly, instead of having feeling anxious long after the stressful event)
- Neutralizes free radicals, which are highly reactive molecules that damage cells
- Reduces inflammation
- Reduces stress
- Improves sleep
- Reduces some risk factors of cardiovascular disease
- Reduces pain
- Shifts the body from the stressed fight-or-flight mode to the restorative rest-and-digest mode
The next time you feel stressed, go barefoot outside for at least half-hour and see what a difference it makes on your pain or stress level. Sit, stand, lay or walk on grass, sand, dirt, or plain concrete. These are all conductive surfaces from which your body can draw the Earth’s energy.
- Swim in the ocean or lakes
- Garden with bare hands
- Lay on the Earth
- Hug a living tree
- Lean up against a living tree
- Sleep on the earth while camping
- Wear natural leather-soled shoes instead of synthetic rubber/plastic shoes