Once you learn about the power of earthing, you’re going to want to get outside and do it.
Even if you’re not entirely sold on the concept or the benefits, it’s a fantastic excuse to walk barefoot in the grass to reconnect with nature in a way that tickles your soul as well as your soles.
Earthing is also called grounding, and it’s defined in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health as direct physical contact with the electrons on the surface of the earth. It’s considered a new approach to environmental medicine and purports to have multiple health benefits.
What Is and How to Practice Earthing
The concept of earthing has been around for a while but has once again been gaining followers.
In the late 19th century Germany the idea of being barefoot in nature for the benefits of connecting with the earth was popular. Then, in the 1920s, the idea of sleeping grounded or connecting to the earth was studied. Unfortunately, these concepts never really connected with society, and the practice slipped away until recently.
Lately, more people are feeling a desperate need to be connected to nature to help protect it while also getting physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits from the connection. Suddenly, the science of earthing is back, and it’s gaining momentum.
In its simplest form, earthing is simply connecting your body to the earth without any barriers. Walking barefoot is a prime way to do this. You can also practice earthing by sitting, lying, standing, or walking with your skin directly touching the ground. There are even grounding mats for sleeping inside while staying connected.
How Earthing Works
The first thing to understand is that your body is largely fueled by electricity. It’s an odd concept to get your head around, but the electrical current is what zips messages throughout your body’s nervous system. All the elements in your body also have an electric charge.
Resting cells are negatively charged on the inside and positively charged on the outside, and this allows for the flow of electricity. But a disruption in your body’s electrical currents can lead to illness.
The earth has a renewable supply of mobile electrons, and your body is able to absorb these electrical charges by touching them. It’s believed that the balls of your feet are especially good at receiving these charges.
When your body is in direct contact with the earth, these electrons and their energy are directly transferred to your body, and this results in numerous benefits.
Health Benefits of Earthing
There are numerous documented benefits of earthing. With the research behind it, it’s amazing that this valid and free technique for natural healing isn’t more popular.
Inflammation: It’s been found that earthing can reduce the key symptoms of inflammation, including redness, heat, swelling, pain, and some loss of function.
Improved Circulation: During grounding, circulation has been shown to improve, bringing more blood to the body, which rushes nourishment to the cells.
Reduced Stress: Cortisol, the stress hormone, notably decreases during the act of earthing. There are numerous benefits associated with lower stress and cortisol levels in the body, a huge one being regulation of sleep.
Immune Response: When you use earthing regularly, your body is able to repair cell function more efficiently, and your immune response is more prompt and efficient.
Wound Healing: Earthing has been proven to speed wound healing. There is more than one force at work here that helps with inflammation, improved circulation, and immune responses.
Prevention and Treatment of Disease: Earthing can be used regularly as an addition to your healthy living plan. This will help to support and boost your body’s ability to fight off illness and stay healthy. It should never be used in place of the medical treatments prescribed, but it can be used in harmony with them.
Should You Try Earthing?
Why not? Earthing is a completely safe experiment for you to try. Not only that, but who wouldn’t love to take a little time out of their day to walk barefoot in the grass or to lie in the lawn and stare up at the clouds? This connectedness and a brief break from your day could add to the benefits you receive.
The skeptics are definitely out there, and to their point, the studies on earthing are relatively few. That said, earthing won’t hurt you, and even if you don’t experience the health benefits, spending a little time outside is beneficial and will supply you with a healthy connection to our planet.
For help sticking to your journey of health-lightenment, follow Live Concsious on Facebook @weliveconcsious and Instagram @weliveconcsious, and learn more about earthing and other ways to live your best life.
Waking Up To Wellness
Earthing has been around a while, but as far as medicine goes, it’s a fairly new concept.
The theory is that the earth’s electrons can be absorbed by the human body and help to balance and regulate your electrical system. An imbalance in the human electrical system can lead to disease and illness.
To try earthing, you simply need to make physical contact between your body and the ground. The easiest way to do this is to walk through the grass barefoot. You can also do it by lying and sitting on the ground, as long as your skin is in contact with the ground.
There are many documented benefits, from improved sleep to a stronger immune system. Earthing should not be used to replace your current health care plan, but it can be used in conjunction with it. This can boost your body’s ability to heal and ward off illness.
