The Beauty of Grounding
Have you ever consciously taken notice of the beautiful, calm feeling you get when standing outside on grass, dirt or sand with no shoes on? As your feet connect with the earth and you become one, this wonderful thing process ‘grounding’ or ‘earthing’ occurs! Do you know when you last walked around outdoors barefoot? We spend majority of our days inside, or with rubber soled shoes on so many people can’t even remember when they last connected with the earth in such a way!
The science behind grounding is quite fascinating, and a topic that you can very easily explore on the interwebs, however, in short it refers to balancing our electrical energy! As we go about our daily life we build up a positive charge. The earth has a mild negative charge. By connecting, the positive ions are discharged and we return to neutral. Particularly in the modern era we live in, we are accumulating more and more positive electrons that build up as free radicals in our bodies through exposure to technology, pollutants and more – thank you WiFi and mobile phones! Although studies are not yet extensive, the preliminary evidence so far states that the build-up of these free radicals depletes your energy and causes inflammation and disease. The theory suggests that the simple task of walking outside or laying on the beach can be beneficial in, but not limited to:
1. Reducing inflammation
2. Improving sleep
3. Eliminating jet lag
4. Reducing pain
5. Slowing the aging process
6. Reducing stress hormones
I’m no scientist, but I am a big believer in doing what feels good, and grounding absolutely feels good to me! I know that I definitely feel calmer and sleep better after doing so. And whether you are sceptical or not, it is free, fun and you have nothing to lose, so why not give it a shot!? Try getting in touch with nature every day for 5 days and see how you feel. You might like to take a barefoot walk outside or do some gardening with no gloves. I love going to the beach as the salt water is high in magnesium so you are getting a double dose of goodness! You can also purchase an earthing mat or sheet to place under your feet while working (or under your body while sleeping). These are great alternatives for those who don’t get much of a chance to be outside in nature but still want the benefits from grounding. The idea that such a simple and enjoyable practice could reduce inflammation which in turn could reduce chronic disease, is such an exciting one, and I am sure there will be many more studies released in coming years. In the meantime, enjoy mother nature!
