Grounding, also known as earthing, is a practice of connecting yourself with the electrical energy of the Earth. The Earth’s electrical energy is believed to have a positive impact on our health, physical and psychological.
Our bodies are conductors of electric charge.
During our daily activities, and especially with our interaction with electronic equipment, our body ends up carrying some static electricity, a positive charge.
When you touch your body to the ground, this additional charge dissipates as the earth is negatively charged. This exchange also means you receive additional energy in the form of free electrons.
Grounding is simply connecting yourself to earth. This can be in the form of walking barefoot, lying on the ground, or using some kind of electrical instrument to connect yourself to the Earth.
Benefits of Grounding
Although the research on grounding is limited, preliminary research suggests that grounding is especially good for reducing inflammation, stress and pain. It is also known to help with sleep.
1. Improved Mood : Earthing yourself for one hour a day can result in significant mood boost and relaxation. Again, this can be in the form of being outside in nature, or grounding yourself with conductive pillows and mats.
2. Effect on Fatigue : A study with massage therapists suggests that grounding improves energy levels and reduces fatigue. Researchers suggest that grounding can improve overall quality of life.
3. May Reduce Blood Pressure : There is also evidence that earthing improves blood pressure. A study discovered that the trials group saw an average drop in systolic levels of 14.3%.
4. Muscle Recovery : Grounding may improve white blood cell levels and creatine kinase which are especially helpful in recovery for athletes. It is suggested that there is an overall increase in the level of the body's healing capabilities.
How to Practice Grounding
Although practicing grounding is fairly simple, there may be constraints depending on your surroundings and availability of appropriate areas and time for you to practice it.
Grounding can be done at all times and can become a part of your routine very easily. The idea is to connect your body to the Earth.
The simplest way to ground yourself would be to step outside, find a park and walk barefoot. This helps stimulate your foot muscles and also work on grounding. Feel free to lie on the grass, or just run your hands through the grass to ground yourself. Another great way to ground yourself would be to take a swim in the ocean or a natural water body.
If going outdoors is difficult, there are multiple grounding equipment, like mats, pillows, sheets, bands that you can wear and plug into the ground pin of the socket.
Every three pin socket has a ground connection. Plugging the equipment in this is completely safe and can help you ground yourself sitting at home.
Conclusion
Grounding is a very safe practice that can really help you increase your quality of life and boost your mood. The more we are connected with our nature (literally and metaphorically), the better we feel about ourselves. At Zen Barefoot, with our barefoot shoes, that is what we aim to do as well. Get moving and find your ground.