Whether you’re globetrotting or staying closer to home, grounding, also known as earthing, can be done pretty much anywhere. But why and how? And what is earthing anyway?
In a nutshell, it is getting very close to nature, aka mother earth, barefoot, which helps us ground and with that balance ourselves, not just our mind and soul, but also our body.
In essence, we return to our natural state, zero. The zero stands for zero volts, yes, you have heard right as in voltage, we’re electrical beings, the science behind that is bio-electricity.
Our Amazing Biological ‘Computer’
Whilst it doesn’t work identically to the voltage fueling our lights and other physical appliances, we still get charged and balance our body systems with positive and negative charges.
Our brain receives signals from our electrical circuit fuelled by positively charged ions using potassium, sodium, and calcium.
Our brain receives and sends signals enabling speech, movement, and keeps our heart and organs functioning.
But for our cells to work in harmony, we use negative charges as well, an imbalance, scientists discovered, creates dis-eases.
These range from minor inflammations to cancer. Essentially, our electrical system starts giving the wrong signals, confusing our cells, throwing their ability to keep their natural equilibrium. The result, tumors could form and turn malignant.
Now, this is not to say that some inflammation isn’t actually healthy, it is the body’s natural reaction to injuries, wounds, muscle strains, and it is a signal for the body to heal.
However, too much imbalance and the opposite occurs, increased inflammation and chronic diseases develop.
Benefits of Earthing
Grounding, whilst by no means a magical cure for all, can help by balancing our cells.
Researchers, some using experience-based studies, others more scientific means, have proven that grounding reduces inflammation.
Basically, it helps wounds and muscles to recover faster, aides with better sleep, reduce the effects of chronic illness, stress, and the likes.
By being barefoot we remove any barriers between us and the earth, getting in touch with its negative electrons and thus we give our body’s system a chance to balance out any surplus positive charges we may have. Our cells get the means to harmonize.
When we don’t take this opportunity we run around with a positive charge of around two volts on average, depending on what we do with our lives, and how electrified our surroundings are.
We can measure this with a voltmeter. You might be amazed at the difference in measurment on the reader as the meter dropped to zero right after a short amount of time grounding.
Rubber soles are basically insulating, whilst we have to be conductive to get in touch with the negative electrons.
No need to panic though. In the short-term two volts is unlikely to harm us. The science of bio-electricity is still in its infancy, and therefore it isn’t written in stone how much voltage hurts us in the long-term.
However, it just seems to be common sense to get back to the natural state of zero balance and stay there for as long as humanly possible.
We do know that being seriously over-charged could kill us, think lightning strikes, they burn us and literally short circuit our hearts.
What also appears obvious is that living in the fast lane always connected, which is great on one hand, has also brought with it an increase in stress and chronic diseases.
Being charged may well only be one contributor, but covering one’s backs, de-charging can definitely not hurt.
Choosing the best Grounding Spots
We simply feel better overall, increasing our wellbeing. Remember those happy holidays on the beach, there is something about the sand running through our toes, and feeling the waves lap over our bare feet.
Salty sand is an ideal conductor, and so is seawater.
Hiking barefoot through the woods, or jungle, jogging on earthy tracks or grass, also works very well to ground.
Whilst an expedition up Mount Everest barefoot may not be very practical, the bare rocks also connect us to mother earth and her energies.
While there are many ways to ground, there are some not so conductive materials in our lives, including rubber and other synthetic materials. Carpets spring to mind, so yoga on the bare ground would make for an even more balanced experience.
Wood and asphalt aren’t conductive either, the desert dunes also less, unless they are moist, which increases conductivity.
Exploring cities, concrete, and marble, or other stone tiled floors work just fine, but again who wants to go sightseeing, or walk to the office, barefoot, we certainly wouldn’t.
It’s very reassuring to know that a material is on its way that allows us to stay grounded as much of the time as possible without spending the day barefoot.
Until then, 30 minutes to an hour of daily earthing is recommended. The thing is, we equally quickly charge up again once we enter an ‘electrified’ environment.
If one is lucky enough to pop into the city and head back out into the wilderness, earthing is easily and quickly done. But if one happens to live in the city, there are grounding, or, earthing shoes to be found, yeah!
This type of shoe comes with a conductive, yet invisible, sole technology.
Presto, we can travel, work, and play balancing our bodies most of the time. Taking into account we have to wear shoes a lot of the time anyway, it is a plus to know one can walk the earth on a healthier path.
