Did you know that the Earth’s energy is crucial for good health?
Have you ever felt the urge to walk barefoot on the beach or feel the grass between your toes? As it turns out, this urge goes much deeper than simply feeling good. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that there is a significant electrical interaction between the Earth and each one of us.
When we make direct contact to the surface of the Earth our body receives a charge of energy that makes us feel better. This process is called grounding or Earthing.
Throughout history people were naturally observing the Earth’s energy. In today’s world we spend a lot of time indoors. When we do go outside, we usually wear shoes which prevent us from connecting to the Earth.
Earth has a negative charge. This means that it has an abundance of electrons. This charge does not interact with us too often since we live in insulated buildings and wear insulated footwear. Simply put, we rarely touch the ground!
Why touching the ground does matter
Humans evolved walking on the ground without insulating barriers between the Earth and our feet. It is common knowledge that the soles of our feet are extremely sensitive due to a high concentration of nerve endings. Since nerve tissue is electrically conductive, it is easy to understand that the bottoms of our feet are highly conductive surfaces.
There are two key reasons why this electrical connection is important:
First, the Earth is a massive reservoir of negatively charged free electrons. Without a connection to this reservoir, the cells in our body are unable to balance the positive charge which results from things like electron-deficient free radicals. The effect of excess positive charge in the blood can be seen very clearly by the way in which the cells are attracted to clump together.
Second, today’s environment is full of a wide spectrum of electromagnetic radiation, ranging from computers, cell phones, radio & TV broadcasts, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, domestic wiring, and other electrical appliances to power lines. This electromagnetic radiation induces voltages in our bodies, disrupting the subtle electrical communications which are a vital part of the function of our body’s systems. By being grounded to the Earth we greatly reduce the levels of these induced voltages, as we are then effectively shielded by the Earth’s large electrical mass.
Unfortunately, with our modern rubber or plastic soled shoes and insulated sleeping arrangements, we no longer have a natural electrical connection to the Earth, unless walking barefoot.
The Effects of Grounding
The most immediately noticeable effect people report from being grounded is that they feel better i.e. improved circulation, better sleep. This has been described as a feeling of greater peace within themselves, feeling calmer with reduced stress levels. If there is pain present then often this is reduced or disappears completely.
People who notice negative effects from using computers or other electrical equipment report a reduction or elimination of these effects when grounded.
With regular grounding, several health benefits have been observed, such as:
Improved immune function
Rapid healing of injuries
Improved blood circulation
Harmonization and stabilization of the body’s basic biological rhythms
Accelerated recovery from intense athletic activity
Reduction of inflammation
Reduced stress / anxiety / irritability
Reduced electro sensitivity
Because of the conductivity of our soles, it was proposed that perhaps there was an electrical interaction between the Earth’s negative charge and our bodies.
Researchers found that there was a significant relation between the charge of our bodies and the ground. It has been determined that the Earth acts as a natural reservoir of electric energy. If a person with an excessive negative charge, or an excess of electrons, steps onto the ground, the excess will be absorbed into the Earth. If a person has a positive charge, or a deficiency of electrons, then the Earth will supply what is needed to achieve homeostasis (balance). This is a truly amazing discovery: stepping on the ground electrically balances you!
Why grounding is significant
During the past twenty years, we have witnessed an explosion of research conducted on human physiology and disease. What has been discovered has prompted almost global awareness of the importance of antioxidants and the process of oxidation. Oxidation, literally the same process of iron rusting, has been found to greatly contribute to aging and the formation of disease.
The culprits are “free radicals.” A free radical is a molecule that has become unstable because of the lack of an electron. Free radicals will ‘take’ electrons from other molecules in order to become stable, but in the process they produce more free radicals. In time, free radicals can damage any tissue and lead to aging and disease.
Free radicals form in our bodies naturally as a byproduct of stress, environmental & dietary toxins and natural metabolic processes. Nature’s solution to free radicals is anti-oxidants. Anti-oxidants are substances that help put a stop to oxidation by providing the missing electrons to free radicals without becoming free radicals themselves.
Thanks to the progress of science, we now better understand that related to oxidation is the natural process of inflammation. Inflammation, called “the silent killer,” is the leading theory on the underlying cause of many chronic diseases. The problem of inflammation lies not in a scarcity of electrons, as in oxidation, but in an excess of electrons.
How to be Grounded and Balanced
The simplest way to be grounded is to go outside and place your bare feet or hands on some grass or earth, or to immerse yourself in a body of water such as the ocean or a mineral-rich lake.
When indoors, an Earth connection can be made by driving a metal rod into the ground outside, running a wire from the rod, and then connecting it to ourselves.
This may sound like a lot of hassle, but fortunately the majority of domestic electrical systems in the world already have such a rod and wire running indoors, connecting to the “Earth” pin on every mains electrical outlet. And rather than having to connect a wire to ourselves, a variety of products have been developed, such as earthing sheets, mats, bands, and patches.
If you would like more information on Earthing, refer to Clint Ober’s book, “Earthing: The most important health discovery?”