Being grounded generally can mean two things:
- Being fully present in your body and/or
- Feeling connected to the earth.
We’ve all experienced being grounded. We feel “at home” but this is can be just a fleeting experience. 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. Being ungrounded is now a worldwide epidemic that is so entrenched that few of us even recognise that there is a problem. Being ungrounded is the root cause of a great deal of human suffering.
Although the ultimate benefits of “grounding” will come from the experience itself, our minds often seek evidence in advance. Fortunately over the last few years there has been quite a few studies on the subject & the results are quite promising as they are showing that “grounding” can help:-
- Elevate your mood;
- Improve blood flow;
- Improve immune support;
- Reduce emotional stress;
- Reduce inflammation;
- You sleep better.
HOW TO GET GROUNDED
The simplest way to become grounded is to go outside and place your bare feet or hands on some grass, sand or earth, or to immerse yourself in a body of conductive water such as the sea or a mineral-rich lake.
You need at least two points of contact with the ground to form a “circuit”. One foot alone won’t ground you, but two feet will. If you are lying on the ground, you can use any two connection points to form a circuit, for example, an elbow and a foot.
For healing, the researchers behind the Earthing movement recommend staying barefoot on the Earth for at least 20 minutes, twice a day. But even if you can get connected to the Earth for only 10 minutes during lunch, it will serve you well, however:-
- Avoid grass sprayed with pesticides as they will get absorbed through your feet.
- Be careful in areas that may have broken glass or debris.
- Avoid walking barefoot on asphalt.
Here are three “grounding” techniques to help you reconnect to the Earth:
Mindful Walking
Simply walk and stay present with your environment.
My favorite way of earthing is to walk barefoot on the beach. Depending on how active my mind is, it takes only a few minutes before I am more mentally calm and centered. Walking barefoot has the added benefit of massaging acupuncture points in your feet like in reflexology.
Although it can be cold in winter, the benefits simply out way the minor inconvenience.
Time: 10 to 20 minutes.
Roll Around Like a Cat
Have you ever noticed how cats and some dogs roll around on the Earth?
I’ve often wondered if they instinctually know how to discharge negative energy. Try getting dirty and rolling around on the Earth. You’ll understand why cats do it. It feels good.
Time: However long you want.
Stand Like a Tree
This standing form of meditation is called Zhan Zhuang (& is not to be confused with Tree Pose from Yoga) and it works best in nature (fresh air, forest, bush) and even better when done barefoot on the Earth. Enjoy the peacefulness of your surroundings breathing deeply in & out.
Time: 1 minute to 10 minutes.
GROUNDING & EARTHING PRODUCTS
David Wolfe first introduced me to the concept of “grounding” in March 2017 at his Sydney event. And whilst we all would like to be outside more, the reality at the time was that a large chunk of my time was actually indoors. So I invested in a couple of Earthing products he was promoting.
Behind the Earthing movement is a new industry of products designed to ground you by connecting the product to the ground wire in your home.
You can buy:
- Earthing adaptors;
- Earthing beds;
- Earthing mats;
- Earthing shoes;
- Earthing wristbands;
These products appear to work, but the positive results reported could be a placebo effect. I honestly don’t know for certain, but reports suggests they provide genuine health benefits.
Me personally, the feeling I get being outside, breathing in fresh air & getting grounded, cannot be beaten.