If you have heard the buzzword “grounding” or “earthing” before you are not alone. This practice is free. It is accessible and I would argue it is the quickest way to reset your mind, your body, and your emotions.
The premise is simple. Take off your shoes and have direct skin contact with the Earth. If having bare feet is not available to you at the moment, you can also ground with your hands.
The scientific hypothesis is that grounding enables the Earth’s free electrons to have an antioxidant effect on the body (1). Grounding is so powerful that it has even been called the universal anti-inflammatory remedy (2).
Imagine the next time you have a headache or PMS symptoms, instead of reaching for a pharmacologic intervention, pour yourself a glass of filtered water, take off your shoes and walk through the grass. Or if you are too tired to walk, just lay there in the grass – allowing your body to have contact with the Earth. The results might surprise you – and as an added benefit, there is no chemical involvement so your body can remain balanced, pharmacologically free to function as it is intended to function.
Science aside, I encourage you tto try this simple practice and then asses how you feel. For me personally, the coolness of my feet beneath the Earth makes me feel more alive. I can feel a tingling from the dirt when I walk, I feel more connected, more purposeful, more … grounded.
Grounding Benefits
Grounding has been scientifically proven to:
- Improve sleep
- Decrease stress (by lowering cortisol, aka stress hormone, responses)
- Reduce pain
- Regulate your nervous system
- Increase heart rate variability (best measured with an Oura ring or other tracking device).
- Speed up wound healing
Where to Ground
I try to ground anytime I am around grass. I currently live in the city and do not always have direct access via my backyard to grass, so I will walk to the nearby museum to ground. If I have had a stressful day at work, I ground. If I am going to be traveling, I ground. If I feel emotional, or not in touch with my priorities, I ground. When I travel to my family home, I immediately ground.
Jet Lag
Grounding at the VMFA before an international, overnight flight
I feel so strongly about grounding that I use it as a jet lag remedy. If I have time before I fly I will ground and then the first thing I try to do when I reach my destination is to ground there. It will help you to feel more centered and acclimate faster to a new time zone.
We recently returned from a holiday in England, and I had my toddler (2yo) ground before and after the flight. Perhaps it was placebo, although a toddler is a pretty good litmus test … my daughter, husband and I experienced little to zero jet lag. In fact, we commented that this was the easiest transition we have ever had traveling internationally. I truly attribute it to the grounding before and after our flight that helped us to a.) prepare for the long flight and b.) helped us to feel centered in our new location/time zone.
Grounding immediately upon arrival Burford, England
Final Notes
Wherever you see earth you can ground. Not astroturf, or fake substances. When you see grass, real grass, take off your shoes, and feel the sensation. Or take your hands and put them against a tree. Hold them there and feel the energy shift. There are no risks, just rewards.
Enjoy the connection!
References
- Oschman, J. Chevalier, G., and Brown, R. The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. J Inflamm Res. 2015; 8: 83–96.
- Sinatra, S., Sinatra, Dr., Step, and Chevalier, G. Grounding – The universal anti-inflammatory remedy.Biomed J. 2023 Feb; 46(1): 11–16.
