An original and completely practical idea has surfaced in the health field. Clinton Ober has spearheaded the effort to get the word out about the benefits of connecting to the earth itself. His book, titled Earthing, is full of the science and the anecdotal evidence that shows that having a bare skin connection to the earth actually works wonders in battling inflammation and increasing health.
His premise is fairly simple: we were made to be connected to the earth on a daily basis through walking, sitting, or sleeping, and with the advent of rubber soled shoes we lost our conductive connection to the earth’s endless supply of free radicals. Inflammatory disease is rampant in the Western World, and we are the people on the planet who wear rubber soled shoes day in and day out. We also sleep far removed from the earth, in buildings and on beds where we are completely disconnected from the conductivity of the earth.
Simply walking barefoot or standing barefoot frequently throughout the day will change your health, he posits, as it allows the natural process of the earth’s negative charge to bond with our bodies’ excessive free radicals – reducing inflammation and aiding health.
A wonderful documentary called The Grounded was produced about earthing based on the experiences of the small town of Haines, Alaska, when they literally embraced the earth. It changed their lives. You can buy this on Amazon, but there are places on the internet where you can watch it for free. Here is one link.
Before I write about something, I do my best to gain personal experience and conduct adequate research. I have been “grounding” for about six weeks now. Though there are many ways to create your own earthing products, I went the simple route and bought an earthing half-sheet to sleep on at night. It has conductive silver threads throughout, and it plugs into the grounded portion of your wall socket in your home. It even comes with a detector to make sure your home’s electrical circuitry is grounded.
I have found that I feel good when I sleep grounded. My feet, which have always been cold at night, regulate their temperature better when on the grounding sheet. Slight injuries from sports seem to heal more quickly. I have not done any sort of scientific experience based on grounding, however, so I cannot say if it is really making a difference.
However, let the evidence of my actions be my advocacy: when my family went on a beach trip for a week this summer, I certainly went to the trouble to pack up my grounding sheet and set it up for the duration of our vacation. That, combined with all the barefoot walking on the sand and swimming in the saltwater kept me quite grounded, and it was a wonderful vacation. I came back “recharged”, with a more literal meaning to the word. I suppose the aim is to try, as much as possible, to feel the peace of the trees, rooted in the earth.
For much clearer evidence that shows the benefits of grounding, please read the book or watch the documentary. Animals and plants are greatly affected by grounding. We are a part of the planet, and we are meant to stay connected.
Let me know if you have had any experiences with grounding/earthing. The movement is strong out there, and many products are available. The sequel to The Grounded movie is also out, called The Grounded 2, but I have not seen it. I will update when I do.
Dragonfly Energy 