Grounding Or Earthing Is Your Way To Good Health - It's Time To Take Your Shoes Off
Back in the 1990s a man called Clinton Ober became interested in the idea that the rise in popularity of synthetic footwear was blocking our connection to healing energies from the Earth. The real question is, can you ground your way to good health by taking your shoes off? Actually, yes you can.
After doing his own research, Clinton Ober took his idea to UCLA to see if they would investigate further. The scientists there thought he was mad, or joking, however, he knew there was something useful to be found.
In 1999, he met Dr. William Amalu, now President of the International Academy of Clinical Thermography. Dr Amalu agreed to work with Clinton to run the first study into the impact of grounding on human health. Today, there are over 20 research studies investigating the impact of grounding on your health. Since then, Clinton Ober has worked closely with Dr Stephen Sinatra M.D. to understand how grounding can reduce pain and inflammation in the body.
Before we discuss their findings, let’s talk about what grounding is and how it works.
What Is Grounding?
Grounding, which is sometimes known as Earthing, is the concept of connecting our bodies directly to the Earth. Effectively, we live inside a giant polarised battery. The surface of Earth has a negative charge. The atmosphere is ionised by the Sun. The rays of the sun are so strong that they split the molecules into positive and negative. The negative charges travel towards the earth (often through lightning) and the positive charges remain in the atmosphere.
To put it in simple terms, if we want to ground or earth our bodies we can touch the earth directly, preferably with bare skin. By doing so, we can increase our negative charge through that physical connection with the earth.
Why Is Grounding or Earthing So Important?
Health problems can arise in our bodies when we don’t have sufficient negative charge. Science has discovered that grounding or earthing could be as important to the human body as air, water and sunlight. Holey moley!
In fact, having sufficient negative charge in our body supports our organ function, connective tissues and blood. Quite simply, when the human body is directly connected to the planet, it naturally neutralises, reaping a multitude of health benefits.
As mentioned earlier, there are now over 20 published clinical studies investigating the benefits of grounding. One study [1] concluded, “This research has demonstrated the potential of grounding to be a simple, natural, and accessible clinical strategy against the global epidemic of noncommunicable, degenerative, inflammatory-related diseases.”
Furthermore, another study stated [2] “Multi-disciplinary research has revealed that electrically conductive contact of the human body with the surface of the Earth (grounding or earthing) produces intriguing effects on physiology and health. Such effects relate to inflammation, immune responses, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.”
Grounding Demonstrates Significant Impact On Pain, White Blood Cells And Immune Response
The report further states “Specifically, grounding an organism produces measurable differences in the concentrations of white blood cells, cytokines, and other molecules involved in the inflammatory response. We present several hypotheses to explain observed effects, based on current research results and our understanding of the electronic aspects of cell and tissue physiology, cell biology, biophysics, and biochemistry.
Grounding reduces pain and alters the numbers of circulating neutrophils and lymphocytes, and also affects various circulating chemical factors related to inflammation.”
The research results give us a several compelling reasons to rip off our shoes and get outside now. In fact, you can read all 20 studies here [3]
How Have We Become So Disconnected Or Ungrounded?
Until the middle of the 1800s, all shoes were made from natural materials. Specifically, they were fabricated from wood, leather, natural rubber and cork. However, two major factors impacted a change. The first was the industrial revolution where more malleable materials were demanded in manufacturing. The second was the increase in leisure time and sporting activities, such as running, croquet, basketball and football. In the early 20th century, the market for sporting shoes multiplied exponentially and more and more designs became available.
Slightly later, by the middle of the 20th century, “natural” rubber products had been replaced almost entirely by synthetic rubbers. That is to say, we started to insulate our feet from the earthing potential of the ground. More than just the soles of our shoes, there are so many insulators blocking our connection to healing earth energies in the world today. We sleep off the ground, we eat off the ground, and so much flooring is made of synthetic materials. In addition, think about how classrooms and offices are constructed. Even when we’re playing sport we’re often running on asphalt or rubber rather than grass. We’ve insulated ourselves in every area of our lives, minimising that negative charge our bodies desperately need. In other words, we are completely disconnected from Earth!
What Does It Feel Like If You're Ungrounded?
If we’re ungrounded, it can impact us in three different ways: in our mind, in our body and in our energy levels.
Impact On Our Minds
When we’re not grounded our mind tends to wander and we either find it hard to concentrate on a single task, or we might overthink something until there’s no room for anything else in our mind. We tend to feel a bit spacey, or absentminded. It’s as if we’re not quite present.
What’s more, we can get stuck in logic and disconnected from our emotions. As a result, our lives can become out of balance. We might not eat a healthy or varied diet, perhaps we develop a bit of a ‘gambler’s mindset’ where we put all our faith in a higher power or astrology or signs. Quite simply, we become disconnected from our bodies and our intuition.
What Happens To Our Energy?
We can often operate in flight or fight mode when we’re ungrounded. Perhaps we find it hard to relax so we’re either fully on or fully off. That is to say, we’re either dead tired, or running around like a crazy person. That rapid energy comes from overworking our adrenals and is unsustainable. In addition, sleep disorders go hand in hand with this adrenal cocktail.
What Does Being Ungrounded Manifest Physically In Our Bodies?
Well, you’re probably not going to like this list! What you will like, is the fact that you can do something about these symptoms right now and it won’t cost you a penny!
In our bodies, we often feel significant temperature shifts. We might get night sweats, sweating spells during the day, feel heat in our chest, neck and head, or perhaps cold feet.
Sometimes you might experience dizziness, ringing in the ears, anxiety, shallow breathing and or vertigo.
Our muscles also show the signs of imbalance. You might have cramping in your calves or your feet, leg pain, chronic and dull lower back pain, or a pain all the way down your back and spine.
Our intestines can also react. Loose bowels, rectal prolapse, bloating and nausea are also indicators of imbalance in your positive and negative charge.
Sometimes acne and premature greying can also manifest. Hence, if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, you have nothing to lose by getting out in nature and connecting to the ground with your bare feet and hands.
How Do We Get Grounded?
If you’ve worked with energy healing before, or you know someone who does, you might know that we can ground ourselves through physical activity such as running, dancing and gardening. We can also eat our way into balance by increasing dark leafy greens, root vegetables, ginger, cinnamon or black and red fruits and berries.
Of course, all this information is absolutely true. However, these ideas come from the idea of balancing your Root Chakra or energy centre. Actually, if we’re talking chakras, the one we want to bring into balance is the Earth Star Chakra. It sits about 9 to 12 inches below your feet.
Even better, balancing this chakra is as easy as A, B, C. All you have to do is get outside touch the ground with your bare hands or feet.
Animals Seek Out Opportunities To Ground Themselves
I’ve noticed that when cats and dogs feel under the weather they connect as much of their body to the ground as possible, for as long as possible! We can learn from them.
So, if you’re gardening, take off your gloves and get some dirt under your fingernails. If you’re walking, walk barefoot. If you’re doing yoga or running, do it on grass. From handstands to hip-hop, connect your body to the ground for at least 20 minutes each day and you’ll feel the benefits.
Do You Want To Be Even More Convinced? Check Out This Video About The Impact Of Earthing Of Blood Cells.
Want To Find Out More About Grounding And Earthing?
Read a book by the experts! This is a brilliant book written by Clinton Ober, , and Martin Zucker.
Article References
[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320608127_Electric_Nutrition_ The_Surprising_Health_and_Healing_Benefits_of_ Biological_Grounding_Earthing
[2] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/274644091_The_effects_of_grounding_earthing_on_ inflammation_the_immune_response_wound_healing_and _prevention_and_treatment_of_chronic_inflammatory_and_ autoimmune_diseases
Interested In Grounding Products?
If you’d like to know more about the products which can support you grounding yourself in your home, you might be interested in these earthing and grounding products.
Find Out More About Working With Me
If you’d like to find out more about coaching with me, or if you’d like to arrange a call to see if we’re a good fit for one another, please send me an email to sarah@sarahmerron.com.
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