That view. The sun rising over the rolling hills. The beautiful lake water glistening as the world wakes up. The serene view puts you at ease almost instantly. That is the feeling I have anytime we get close to Lake George. Having spent time there every summer since I was a baby, being at Lake George is a part of me and my family. I am always relaxed by the clean mountain air, the cool lake waters and the feeling of sand in my toes. I knew that there was power in relaxing in your favorite spot, but there may be more to it than that.
Have you ever spent time on a beach, near the ocean or a lake and after a week you feel physically, mentally and spiritually better? Of course it is related to being away from the stress of everyday life, work, responsibilities, being able to relax and unwind…but, there is also a change that happens by your actual feet being in the sand and connected to the power and electricity of the Earth.
I came upon grounding, or “earthing” when I hurt my neck a number of years ago. Well, “hurt” in that sentence is a verb, and I didn’t actually do anything to “hurt” it, it just started hurting. BIG time. It started with tingling in my left hand, then nerve pain traveled from underneath my left scapula all the way down the front of my left arm. The pain in my back was excruciating. I recently found one of my colleagues not looking so good, when I asked him what was wrong he described the pain exactly as I remembered it. He too suffers from problematic discs in the cervical region- the same C4-C6 that I suffer from- his experience and symptoms were exactly the same! Slowly over the last few days I have been suggesting things that helped me. I haven’t yet told him about grounding, but plan to! Hence the blog primer… brushing up on the research will help me help him through the management of this chronic condition.
So, back to putting your feet in the sand. There really is something to being connected to the Earth. You may think that this sounds crazy, and at first I did too, but then I tried it. I realize I feel better when I spend time outdoors, and when I take my shoes off, and walk through the grass, I feel even better.
Some key thoughts on the benefits of grounding:
Improves sleep
Reduces pain and stress
Increases heart variability
Speeds wound healing (this one I have witnessed myself!- I’ll share a personal note here- so, I used to bite my nails as a child- BADLY- fortunately, I got out of that habit, but then switched to picking at the skin of my cuticles- to this day, when I feel bored or stressed, it creeps back in subconsciously and WHAM I have small cuts and nicks around my fingers. Well, when I spend time on Lake George, with my feet in the sand, swimming in the lake, my fingers heal- FAST- way faster than they do at home. The combination of less stress and faster healing helps me heal my hands again. That was hard for me to share, but on purpose for illustration here, I know this works!)
Decreases inflammation (this is where it was so helpful for the discs in my neck!)
These benefits may be occurring because of the incredible abundance of electrons on the Earths surface- the skin contact allows those electrons to spread over our skin and body. Earthing appears to correct an imbalance in electrons- a deficiency of electrons which we are experiencing related to our busy, technology driven lifestyles that don’t allow for time outside connected to the Earth.
There are many ways you can reap the benefits of grounding. You can spend time outdoors with your shoes off. Walk through the grass on a sunny spring day. Do your gardening barefoot. Get your feet used to being bare and on the ground. Some retreat and spa centers offer Tai Chi outside in the grass during the warmer months. But probably the easiest way is to just be outside, connected to the Earth without your shoes on. You want the direct contact.
There are also products you can purchase that plug in to appropriate outlets in your home that allow for grounding pads, mats and electrodes so that you can “plug in” to this power and harness it while you sleep or work. We use the pads and electrodes- I find it quite useful to place the electrode exactly where my ache/pain or inflammation is feeling at its worst. Quite frequently, I place the electrode right on the muscles of my left back and shoulder- I wake up feeling refreshed and pain free. My next step is to “plug in” at work with a pad near my desk, that way as I am using the mouse at my computer, my wrist can be connected to this healing energy of the Earth. (I know, it sounds crazy, I can’t even believe I am writing this, however, I really think this works and is a way for us to maintain and promote health!).
I urge you to do your own research and reading on this topic. I have listed some resources below. At first, I thought it was nonsense, but then I reflected on how wonderful I feel after a vacation where I have spent time with my feet in contact with the Earth, when I have spent time outside in the sun and air. These things are difficult to do in everyday life. If we can sneak in a little bit of this power everyday, imagine how much better we will feel.
Resources and Additional Reading for Grounding/Earthing:
Oschmann, J. Illnesses in technologically advanced societies due to lack of grounding. Biomedical Journal. Located at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bj.2022.10.004
Hung Lin, Chien. (2022). Grounding the Body Improves Sleep Quality in Patient’s with mild alzheimer’s disease. A Pilot Study. Healthcare, 10, 581. Located at: https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare10030581
Oschmann, J. (2015). The effects of grounding on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Journal of Inf. Research, 8, 83-96.
Menigoz, W., et al. (2019). Integrative and lifestyle medical strategies should include earthing (grounding): review of research evidence and clinical observations. Journal of Exploration. Found at http://doi.org/10.1016/J.explore.2019.10.005
Earthing, Clinton Ober
The Nature Fix, Florence Williams
www.grounded.com