Blog by Valerie

For many thousands of years, humans have been sleeping on Mother Earth and walking barefoot or with leather-clad feet that keep us connected with the Earth’s energy. It is only fairly recently in our species’ history that so many of us have moved into high-rise buildings, worn rubber-soled shoes, driven in rubber-tired vehicles, and slept on elevated mattresses. All of these changes have disconnected us from the Earth literally, and elevated our anxiety levels through an increase of ungrounded head-y energy.

It is not surprising that a number of scientific studies have found evidence for the benefit of earthing/grounding ourselves, though many are small-scale. The figure above shows increased circulation in the face on the right after 20 minutes of grounding. One study of 60 people sleeping for one month with real or control (faulty) earthing/grounding mats in their beds found the following results:

Another study (with a lot of graphs and figures you could check out) found that inflammation “may be a consequence of lack of grounding, and of a resultant ‘electron deficiency’. Wounds heal very differently when the body is grounded. Healing is much faster, and the cardinal signs of inflammation are reduced or eliminated.” This is because “[a]ntioxidants are electron donors, and the best electron donor, we strongly believe, is right under our feet: the surface of the Earth, with its virtually unlimited storehouse of accessible electrons…Our immune systems work beautifully as long as electrons are available to balance the ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) used when dealing with infection and tissue injury. Our modern lifestyle has taken the body and the immune system by surprise by suddenly depriving it of its primordial electron source. This planetary separation began accelerating in the early 1950s with the advent of shoes made with insulating soles instead of the traditional leather. Lifestyle challenges to our immune systems proceeded faster than evolution could accommodate. The disconnection from the Earth may be an important, insidious, and overlooked contribution to physiological dysfunction and to the alarming global rise in non-communicable, inflammatory-related chronic diseases.”

A study of 12 subjects found that sleeping with a grounding/earthing mat regulated cortisol cycles:

The figure above is from a paper cataloguing a number of earthing/grounding studies. Overall, studies are finding that earthing/grounding:

• Decreases inflammation and chronic pain by releasing excess positive electrons
• Improves sleep by normalising biological rhythms
• Improves blood circulation
• Lowers stress by regulating cortisol
• Improves menstrual cycle pain symptoms
• Accelerates wound healing and shortens injury recovery time
• Relieves muscle tension and headache
• Supports adrenal health

So how do we get grounded? One way to stay connected to the Earth in an office or city is to wear grounding/earthing shoes like traditional leather-soled mocassins, shoes that have carbon grounding you, or to turn any shoes into grounding shoes with a kit. (All of those products I have and receive no compensation from. I’m sure there are many other good ones.) Even better, walk barefoot on sand, grass, soil, concrete, or ceramic tile. You can also walk in saltwater at a beach, or soak your feet in saltwater in your home. (Walking on asphalt, wood, rubber, plastic, vinyl, tar, or tarmac will not ground you.) You can also lie on the ground with your whole body, and if you do this regularly such as on a blanket in a park or your yard or camping, you may notice your stress levels decreasing.

I have lain on the ground every day for thirty minutes for eight months straight, which did help me. I also started wearing grounding shoes a couple years ago and really noticed a difference in the office. I regularly soak my feet in saltwater. I used to crave going camping, and for a six-month period managed to sleep on the Earth nearly every other weekend. I enjoy walking barefoot when appropriate. But the game-changer for me was to sleep in my bed with a grounding mat. I use this one, but you could make your own by searching for advice online, or buy other products. The first few weeks my husband and I slept with a grounding mat we sometimes felt tired and achy when we woke up, and generally felt a bit discombobulated and had some emotional junk come up. As we settled into it, we felt a lot better, and now I take the mat with us whenever we travel. (As a side note, it’s surprising how often I find outlets in hotels and houses that are ungrounded.) (Image source)

Last week’s post included the concept of the land under our feet being the source of indigenous tribal culture, where cultural wisdom emerges from the Earth below. I have heard indigenous people describe the feet as our eyes to Mother Earth. If we walk around insulated from the Earth, disconnected from our sacred Mother, then our culture is literally ungrounded, and it is not surprising we feel a bit like zombies lost in our heads. So here’s to grounding ourselves. It’s not just part of an Earth Ethos, it’s part of being a healthy human being!

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