Grounding and Earthing - Reconnecting to Heal
Why it is more Important than Ever to practice “Grounding or Earthing”
Take off your shoes and hang with me as I begin this article discussing footwear. As a personal training and fitness enthusiast, I have been promoting the use of minimal footwear for years. In this article I will share a few links of sites where you can buy grounding footwear for those of you who cannot go barefoot or need grounding footwear for cold weather conditions.
For most of history humans did not wear shoes and our feet had barefoot contact with the earth’s surface. Today we wear footwear that often restricts the full range of motion and functional ability of our feet.
However, when you walk barefoot, your feet have better mobility, with pressure spread throughout the feet and the feet develop better muscle tone.
Many people have adapted to wearing shoes and “think” they need the “support” of a good shoe. Shoes with a cushion around the arch alter the way we walk. Our feet are our base, so this affects everything, from our legs, core and spine which all interact with one another and with our feet. After years of wearing shoes the physiology of our feet changes, which can lead to an increase in pressure in various areas of the body. This can lead to chronic pain and is especially true for women who wear high heels.
In fact, according to Harvard University, scientists discovered that runners who ran barefoot or ran in “minimal footwear” landed on the ball, or middle of the foot, and often avoided hurtful and damaging impact that was equivalent to two to three times the body weight which was exactly what runners wearing shoes repeatedly experienced as shoed runners were “heel strikers”.
For most of history, humans from all walks of life have understood the benefits of going barefoot and grounding. Furthermore recently, science has begun to understand the profound effects of grounding on our physical, mental, and emotional health.
Whether you decide to wear minimal footwear or not, it is more important than ever to begin a grounding (also called earthing), practice in which your feet make direct contact with the Earth.
What is Grounding and Why is It Important?
Grounding is when we have direct skin contact with the Earth’s surface and this most easily occurs when we walk barefoot on grass, dirt, or sand. Due to the water and minerals within us, our bodies subsequently exist in a negative ionized state, making us very conductive. We function best when continually exposed to and are tuned in with the natural frequencies of the Earth.
In today’s toxic world with increasing more EMF exposure a grounding practice is more needed than ever before. Daniel T Debaun, an internationally recognized and influential expert in Electromagnetic Radiation (EMF) says in the article Does Grounding or Earthing Protect Us from EMF Radiation; “Not only does EMF exposure have thermal and biological impacts on our bodies, but electronic devices emit positively charged ions. High concentrations of positive ions—also known as oxidants or free radicals—from EMFs disrupt our bodies’ natural frequency, which can be detrimental to our health.”
For more information on EMFs - Tips for Reducing Exposure to EMFs
Walking barefoot allows us to absorb negative ions directly from the earth’s surface. These ions produce antioxidants which can improve our health and uplift our mood as barefoot walking releases endorphins. This may result in less depression, mental illnesses, and anxiety.
Surfaces Good For Grounding:
· Grass (not chemically treated)
· Soil or dirt
· Sand, (especially wet sand)
· Gravel (it you have tough feet)
· Unsealed ceramic tiles
· Rocks (on the Earth’s surface)
· Water: ocean, lake, and streams
· Trees and plants (become a tree-hugger)
· Unsealed concrete (like sidewalks)
· Indoor grounding mat (during cold months)
Surfaces NOT Good For Grounding:
· Asphalt
· Carpet
· Painted or chemically sealed concrete
· Plastic
· Rubber
· Tar or tarmac
· Vinyl
· Wood floors
· Most Indoor Surfaces
Regular grounding also offers additional health benefits such as
· Provides protection from cardiovascular disease
· Speeds healing of injuries and wounds
· Normalizes cortisol rhythm and reduces stress
· Increases heart rate variability (HRV)
· Improves electrical activity in the brain which can result in clearer thinking, improved memory, better focus, and a host of other benefits!
How to Practice Grounding or Earthing
The best place to practice grounding is outdoors in nature and decide what works best with your schedule. You can walk on the Earth (see list below) for 20 to 60 minutes for maximum benefits. If you cannot walk barefoot find a place to sit with your feet in contact with the earth.
I walk daily barefoot on the beach and after my walk I sit with my feet in the sand while meditating. I also, weather permitting, get in the ocean daily for about 30 minutes. However, in the fall, I jump in the ocean for a quick cold plunge as the water is much colder in NJ after summer, and the five-block walk home is not feasible during colder weather. Therefore, I will move my cold plunges indoors for most of the winter and walk less frequently on the beach during the colder season. But I still ground outside as much as possible and will discuss more on how to ground indoors in a moment.
If you don’t live by the beach, you can walk barefoot in the grass or on other natural Earth surfaces. If you are unable to walk barefoot on the earth, sit with your feet in contact with the earth. Do this as part of your meditation practice, or journal, plan your day, or unwind from your day in the evening – it does not matter when you do it – just do it. (One word of warning, when grounding in grass, make sure the grass is not chemically treated).
My favorite grounding activities are those I can do outside. We all need more contact with nature. We need to spend more time outdoors, so I encourage you to do as much of your grounding practice as possible outside.
If you really cannot stand the idea of being barefoot, here are a few places you can purchase earthing shoes and sandals. They are pricey but worth the investment for cold weather walking or sensitive feet.
Harmony 783 Luxe Grounding Shoes
Indoor Grounding Options
While outside is the best place to ground, there are still effective ways to ground indoors, and I implement many of them daily. Purchase a grounding mat that you can sit on or place under your feet. I use this grounding mat often during the day. In the morning, I sit on the mat as I prepare for my day. During the day, I can put the mat under my feet as I work and, in the evening, when I am unwinding, I once again sit on the mat.
I sleep on a grounding sleep mat at night. These sleep mats are worth the investment and have been instrumental in helping me improve my sleep, especially getting more restorative and deep sleep.
There are many other choices when purchasing grounding mats, but I personally have had many great experiences and excellent customer service working with Ultimate Longevity and therefore recommend the links above for these products.
If you have used other great grounding products, please let me know!
To learn more about grounding watch this 12-minute documentary on the basics of grounding – What is Grounding?
Grounding doesn’t replace the need for a good Mineral Balancing Program, but it is a tool that will enhance your program and assist in improving your health.
Contact me if you have any questions, suggestions, or comments.
The entire contents of this website/article are based upon the opinions of Doreen McCafferty NLC, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Doreen McCafferty, NLC and her community. Doreen McCafferty encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content. All information in this article is for educational purposes only and not designed to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.