5 Ways to Ground Yourself This Earth Day

Sleeping in your own bed after a long trip away gives you a special kind of feeling. A sort of decompression that comes from being “home” vibrates throughout your entire body, and it feels so good not needing to be anything for anyone for a moment.

What if this feeling was only a “removed shoe” away? Let’s talk about grounding.

Grounding, or earthing, is the practice of connecting your body directly to the earth's natural electrical charge by walking barefoot on the ground or using conductive systems. In other words, it’s connection.

Grounding is All About Connection

We live every day of our life on this beautiful sphere that we call Earth (unless you’re an astronaut), but even so, many feel disconnected from our planetary home. It’s quite easy to go months without a sincere outdoor experience when daily comforts are now designed to remove us entirely from nature.

How long has it been since you walked barefoot through dew-soaked grass? Or felt mud squeeze up between your toes? If it has been a while, that’s okay. The benefits of reconnecting to the energy all around us aren’t far away.

Benefits of Grounding and Earthing

The studies of grounding are relatively new, leaving us with so much to still process through the scientific method. But early experiments show probable correlation to a variety of physical and mental health benefits, which include:

• Reduced inflammation
• Improved sleep
• Reduced stress
• Improved circulation
• Reduced pain
• Boosted immune function

Even though there’s a lot to still discover, the practice of grounding is so simple that it’s easy to incorporate into daily life. It’s free to do and extremely enjoyable, making the cost-benefit tradeoff quite appealing.

5 Ways to Ground

Putting yourself in contact with the earth and these health benefits is simple. You can start your grounding journey by trying any of the following ideas.

Walking Barefoot Outside

This is perhaps the simplest and most accessible way to ground yourself. Walking barefoot on grass, dirt, sand, or other natural surfaces allows your body to absorb the earth's natural electrical charge.

You might ask yourself, “What if I live in an urban area or am restricted to indoor activities?” If that is the case, you could try natural, sea salt baths! Marci Baron, an energy healer gives the following advice, “Even if you don't live near a clean patch of grass or dirt, you can release some of your body's toxins or unhelpful energy through a foot bath with salt.”

Using a Grounding Mat or Sheet

A grounding mat is a device that allows you to ground yourself indoors. The mat is connected to a grounding plug that is then connected to the earth's natural electrical charge. Similar to a grounding mat, a grounding sheet can be placed on your bed to allow you to ground yourself while you sleep.

Wearing Grounding Shoes

Some shoes are designed to allow you to ground yourself while you walk. These shoes typically have a conductive sole that allows your body to absorb the earth's natural electrical charge.

Swimming in Natural Bodies of Water

Swimming in natural bodies of water, such as the ocean or a lake, can allow your body to absorb the earth's natural electrical charge.

Forest Baths

Immersing yourself into a natural area is often referred to as forest bathing. The term “bath” is indicative of the cleansing that comes from connecting with our planet earth. For example, trees are natural conductors of the earth's electrical charge, so touching a tree can allow your body to absorb this charge.

Waterfalls are also great for finding equilibrium as they are a soothing source of negative ions. Simply being in nature is a great way to find chemical and emotional balance.

Tips for Safe & Successful Grounding

The practice of earthing is quite simple and easy. Most of the time it can be done and enjoyed with little to no worry or risk, but it is important to be aware of the following:

• Have a first aid kit handy. You never know when you might unexpectedly find yourself on an ant hill or stepping on sharp objects like thorns or glass.
• Ground in areas that you know to avoid finding yourself in unknown terrain. Staying close to your home, campsite, or car removes a lot of risk.
• Check the weather. In extreme heat or cold, bare contact with the ground can be dangerous.
• Check for allergies, especially in children. It’s important to understand your body’s limits and reactions before fully enjoying the benefits of earthing.
• Stay hydrated. By doing so, you will stay healthy, but it also helps to have enough moisture on your skin to achieve ideal conductivity for grounding. We recommend trying our electrolyte mix Re-Lyte.
• Charlee Nemelka, a foot zoning and energy expert, says that one’s mindset is key to a successful experience with grounding. “I believe the first step is setting your intention and expanding upon your desire to connect with the Earth/nature/energy. If you don’t have the desire or intention set, the pathway will be unclear.”

Overall, there are several different ways to ground or earth, and finding the method that works best for you will depend on your personal preferences and lifestyle. Being conscious of your connection to the earth around you is far more important than how you do it, so what are you waiting for? Ready, set, ground.

Sources:

• Grounding: Hype or Healing – Anna Medaris Miller

• Grounding: Exploring Earthing Science and the Benefits Behind It

• The Waterfall Effect: Negative Ions Give Positive Results – Elain Witt

• ‘Forest Bathing’ Is Great for Your Health. Here’s How to Do It. – Qing Li

• Grounding Footwear is Here – Monica Jones