Many have come across the phrase ‘grounding’ in recent times, and there’s a plethora of information now available on the net which discusses what grounding is, its role in physical health, and even beyond that to encompass spiritual health. The act of ‘grounding’ or ‘earthing’ focuses on standing barefoot on the earth and/or laying down on the earth and is actually a very natural thing that many of us probably do already without even realising. If you’re someone who likes walking barefoot on a sandy beach, stretching your toes in fresh grass on a summer’s day or throwing off your sandals in order to paddle in a stream, whatever the weather, then you’re grounding yourself. So if it’s something that many do already, when did it become a ‘thing’ that we have to be reminded of? What’s all the fuss about? Why is it important? And – more importantly – how does it relate to heart health?
To help provide some answers, it’s fairly critical to understand that the human body is a bio-electrical receiver of information and highly sensitive to frequencies. We decode this information all the time. Optimal health at the physical level is inextricably linked to not only the extent of our awareness of our interactions and exchanges with frequencies, but what we do to alleviate those influences. Frequencies include those emitted by phones, computers, TVs, internet, 5G, microwave technologies etc. But they also encompass the frequencies of emotions, e.g. fear, worry, and hate are low frequencies which harm and can have a detrimental effect on physical health, whilst compassion, joy, peace, and love etc. are the highest frequencies that optimise health. We are, fundamentally, much more than just physical beings.
If you want to understand this aspect further, I highly recommend reading the 1987 book Hands of Light, by Barbara Ann Brennan. A long-standing practising healer, psychotherapist and scientist, she had previously been a research scientist for NASA and trained in Bioenergetic Therapy. In her book she gives clear evidence of the bio-electrical nature of the human energy field (that is to say the individual aspect of the Universal Field of Consciousness). The book describes both the biology, psychological functions and interconnection between the physical body and the energy field that surrounds it. So, since the earth has a negative charge, and we ground everything to the earth, and the human body is the most electrical thing in our personal environment, grounding ourselves to the earth is the simplest and easiest way to recalibrate and rebalance our bio-electrical body.
It’s curious that these days we have to be reminded of such a simple, natural activity. Yet it’s hardly surprising in some respects when you consider the construction of modern-day footwear. Before the production of synthetic rubber, we were much more naturally grounded. Shoes were mostly constructed from natural materials such as leather, bamboo, cork and other plant fibres, and therefore helped us retain some connection with earth. Nowadays, with manufactured rubber soled footwear, we’ve become more and more disconnected from the very thing that helps keep us healthy. Here’s a brief run-down of some of the physical benefits that grounding may provide, including those relating to heart health.
This isn’t an exhaustive list, but rather some of the benefits that long term persistent practice may bring:
- reduced body-wide inflammation
- calmed nervous system
- realigned electrical circuitry
- alleviated anxiety and stress
- improved mood
- reduced blood pressure
- better sleep
- a study carried out in 2013 also suggests that regular grounding reduced blood viscosity, which is a major factor in cardiovascular disease.
The experience and practice of grounding
The best way to know how grounding will benefit you is to simply experience it for yourself. It’s pretty straightforward: on a daily basis simply walk, stand or sit with bare feet on the ground in your garden, local park, on the beach, in a woodland, stream or river etc. for between 20-30 minutes per day. Also place your bare hands on the ground too. You can also purchase a grounding mat or sheet which can be used indoors, either standing or lying down. You can even buy ‘grounding socks’ too. I also walk barefoot indoors since I have natural slate floors in some areas. I highly recommend you try this regularly and note the difference it makes over time.
Other benefits of grounding
Beyond the physical benefits, grounding can also help shift awareness and deepen connection with nature and the interconnectedness of all things. It may also bring forward a desire to work with animals, for instance, or a longing to become a healer or therapist, or to connect with other aspects of the natural world, such as plant or herbal medicine, tree work, water etc. It opens up a vista you may have previously overlooked. Whichever way you choose to practice, grounding is a precious reminder that we are all connected and that Mother Earth looks after us.