Grounding

Grounding or earthing is an easy technique you can do to connect with the energy of the earth. It is important to understand how this connection works to understand the benefits you receive from grounding. 

There are a handful of scientific studies that explore the benefits grounding has on conditions like inflammation, cardiovascular disease, muscle damage, chronic pain and mood disorders.  Research has shown that connecting to the Earth’s natural energy, by walking barefoot on sand, dirt, rock or grass can reduce ailments. Through grounding, the natural immune defenses of the body can be restored, and wellbeing can be achieved. 

When you walk barefoot on the earth your skin touches the earth allowing free electrons to be taken up into your body. These electrons could be referred to as natures biggest antioxidants and can help neutralize damaging free radicals that lead to inflammation and disease. The earth is known scientifically to be a conductor of free electrons as are most living things on our planet. The human body is composed of electrons from the earth.  Providing there is direct skin contact and a conductive channel for the energy to flow through to a person healing results are almost certain.  

The earth’s energy upgrades a person’s physiology by allowing the human body to repair itself and therefore promoting better sleep, vitality, and overall wellbeing. Earthing complements and stabilizes the bodies biological rhythms. It reduces or sometimes eliminates inflammation and pain making it a vital tool in naturally fighting disease and premature aging. No matter what age you are everyone can benefit from practicing daily earthing. 

In controlled scientific experiments earthing was shown to help with:

• Reduce Inflammation symptoms and inflammatory related disorders
• Reduce chronic pain 
• Reduce symptoms of insomnia or sleep disturbance
• Increases energy and vitality
• Lowers stress and promotes calmness by cooling down the nervous system and reducing stress 
• hormone levels
• Regulating the bodies biological rhythms
• Aids in thinning the blood and improving blood pressure flow
• Relieves muscle tension 
• Relieves headaches
• Lessen hormonal irregularities and menstrual symptoms
• Speed up healing time of sores and injuries
• Reduce jet lag
• Protects the body from EMF’s (electro-magnetic fields)
• Accelerate recovery from intense athletic activity 

The simplest way to earth every day is to walk barefoot outside but this isn’t always practical especially during winter. Earthing indoors can be just as effective if you use the right tools. There are many things on the market that help you earth but the best tools I find are the ones that are simplest to use. Setting up your home or office to earth is easy and absorb the benefits of earthing without effort especially while you sleep. You don’t need to buy multiple tools to set yourself up to earth. Remember the electricity in your home is already earthed therefore running simple earthing products from these power points can allow you to take advantage from earthing energy. 

For people without chronic conditions earthing daily for 30 minutes is generally enough. If you are suffering from chronic conditions and do not want to invest in earthing products try earthing first by going outside barefoot every day for half an hour. If this begins to make you feel better maybe look into buying products like earthing mats or pillows. Ensure these products are bought from reputable suppliers whose products are tested for safety and have a warranty.     

It is important to know that through meditation we can also channel our grounding energy. These techniques are used to bring us back into the present moment. The main aim of grounding exercises brings an awareness to the safety feeling of the here and now, and to encourage our body and mind to connect and work together to heal. 

There are many ways to ground yourself. What works for one person may not work for another person. What works for you today may not work for you tomorrow. It helps if you approach grounding like an experiment. Try one technique then the next day try another technique and see how you feel until you find what is perfect for you. 

Below is a list of things you can try which will stimulate your senses, mind and physical movement and bring you into the present moment so you can ground. Some techniques may work for you, while others may not. Give yourself time to work through the techniques and once you have some experience in grounding you may want to tweak the techniques to suit you.  

TECHNIQUES FOR GROUNDING

• Take 10 slow breaths in and out focusing fully on each breath as you breath in and as you breath out. Each time you breath out say how many number of breathes you have counted and try to keep count.
• Do some stretching exercises. Notice how your body feels as you stretch before during and after.
• Go for a relaxing walk and notice your surrounds. Look around at the things close to you and notice the sensation under your feet as you take each step.
• Stand with your feet parallel shoulder width apart and your hands by your sides with your chin    tucked into your chest. Keep your body straight and sink all your body weight into your feet feeling like your feet are sinking into the ground. Imagine roots growing out of your feet and branches forming around your body. As you visualize growing into a tree feel the earth beneath you feed nourishing you.
•  Listen to music and pay attention to how the instruments sound and how you feel.
• Splash some water on your face and pay attention to how it feels on your skin. Then as you dry your face with a towel pay attention to how the towel feels on your face.
• Place one hand on your crown and close your eyes. Notice how this makes you feel.
• Sit comfortably and hold a cold glass, can or bottle in your hands. Close your eyes and notice how it feels in your hands and how the rest of your body feels while you are holding this. Take a sip from the glass and feel the cold run through you. How does this make you feel?
• Sit comfortably with a warm cup of tea or coffee in your hands. Close your eyes and notice how    it feels in your hands and how the rest of your body feels while you are holding it. Take a sip    from the cup and feel the warmth run through you. How does this make you feel?
• Close your eyes and listen to the sounds you hear around you. Begin with the closest sounds and expand out to see how far away you can notice sounds.
• While you are getting dressed close your eyes intermittently and notice how each item of clothing feels on your body. What sensations can you feel?
• While you are having a relaxed conversation with a family member or a friend notice what they are saying and how they are speaking. Are they relaxed, stressed or happy? How does it make   you feel noticing the emotions they are experiencing?
• Place a hair tie or elastic band around your wrist. Not too tight as you don’t want it stopping your circulation. Flick the elastic and notice how it feels on your skin. What sensations can you feel? How does this make you feel emotionally?
• Spend some time with your pet. Notice what personality they have and what they like to do. Look at them and wonder, what are they thinking?
• Find something that has an interesting texture and run your hands through it. What can you feel? Then close your eyes and do the same and compare the difference.
• Step outside and notice the temperature change from the room you were in to outside. How does this make you feel?
• If you have a garden spend some time in it attending to the flowers and plants. Observe the details of the garden and look at how the plants move and their features.
• Wash your hands and clap them together and notice the feeling between your hands.  

A grounded person is one that is fully present in every way. Being grounded helps keep away disease and stress. To ground yourself means to connect to earths energy. Mother earths energy and to that of the universe. Grounding is also important as it keeps the connectedness to the whole and the now. Being grounded connects us and it helps to remove stress and manage the physicality and mental stresses of everyday life.

Grounding gathers scattered energies, makes us clear headed to make thought out decisions and making us more alert. Grounding helps to empower us to come into our truth and light and it allows us to plug into the higher power and work with it opening the gates of healing both for ourselves and others.