Shockingly Simple: The Power of Earthing!
Do we have a connection to this earth, and does it benefit us when we are out in nature? We hear about it and how good it is to be connected but is there more to it than just getting our Vitamin D? It wasn’t so long ago that I ran across a documentary called “Down to Earth”. I was intrigued and hit the play button. What I learned was “earth” shifting for me, pun intended! Some reading this may say of course we are connected, everyone knows this! The real question is, do you know the many benefits we get when we ground our bodies? Read on and see what you learn!
WHAT IS EARTHING (GROUNDING)?
This is a process where we physically connect our bodies to the earth. This can be as easy as putting our bare feet in the grass in the back yard, strolling along the beach or just lying in the grass counting the stars. Easy right? It truly is that simple. Another way to get grounded is through something called a grounding sheet or grounding mat. By simply plugging in a grounding sheet or mat, you can ground right from the comfort of your own home. To be sure the building you are in, whether it is at home, or in the office, it is necessary to check that the building is grounded. There is a special device that comes with grounding kits that you plug into an electrical outlet that will let you know if your building, or home, is grounded. So, if you can’t get outside and want to ground after reading further, get a grounding sheet or mat to be able to still reap the benefits. It is recommended that we ground 40 minutes a day. Start slow and increase and note the changes in your body as you begin to practice this.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
The science behind this concept is described in detail in the documentary. For those of you that love your science, they explain it like this:
Basically, we live inside a “battery”, meaning the earth
The surface of the earth is negatively charged
The sun sends out electrons that charge the ionosphere
This then becomes charged during lightning storms
Our bodies carry something known as free radicals. Without grounding ourselves, these free radicals leak into our surrounding tissues causing a lot of oxidative stress on the body. What is a free radical? Let me explain. When there is inflammation in the body, neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) are the first to arrive on the scene to start the battle. Their role is to release free radicals at the site of the injury. Their job is to chew up pathogens, bacteria, dead cells and then repair the area. After neutrophils have cleaned up damaged cells they release something called “Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS)”. Some of these species can leak into the surrounding tissues in the body causing a buildup of these free radicals. If there are not enough free electrons to reduce the free radicals, they leak into the surrounding tissue causing an excess of free radicals. In order to stabilize themselves they will steal an electron from a healthy cell causing damage to the cell (see picture below). Then more neutrophils are released creating more ROS to be released starting a chain reaction.
Grounding ourselves helps to slow down this chain reaction. Grounding takes an electron from the earth and applies it to the free radial to stabilize so it does not steal from our healthy cells. This helps to reduce the oxidative stress on our bodies. As stated in the documentary: “We need grounding like we need the air and sunshine.”
WHO DOES THIS MATTER TO?
It matters to all of us! We are all dealing with some sort of inflammation in the body due to emotional, physical and mental stress, or all three at once. Our lifestyles today also have us connected to some sort of device such as our smart phones, computers, tablets, video games, etc. The electromagnetic field that come off these devices greatly disturbs our bodies.
Now to add a little more insult to injury, add in poor nutrition, and a silent storm of inflammation is brewing inside starting to create chaos and chronic illness. Sore joints, digestive issues, cardiovascular issues, autoimmune conditions, etc.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND WHAT’S NEXT?
There are many benefits to grounding, and the research is covered in this documentary. Here are a few:
Reduces inflammation
Quiets the central nervous system by putting it into a parasympathetic state which is our rest and digest state
Can lower blood pressure by allowing the heart to pump blood more efficiently
There are other steps to take to help lower oxidative stress in the body. They are:
Get plenty of antioxidants through your nutrition as they also donate an electron to a free radical
Manage stress, all kinds of stress, by practicing mindfulness
Exercise