How to Relieve Stress Naturally with Earthing
“When you connect to the earth, you connect to the rhythms of the earth” –Jim Oschman
What is Earthing?
Earthing means getting “grounded,” the terms are interchangeable. This is done by making direct skin contact with the earth or by using a grounding device. Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra, a board-certified cardiologist, and certified bioenergetic psychotherapist describe Earthing in this short video:
Earthing is a revolutionary movement that promotes direct connection to the earth as we humans become increasingly cut off from nature. Earthing is as basic as the air you breathe, the sunlight that shines upon you, and the water you drink. Yet most of us have lost our physical connection to nature including the earth herself–and it’s making us ill. Our bodies run on electricity and when we are cut off from the earth we build up inflammation, a precursor for most serious disease states.
Earthing restores the body’s electrical balance and provides the right environment for the body to heal and thrive.
Why Earthing?
Think of Earthing as nature’s most powerful anti-oxidant.
Most people have an electron deficit which creates all kinds of physical problems in the body–and mind. Earthing allows your body to directly absorb the naturally occurring negatively charged electrons that blanket the earth. The earth is continually renewing her supply of electrons through lighting strikes and other natural occurrences thereby perpetually maintaining a negative charge on her surface.
When you put your feet on dewy grass or walk along the water’s edge (and I encourage you to do this natural method of earthing) you naturally pick up electrons that blanket the earth through the soles of your feet. Materials that conduct electricity, such as water, metal, and stone, facilitate this flow of electrons and your body will absorb electrons. Materials such as wood, rubber, and glass insulate you because these materials inhibit the flow of electrons.
Think about a lightning storm–you want to be in a place where you are insulated from the storm’s electrical discharges–such as a car with rubber tires. When the rubber is on the soles of your shoes it has the same effect and you don’t benefit from these naturally occurring electrons. Up until the advent of synthetic soled shoes, humans had at least some contact with the earth’s negatively charged surface. Now, how much contact do we get–if any?
Why Does this Matter?
It matters because over time the loss of connection with the earth’s surfaces, and her electrons, makes us ill. Really? Yes, when “grounded” we absorb electrons that neutralize or rebalance the body’s electrical imbalances. Think about how the heartbeats every second or so because of an electrical jolt from the heart’s natural pacemaker. Our nervous system runs on electrical impulses and when we are connected directly to the earth on a consistent basis our nervous system gets recharged and operates as designed. The simplicity of it is so beautiful, and yet when our connection to earth is “broken” the results over time can be devastating.
Stress and Earthing
We live in a time when stress has become the norm and most of us don’t know how to manage it. Chronic stress throws our autonomic nervous system (operating behind the scenes) into overdrive making us susceptible to stress-related illnesses. The two branches, the sympathetic “fight/flight/freeze” and the parasympathetic “rest and digest,” get out of whack. Earthing calms the reactive sympathetic down and regulates the balance between the two.
Earthing relieves stress naturally and is important to have in your stress management cache whether you do it naturally with toes in the sand or use Earthing products. Either way, break the cycle of stress and disease by adding Earthing to your lifestyle routines.
Chronic inflammation results from a lack of the body’s ability to compensate for electron deficiency.
From the Experts:
Cardiologist Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D. and Electrophysiologist Gaétan Chevalier, Ph.D. have reported the following benefits of Earthing in Earthing: The most important health discovery ever!”:
- Stress Management/Recovery: calming effect on the nervous system (quells the sympathetic nervous system)
- Improved circulation of blood
- Reported to improve heart arrhythmias
- Normalizes Stress Hormones including Cortisol
- Reduced Inflammation and Pain
- Improves cellular energy production (ATP or adenine triphosphate)
- Reduces the “stickiness” of red blood cells
- Improved Sleep
- And more!
How to Get Grounded
It’s effortless! You can even get grounded/do earthing while you sleep.
Why not just go for a walk outside? Today most shoes have soles made from synthetic material such as rubber or other non-conductive material which insulates us from the earth. Synthetic shoe materials do not conduct the flow of electrons (low levels of electricity). Leather soles of days gone by do allow the flow of electrons that emanate from the earth. In fact, there are “earthing shoes” that are now being sold for this purpose.
Walking barefoot and making direct contact with the earth is earthing, and you do indeed get grounded. But how practical is that for most of us? Working in the garden is another great way to get grounded–just let your bare skin touch the earth directly.
When is the Best Time to Get Grounded?
Anytime. Take a walk at lunch and put your feet directly on the earth. Not practical? Try wearing a grounding strap while sitting at your desk for hours. Refer to the resource link below.
Sleep on a grounding sheet and get the benefits of Earthing all night long. The more time you spend grounded the better. I once asked how much Earthing is too much? The answer came in the form of a question: Can you spend too much time in the garden barefoot? Probably not.
Earthing Resources
In this product review blog, I recommend several earthing products for use when you are not able to spend sufficient time outdoors barefoot. Click here and scroll down for earthing products.
Conclusion
Our collective loss of connection to Mother Earth is literally causing us to become dis-eased. While our minds and souls may feel rejuvenated from immersion with nature, our physical bodies need to feel that strong bonding connection to stay strong and healthy. The unending well-spring of naturally flowing electrons emanating from the earth, into our feet (or any part of the body directly connecting) is a gift from the earth, just as the healing power of the sun is. The earth is continually renewing the field of electrons that blankets the earth through lightning strikes and other natural processes.
At one time we lived more closely to the earth, and although that is not the way these days, take time to remove your shoes and wiggle your toes in the grass– as often as you can. And find ways to supplement your Earthing.
May we open our consciousness to the intelligence of Nature and listen to the credentialed pioneers bringing Wisdom forward that we somehow have forgotten along the way.
References
Gaetan Chevalier, et.. al. “Earthing: Health Implications of Reconnecting the Human Body to the Earth’s Surface Electrons.” Journal of Environmental and Public Health. Volume 2012, Article ID 291541, 8 pages.
Gaétan Chevalier, PhD; Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, FACC, FACN, CNS. “Emotional Stress, Heart Rate Variability, Grounding, and Improved Autonomic Tone: Clinical Applications.” Integrative Medicine • Vol. 10, No. 3 • Jun/Jul 2011.
Oschman, James, Chevalier, Gaétan, Brown, Richard. “The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases,” Journal of Inflammation Research. Open Access Full Text Article http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/JIR.S69656