Can grounding (connecting with the earth’s energy) boost your health?
By making contact with the ground and connecting to the earth’s energy, grounding is said to deliver a raft of impressive health benefits. But does it really work?
We all know the basics of wellbeing include healthy eating, plenty of exercise and activities such as yoga and meditation.
But grounding (also knowns as earthing) is another approach that many believe is not only good for the soul, but our health too.
The theory is the earth’s surface has a negative electrical charge, and when we make direct contact with it, our bodies can absorb this charge, which has been shown to have a range of benefits for wellbeing.
“Basically, we are energy and there’s energy all around us, so we need the earth to recharge,” State of Balance kinesiologist Marisa Fraser says.
“But many of us have become really disconnected from the earth over the past decade.
“People live in high-rise towers, where there’s lots of concrete in the environment, so they rarely get that connection with the ground that they need.”
Connection between grounding and healing
Studies have found contact with the ground has some magical effects on physiology and health with evidence it can help immune responses, wound healing and prevention of chronic illness.
Improved sleep quality, stress reduction and a boost in mood have also been linked to earthing practices – likely because grounding can help regulate the body’s cortisol levels, which play a role in stress response.
Marisa adds grounding also has some “positive effect” when it comes to conditions including arthritis, heart disease, and mood.
How to start grounding
Getting grounded or earthing yourself is pretty easy to achieve.
Marisa says it can be as simple as walking barefoot on grass or sand, lying down in the park or running your hands across bare earth.
“Take your shoes and socks off, make sure your skin is connecting to the ground and you’ll notice that after 20 minutes it’s really fantastic for anyone that has any inflammation,” she says.
Grounding for urbanites
You can still stay grounded even if where you live or work doesn’t provide easy access to the earth.
Better Earthing naturopath Gary Beck says there are a range of grounding products available for people who live in highly urbanised environments.
“The reality is a lot of people don’t have regular opportunities to get their feet on the beach or on the grass,” Gary says.
“There are city dwellers, people who are living in apartments or don’t live near the seaside, who have little opportunity to get that connection directly.
“So, indoor earthing products offer a solution or an alternative.
Products for indoor earthing include grounding mats, earthing yoga mats, and fitted earthing sheet underlays that are designed to neutralise the electric charge that runs through the body.
For more tips on finding inner calm:
