No Regrets, I Promise
Something happens, about fifteen minutes in. I feel the release. Anxiety floats away, fear transforms with a smile. My thoughts of the future shrink into nothingness. And no, I’m not talking about sex, I’m touching the earth ….
Grounding is establishing a direct connection between the earth and your bare skin, and it is being shown to provide health benefits for the body and mind. Grounding offers us a free and easy health maintenance option, and a way to practice mindfulness. Heuristically, I can tell you, it my favorite part of my practice of the Daily Here and Now, and I can feel it.
But what is Grounding, exactly. The earth has a slightly negative electrical charge, due to environmental phenomena like lightening. Our bodies have a slightly positive charge. When we touch the earth, we create a sort of ‘natural circuit’ that allows us to pass excess positive electrons to the earth and this process is detoxifying. This is because an excess positive charge in the human body (otherwise electron deficiency) can lead to cell oxidation and thus inflammation. Grounding is one way to reduce this excess positive charge and thus reduce inflammation, relieve pain, reduce stress, and a whole host of other benefits.
The Simplified Science of Grounding. The roots of grounding date back to indigenous cultures and Chinese medicine but modern science in the US began to accelerate its study grounding in the 90’s. Among the questions asked was a curious one: why do animals that live in the wild show no signs of chronic disease, and inflammation? Said another way, wild dogs don’t die of cancer. Studies have emerged claiming numerous benefits of grounding from normalizing cortisol levels and muscle tension to calming brain activity and increasing blood flow [1].
How I Ground. Even during the long winter, I like to ground outdoors. Typically, I’ll ground after my movement and strength routine, so my body is nice and warm and the cold on my pads feels quite good. I try to face the sun even if it’s not out and run through three Qi Gong exercises five times, then do some stretching and standing yoga. Then I’ll tap my body from head to toe and do some pressure and breathing exercises, before finally rocking back and forth with my eyes closed for twenty-one deep slow breaths (this number is arbitrary). When I’m done, I almost always feel a palpable sense of calm and happiness and when I open my eyes, the colors are more vibrant, the sounds more serene. I’m less rushed. I love grounding outdoors but not everyone can so thankfully, there are options.
Multiple Choice Grounding. First it was mats, then bedsheet, then bed mats, then mat sheets, actually, no, no mat sheets. Socks, yoga mats, and more, you can now purchase a grounding apparatus in many shapes and forms and plug it right in to your ground outlet (that’s the third lower hole in a standard western outlet and, you guessed it, that is grounded to the earth.) Be sure to purchase an outlet tester to ensure you have clean current. You can learn more on the site for EARTHING and check out their products or there are many other options in the market (disclaimer: I’m an Earthing affiliate).
However you do it, grounding holds potential benefits for your body and mind. It’s a great excuse to get outside too, and you might just find yourself staying out longer and longer, and finally tackling that garden project you’ve been putting off ….
FULL DISCLOSURE: I grounded before I wrote this article.
Be Good to Yourself,
– Ken
For more on my grounding routine and the art of here and now, follow Instagram: @DailyHereandNow
The Cultural Easton 