Living Afield
Grounding / Earthing
As mankind walked upon the earth we evolved to make use of all the earth provided. From food and water to shelter, the earth has always provided for our needs. As we left the trees, we found shellfish, the fats from which allowed our brains to increase in size. This increased mental ability allowed us to develop complex societies. We bettered our lives in just about every way. However, as we found more and more ways to alter our environment to suit our needs, we have paradoxically become increasingly detached from the very earth that provided for our expansion.
This detachment has led to a multitude of physical and emotional problems. We are now plagued by anxiety, autoimmune related disorders, high blood pressure, insomnia, etc., maladies which were virtually unheard of a few generations ago.
I have to admit that when I first heard about grounding, perhaps 10-15 years ago, I wrote it off as another hippie-dippie fad. It was not until I watched the docuseries Proven, that I became intrigued enough to do some research into the science behind the practice or grounding. After reading perhaps 20 different published, peer reviewed, papers on the subject I decided to give it a try. These studies showed reductions in
stress (Ghaly, et al., 2004),
blood pressure (Elkin, et al., 2018),
blood viscosity a major risk for cardiovascular disease (Chevalier, et al., 2013), and inflammation (Oschman, et al., 2015). They also showed how grounding helped elevate
mood (Chevalier, et al., 2015).
I sit in a swing in our back yard with my bare feet on the ground for at least 45 minutes a day. I cannot begin to explain to you how much it has helped me. I would urge you to keep an open mind, and to give it a try. If you are squeemish about your bare feet touching the ground, you can wear socks. I would be willing to bet that after a week of grounding for 30 to 45 minutes each day, you will sleep better, You will have more energy, and you will feel more able to deal with the stresses of daily life.