5 Amazing Benefits of Earthing (aka Grounding)
Coming into contact with natural elements like the sand or sea has many positive effects on the body and mind.
As a society, we spend a majority of our time wearing shoes. Both functional and fashionable, shoes protect our feet from injuries and help provide support—particularly when we are walking on surfaces that pose a risk to the safety of our feet.
But as a result of always wearing shoes, our connection to the earth has changed. Back when our ancestors walked around with bare feet or in footwear that had a non-conducive barrier (such as leather moccasins and sandals), they had exposure to many positive and natural elements that contributed to longevity and good health.
Earthing, also referred to as grounding, is the act of allowing your body to naturally connect with the earth—whether it’s sinking your toes into the ocean and sand, lying on the grass, submersing in water, wrapping your arms around a tree or placing your bare hands against the dirt—there are a multitude of ways that can come into contact with the earth. Increased evidence is showing that the earth can create a stable internal bioelectrical environment for the normal functioning of all body systems.
The best part? Anyone can do this no matter where they are. We all have access to nature in one form or another, from the beach or forest to a local park or even your own backyard. And while we’re all currently practicing social distancing, engaging in this simple yet effective practice is a great way to feel connected to the world around you.
Read on to discover five amazing benefits of earthing and the wonderful effect it can have on your physical and mental health.
1. It neutralizes free radicals.
Our body’s cells are made of atoms, which possess positive and negative charges that are based on the number of positive protons or negative electrons they carry. Many healthy atoms have a negative charge because they possess more electrons, but when they have electrons stolen from them, they become free radicals—which are highly reactive and damaging to our health.
By supplying our bodies with negative electrons or neutralizing antioxidants through earthing, we can help stop this destructive process. The negative electrons that we absorb by having contact with the earth helps to quench the free radicals and cancel, reduce and push away electrical fields from the body.
2. It boosts your mood.
In one study, an hour of grounding therapy was shown to significantly improve participants’ mood. When grounding, the levels of cortisol in our bodies begin to normalize. Cortisol is a stress hormone connected to the body’s stress response that helps controls blood sugar levels, regulates metabolism, and more. An influx of negative electrons from the earth will calm the nervous system, helping you relax while at the same time, improving your mood. This also explains why we feel happier after spending a day at the beach or hiking in nature.
3. It improves inflammation and immunity.
Since it helps improve cortisol levels, earthing positively affects the inflammatory response and immune system because high cortisol leads to systemic inflammation in the body. The negative electrons from the earth also combat positively charged free radicals generated by inflammatory factors as they are responding to infection, stress, trauma or injury. Earthing neutralizes free radicals, and as a result, the immune response calms down—contributing to a faster rate of healing.
4. You’ll sleep better.
Another positive effect of earthing is improved sleep due to the normalization of cortisol. The nervous system is an electrical system of the body and influences activities such as sleep, and negative electrons from the earth have been shown to calm the nervous system by shifting the autonomic nervous system from “fight or flight” (sympathetic branch) to “rest and digest” (parasympathetic branch).
In one study, grounding each night was shown to produce a significant improvement in participants’ quality of sleep, who also reported that they fell asleep more quickly and woke up fewer times during the night.
5. It reduces pain.
Because earthing neutralizes free radicals and calms the body’s immune response, it is also vital for managing and reducing pain. It helps improve circulation and blood flow, aiding in the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues throughout the body, which speeds up the healing process and as an added bonus, helps you breathe more easily.
Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk