Grounding, when was the last time you walked barefoot?

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Many of the things we did naturally when we were kids, we lost along the way in our journey through life. It’s such a shame we got so immersed in the lives we created for ourselves that we forget our basic instincts.

For example, I don’t know any kid who didn’t protest for putting his shoes on. On the other hand, almost all adults don’t go anywhere without their shoes. My son prefers to struggle walking on pebbles than to wear his shoes.

I spent many of my childhood summers in the countryside, at my grandparents’ house. I can’t count how many times I stung myself in thorns because I was always walking barefoot. Walking barefoot made me feel free and powerful. I liked how the grass felt soft under my little feet and how fresh the dew felt in the morning. Fortunately for myself, I didn’t forget this habit. I still practice it quite often, even though not as often as I would like to.

On the other hand, I know and see plenty of people around me who almost lost this fantastic habit. Therefore I decided to write this article as a reminder for myself and for you to take off your shoes and start walking barefoot, in the grass, on the beach, on pebbles or even on plain dirt.

Now we are adults, and we often need facts to convince ourselves to take action. At the end of this post, I will insert an excellent documentary that offers in-depth information about the power of grounding.

What is Grounding (Earthing)

Grounding also called earthing, is a therapeutic technique that involves doing activities that “ground” or electrically reconnect you to the earth’s electromagnetism. This practice relies on earthing science and grounding physics to explain how electrical charges from the earth can positively affect our body.

Grounding refers to every single direct connection you have with earth, from walking barefoot to lying on the grass, walking on the beach, gardening, swimming in the sea, ocean, lakes and so on. The act of earthing is deeply rooted in ourselves. We came from the earth, so the need of connection our bodies to connect with the source from which we are is derived is enormous.

Benefits of Grounding BENEFITS OF GROUNDING

It’s not necessary to say how divided and mean we’ve become to one another and the planet. Our disconnection is visible and painful in so many ways I can’t describe it. But, in this article, I will focus on how we can heal and transform this situation. I believe in this way we can live meaningful and joyful lives. All can start from our feet.

In the last decades, researchers from different countries discovered many advantages of earthing. It seems that grounding ourselves can have tremendous benefits for our health and the health of the planet:

• reduces inflammation and pain
• restores balance to the body
• increases healing speed
• improves circulation
• calms anxiety 
• balances the mind
• boosts immunity
• increases energy
• reduces cortisol
• reduces stress levels
• improves blood flow
• improves tissue oxygenation
• more efficient cell repair and function
• detoxification of waste and toxins
• promotes serenity and a sense of security

Being more relaxed, healthy and peaceful will not benefit yourself and those around you and contribute to a more peaceful and healthy planet. Your mood influences us all because we are all connected at an energetic level.

Scientifically Speaking 

Grounding is the process of removing the excess charge of an object utilizing the transfer of electrons between it and another object of substantial size. When a charged object is grounded, the excess charge is balanced by transferring electrons between the charged object and the ground.

Our body cells contain various ions like sodium ion, potassium ion, or chloride ion, which tend to conduct electricity. This makes our bodies a good conductor of electricity.

A large study examined the role of grounding on post-exercise muscle damage.

Researchers measured creatine kinase, white blood cell count, and pain levels before and after grounding. Blood work indicated that earthing reduced muscle damage and pain in study participants. This suggested that grounding may influence healing abilities. The participants were grounded using grounding patches and mats.

In a small study on grounding and heart health, the researchers took blood measurements from 10 healthy participants before and after grounding. They were interested to see if grounding can determine any changes in red blood cells fluidity, a crucial aspect in heart health. The results showed significantly fewer red blood cells clumping after grounding. This suggested the importance that grounding has for cardiovascular health.

It is Saturday, 18:32 when I’m writing this. I didn’t ground myself today, so I will pause and go with my lovely boys on a ride with the bikes. I intend to stay a little bit with my feet on the grass. Even though the rain just stopped and the temperature is not that high.

It’s never the perfect time to do something until we motivate ourselves to do what we know is best for us. What I want to say with this is that there is no time for procrastination. Your health, your happiness, your peace do not deserve to be postponed for anything and anyone. Like I said above, we are all connected. When you are not healthy and happy, at a deeper level, we suffer with you.

You can find further readings, case studies, and personal reports about grounding on Groundology.

Intuitively Speaking 

I think we came to a point where we no longer know how our intuition works and how it feels anymore. We hear and read a lot about the need to follow it, but how do you know when is the instinct, and when is the chattering mind? No one taught us how to listen to our intuition. No one talked about this thing with me when I was a kid.

As an adult, I often get so frustrated and mad at myself because I can’t tell the difference. It took me a long time until I got a glimpse of how it feels, and I’m still learning.

However, when it comes to nature, my intuition never fails to be clear and sharp. I tend to believe for you it is the same. You can’t help but notice the peace or hear the silence in your soul after a walk in the forest or on the beach.

Next time when you go outside, relax, be a little more conscious about your surroundings and the way you feel. Express your feelings, say in your head how you are feeling, and admitted. If you feel good, say it. Now I feel happy, peaceful, sad or lonely. Say it and permit yourself to be happy, peaceful, sad or lonely.

If you ground yourself, your positive feelings will amplify while the earth will absorb your low vibration feelings. In any case, you will feel better than the first moment you put your bare feet on the ground.

Now returning to intuition, if you resist walking barefoot but still do it and feel good afterwards, then you will know how it feels when your chattering mind is in control.

How You Can Ground Yourself 

Fortunately, there are many ways in which you can ground yourself, and they’re all free. The only thing that can stop you is yourself. As I said in a previous article, you always have a choice. I hope you will try and see for yourself if it’s helping you or not. If you decide to give it a try, here are some ways you can do it.

Walk Barefoot

You don’t need a description of how to do it. You do it anytime and anywhere you can until it becomes a habit, and you will pass it to others too. The most challenging things to do for our health and peace of mind are the easy ones—those things we don’t have to even pay for.

Most of us were taught that nothing it’s for free or nothing free has value when, in fact, it is quite the opposite. On a deeper level but obvious, everything we truly need is around us and is for free. Water, air, food, natural remedies or preventions, nature doesn’t ask us for money. Walking barefoot on the grass is the easiest thing to do for your health and is free.

Hug a Tree

Yes, hug a tree. I think it is the perfect time to stop overthinking and start experiencing. Let’s be clear with this if you don’t try. You only see half of the perspective. And this applies to everything. For a person to understand something, it needs at least to consider both angles of the situation.

So, next time you see a tree, and you remember this information, stop, take off your shoes and hug that tree. Close your eyes and listen quietly. He will say something to you, be opened enough to hear his message.

Plant a Little Garden 

Start a mini project, make your little garden, and spend time taking care of it. If you like gardening, but lack a house or a piece of land, look around you and find a solution.

My partner Christian loves spending time planting and taking care of plants. We live in an apartment and don’t own any land yet. But, somehow, he managed to find and rent a piece of land and planted a little vegetable garden. The feeling we have when we walk barefoot through the garden foraging blackberries is indescribable. Arun feels so good there he stays barefoot almost all day, eating fruits directly from the plant and watering the flowers. 

Look at the green space around your block. Find a patch and plant a flower, a tomato plant, anything that will remind you to ground yourself. You need to step a little bit out of your comfort zone and dare do something different.

Meditate Under a Tree 

Meditation and trees work hand in hand. One enriches the other and the other way around. It is a flow there which is established between human and nature true meditation. Having the earth under your feet, the tree to hold your back, and the meditation to connect them all is the only thing you need to heal, discover, and expand yourself. Buddha had his moment of enlightenment under a tree.

Eat Directly From the Earth

Eating locally and organically has tremendous benefits, and I’m quite sure you already knew that.

I know it can be challenging to find local organic food, especially if you live in a big city. But I also know that many people like you and me started little local vegetable gardens that can supply quite a few families. You can search for them online and see what you find in your area. Besides nourishing your body with proper food, you also support the little local farmers.

What I also invite you to do is to look around when you walk on the street. Most likely, you will find an apple tree, or maybe a blackberry bush, or any other edible plant. When you do that, grab those fruits and eat them with joy and presence. Here in Denmark, we have incredibly many blackberries, and they are everywhere. When we have our walks in the park, we always stop and eat some juicy blackberries. Whatever it is, take that fruit, throw a few drops of water on it, and let yourself be immersed in the taste.

It’s such a simple gesture but with so much richness imprinted. I took this habit from my parents, and I am deeply grateful for this, life seems much richer when we see how much abundance there is everywhere. Now I pass this habit to my son, and it seems he’s enjoying it.

Mindful eating is more than crucial nowadays. If we intend to live a balanced life, this is a practice that needs time and dedication until it becomes a habit.

Bottom Line 

We designed perfect environments in which we are separated from each other and the earth. Our bodies are made of water and minerals, the components of which the planet is made. Logically speaking, the earth is our mother. Which mother doesn’t want to touch and connect with her child, and which child doesn’t long from his mother embrace?

Grounding is that embrace, accept it and let it nourish you. We are designed to live healthy balanced lives, not disconnected and lonely lives. Connect with yourself through grounding, and you will inevitably reconnect with the planet and with all forms of life.

May your feet find earth for grounding when in need 
Michelle Schaper

Remember to love yourself,