From Sole to Soul: The Healing Nature of Grounding

If you’ve ever jumpstarted a car, you know you’re dealing with electrical currents. You’re probably aware that there’s a proper way and order of hooking up the red and black clamps to the battery terminals: positive goes with positive, negative with negative. An important and often-overlooked step, though, is to ground one of the black (negative) clamps; this is done by attaching it to a piece of metal on the car with the dead battery, thereby drastically decreasing the potential for fire or explosion.

Stay grounded to stay healthy.

Source: Canva

In a metaphorical sense, humans are no different. We’re bioelectrical beings. Energy flows in and energy flows out, just like the currents that run through jumper cables. Because our many bodily systems are fueled by a complex electrical network, we carry our own charge. This charge changes depending on our environment and what we come into contact with. As a result, our mental, physical, and emotional states are affected—sometimes positively, sometimes negatively.

The COVID-19 pandemic spawned a new reality consisting of face masks, business closures, virtual education, and social distancing, as well as the related mental, physical, and emotional aftermath. With the sudden upheaval of our everyday rhythm, humanity was forced to adjust to a new beat, a shift that has led to higher rates of anxiety, stress, and imbalance. To combat these feelings, we need to somehow calibrate ourselves.

We need to ground.

Grounding, or earthing, is a method of electrically reconnecting our bodies to the earth. By doing this, we’re soaking up healthy antioxidants and resetting our personal charge.

For example, it’s probably time to recharge your “battery” if you:

• Feel anxious, stressed, or nervous
• Experience inflammation
• Feel fatigued
• Suffer from a chronic illness or pain
• Have poor circulation
• Are easily distracted
• Experience sleep disturbances
• Are clumsier than usual

Fortunately, for us and every living organism, Planet Earth maintains a slightly negative charge, atomically speaking. It’s an invisible, omnipresent force that silently connects us all. Essentially, it autocorrects us on an individual basis. Although research in this area is still in its infancy, numerous studies indicate significant psychological and physiological improvements as a result of grounding. And the icing on the cake? It’s free and anyone can do it!

For grounding to work, your skin must be in direct contact with the earth—meaning grass, sand, soil, gravel, rocks, tile, natural water, or unstained concrete. Materials such as asphalt, rubber, wood, vinyl, and plastic are not electrically conductive, and actually create a barrier between you and the earth’s surface. So, when possible, ditch your shoes to soak up some of this natural electric goodness.

Below are a few grounding techniques to help prevent an emotional “fire” or mental “explosion”:

• Walking barefoot
• Collecting seashells or rocks
• Swimming/wading in natural bodies of water, such as lakes, rivers, creeks, and oceans
• Building a sandcastle
• Lying on the ground
• Having a picnic
• Gardening (skip the rubber boots and gloves when possible)
• Exercising outdoors
• Petting your dog or cat after they’ve been outside
• Handling crystals, gems, and rocks
• Using grounding equipment (e.g., metal rods, grounding mats, earthing shoes, patches, etc.)

Even during the hot Texas summers, my wife and I exercise outdoors because we enjoy the fresh air and the opportunity to ground. A favorite grounding spot of ours is at a nearby park, where we’ll often stop by the creek, remove our shoes and socks, and walk barefoot through the low water. We intentionally use this time to cool down, meditate, relax, and appreciate nature’s beauty. We’ve found that we’re more focused and energized afterwards. For us, it feels like hitting the body and mind’s ‘reset’ button.

Because the world seems busier with each sunrise, it’s paramount that we nurture our electric roots by getting a regular dose of Mother Nature. Just walk outside barefoot for a few minutes … she’ll set your soul right.