Grounding: The Golden Ticket
When I was little and growing up in my suburban hometown in Oklahoma, I remember walking to our local 7-Eleven with my sisters in the summer to get Icees, candy and watermelon Bubblicious. More times than not we would see people walking into the store barefoot, likely stopping in to get ice, drinks and snacks for their day at one of the nearby lakes. I always secretly wanted to do the same thing, but we weren’t allowed to run around barefoot; only ‘those people’ would ever have the audacity to walk around with grocery store feet (if you’re from a small southern town you know that’s a thing!)!
So while I was curious and a little envious, I was also conditioned to judge those people. And while it may not be the most sanitary choice one could make, ironically they were probably some of the most grounded people in town.
It’s become almost trendy to talk about grounding, or earthing, but it is the most accessible and effective way to improve wellness and is readily available to every single person and critter on earth. Gaia provides us with electrons (aka antioxidants), which positively affect cell function and work remarkably well to reduce pain, inflammation and anxiety, and improve sleep and immunity.
There is quite a bit of published research on grounding, including this publication if you’re a rabbit hole person like me.
Before shoes and mattresses were invented, we were in constant contact with the earth. Even when shoes became a thing, the soles were originally made out of leather which allowed for conductivity. But in the 1950s, insulated rubber soles were introduced and cut off the energetic exchange between us and the earth. And now we have the added burden of wireless devices and WiFi which emit positively charged ions (aka oxidants or free radicals). Grounding provides a negatively-charged ion transfer to neutralize the positively-charged oxidants, but we have to be intentional about it.
p.s. please turn your WiFi off at night while you’re asleep!
Grounding is so important that before any energy session, it’s one of the top things we must get in place before doing any deeper work. It’s nearly impossible to balance a person’s energies if they are in an ungrounded state.
The input points and pathways for this energetic exchange with the earth’s electrons are some of the same points and pathways we work with in energy medicine. The Kidney Meridian, whose first point is at the balls of our feet, is the pathway for yin energy from the earth to travel up through the body. The Stomach Meridian, whose endpoint is on the second toe of each foot, is the pathway for yang energy from the heavens to travel down through the body. Even scientists are starting to acknowledge these energetic pathways and their role in grounding the human body.
Just as our bodies need water, nutritious food, proper rest and movement, I am a firm believer that being grounded is one of our basic needs.
I would also dare to say that if every person that is experiencing pain, anxiety, ADHD or a sleep disorder spent 20 minutes a day grounding, their symptoms would dissipate over time.
Is it a quick fix? No. Does it start working immediately? Yes.
As with exercise, you’re not going to get solidly grounded by going outside once. But over time it can really build your resilience and lighten your load.
Leave your shoes, phone and sunglasses inside and go outside. Listen to the noises you hear. Notice the smells you smell. Take in the bright sunshine or the glowing sunrise/sunset. Notice the temperature of the earth beneath your feet. Take some deep breaths and recharge your battery.