Earthing ∼ What It Is & How To Do It

Read Time : 5 mins

Can you remember the last time you walked outside barefoot, how good did it feel? You may not have known at the time but this is known as Earthing (or grounding), a method used to ground & connect to Earth energies.

It’s something that we do quite regularly.

In this post, we share our own experience paired with external research to bring you more about what Earthing is, why it is good for health & wellbeing & how to recharge yourself using Earth energy.

---

Disclaimer – we may receive a small fee for any purchases made via this post. Learn more.

Written by The Wilder Route on 17th May 2021.

---

What Is Earthing?

& how our relationship with the ground has changed over time…

Earthing or grounding is the simple act of connecting with Earth energy by kicking off those shoes & walking barefoot outside. Yes, it is that simple.

When you walk barefoot, you are literally connecting with the Earth’s surface electrons.

The earth has an electrical charge, just like you do, & for most of human history we evolved to be in sync with the ground. We walked barefoot or wore leather soles. We slept on the ground, wrapped in natural elements. We were in constant contact with the negative electric charge of the earth. What this meant for us as we evolved is that our conductive bodies were essentially receiving free electrons from the limitless quantity that exists in the ground. & then, everything changed. In the 1950s, humans began manufacturing shoes differently. We used rubber, plastic, & other synthetic composites to make our soles, instead of leather, which is conductive. In doing so, we changed the dynamic of our relationship with the ground.

Source – grounded.com

The Benefits Of Earthing

Intuitively we know that connecting with nature is good for us & of course, studies including this one on the positive effects of nature on our wellbeing show just that.

Earthing is no exception to this rule, in fact by walking barefoot, we are directly connecting to Mother Earth, allowing her energy to flow through us, freely.

But why is it good for us?

Our innate immune systems use white blood cells (known as neutrophils) to release reactive oxygen molecules (commonly known as free radicals) to oxidize & destroy pathogens & damaged cells. Free radicals have an electron imbalance that makes them electrically charged – in their quest to find a free electron & neutralize, they can attach to or steal an electron from a healthy cell, damaging it in the process. The damaged cell then needs to be removed, & the immune system sends another neutrophil to process it, starting the entire cycle over again. This is how chronic inflammation (which causes chronic pain & promotes many health disorders) is set in motion. This entire response is compounded by the fact that free radical-generating substances are present all around us: in fried food, alcohol, tobacco smoke, pesticides, air pollutants, & even the sun’s rays. The earth has an infinite supply of free electrons, so when a person is grounded, those electrons naturally flow between the earth & the body, reducing free radicals & eliminating any static electrical charge. The reason grounding is so powerful is it reduces & prevents inflammation from occurring in the body, which in turn prevents inflammation-related health disorders.

Source – Clint Ober via Goop

Earthing For Emotional Wellbeing

We’re guessing you’ve walked barefoot before & know what it feels like but have you walked barefoot with the intention to connect & ground? With the knowledge of what Earth energies are & how they can benefit you?

Both of us have experienced the benefits of Earthing for emotional wellbeing, in fact when either of us is stressed, we’ll say to each other “shoes & socks off, get outside”.

It works, every single time, help us to feel better & a lot more grounded.

How To Recharge Yourself Using Earth Energy

If you can find yourself a quiet spot in nature, then great but if not, even just a small spot of grass will do. It doesn’t have to be grass either it can be sand, rock, or dirt, just nothing manmade, to properly recharge yourself using Earth energy it’s best to walk on something natural.

Removing your shoes & socks, walk across the surface of the earth, moving slowly & even closing your eyes (if you feel comfortable doing so). Take some time to feel it… what does the ground beneath you feel like? How does your body feel? Can you hear or smell anything?

Keep walking & just soak it all in… the longer you can walk the better, with a minimum of 20-minutes needed for the Earth’s electrons to have an effect on your body.

& if you’d like to go even deeper, lie on your back on the ground making sure both your hands & feet are placed firmly on the ground (so palms & soles of feet to the floor with your knees bent) – relax in this position & allow your body to recharge.

How Often Should I Practice Earthing?

According to Earthing research, going barefoot on the Earth twice a day, for at least 20-minutes can significantly reduce pain & stress. However, even if you can only manage 10-minutes a day, or even just a couple of times a week, it is going to help.

Awesome thing is that practicing Earthing & grounding is absolutely free & all you need to get started is yourself but if you do have other people who would like to join you in your practice then great, it’s always fab to have someone else with whom you can get a little woo woo!

We hope you have enjoyed reading this post on Earthing, but more importantly that you have learned something new.

Earth-based practices are something, after developing our own, that we have recently started to write about here on The Wilder Route – we’d love to know if you found this post useful so please do leave us a comment at the bottom of this page with your thoughts & of course, any questions you have.

If you liked this post we’ve also written all about healing with water – the what, why & how to & the incredible benefits of tree hugging so be sure to check out both of those posts too.

Thanks for reading & happy Earthing,

Kelly & Adam x

Pin me for later