In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to share with you one of my healthy practices that not only improves my overall well-being, but also helps me stay connected to Mother Earth.

Grounding or Earthing generally refers to the practice of connecting to the Earth’s surface electrical field and absorbing good electrons into the body through direct contact with the soil. Simply put, it’s standing, running or walking barefoot on the ground. Something humans have done for centuries naturally, until the invention of modern shoes. From then on, the umbilical cord was severed and slowly but surely we started suffering the consequences without even realizing it.

Animals instinctively know the secret

Over the years I’ve read lots of research documenting the benefits of Grounding, notably its ability to reduce inflammation, improve sleep, reduce stress, improve nervous system functions and its antioxidant properties.

“The Earth is a natural source of electrons and subtle electrical fields, which are essential for proper functioning of immune systems, circulation, synchronization of biorhythms and other physiological processes and may actually be the most effective, essential, least expensive, and easiest to attain antioxidant.” ~ Dr. Mercola

What Keeps Me Coming Back For More

From early childhood, kicking off my shoes was most common practice and the habit never really parted. Running around on fresh grass, burying my feet in sand, reading barefoot in the park and hiking on humid forest trails were all practices I adhered to without giving them a second thought! Once I became aware of the actual benefits of Grounding I made an effort to do it as often as I could, all the while observing consciously the effects it produced.

One of the most potent results that I’ve personally experienced includes immediate energy increase. Yay! Who doesn’t need a boost? I also observed how 15 minutes of Grounding actually seems to reduce stress levels significantly. So on a hectic day at work, I’d go for a walk and sit barefoot in the park and miraculously tensions seemed to fade away. Needless to say, I was convinced.

One of the challenges for people living in parts of the world where Winter seems never-ending is figuring out how to enjoy these same benefits while it’s freezing outdoors. I’m not a fan of the cold and despite how much I enjoy Grounding, you’d never find me chilling barefoot in 30 cm of snow.  Instead, I love to escape to warmer corners of the Earth and bury my feet in the sand of a tropical beach. Of course we don’t all have the means to spend all Winter in the South (me included), so as an alternative I also got myself a Grounding mat that I keep in my home office and enjoy on a daily basis all year long.

The closer you live to the Equator the luckier you are because you have optimal chances of Grounding whenever you feel like it. For the rest of us, we just need to make an effort to connect with Mother Earth as much as we can during the warmer months and possibly supplement with man-made Earthing goodies in the off-season.

So are you ready to leave a footprint & reap the benefits of Grounding?

Earth