The Benefits of Reconnecting with the Earth

Sometimes we need grounding. Here is a great article that works without having to meditate, especially if you can be outdoors.

Posted on: 

Saturday, May 25th 2013 at 2:00 pm

Written By: 

Dr. Daniel Chong

What are the most basic, fundamental recommendations you can think of in terms of how to improve your health and prevent disease?

Eat well. Exercise. Get more sleep.

Sound familiar?  That's what I learned in school and that's what I teach to my patients and clients on a daily basis.  Some might argue other steps like exposure to sunshine and fresh air, stress reduction, quality social interaction, living a purposeful life and even hydrotherapy are equally necessary and fundamental, and I really wouldn't argue against any of them.  What I would, however, argue for is the inclusion of an additional step; one that, until recently, has been fairly unrecognized, certainly by the conventional medical system, but also by most alternative health practitioners.  What is it?

Touch the Earth.

Wait a second, you say. Unless I've had this whole gravity thing wrong all along, I thought we weretouching the earth. Well, we are, but not like we should be. It just so happens that humans are actually meant to touch the earth with our bare skin, and that doing so may be as fundamentally healthy for us as any other health promoting habits you've learned about along the way.
The most common term used these days to describe this simple, yet powerful healing technique is Earthing.  Another term is grounding. If you have yet to explore this technique, you are all missing out.  In fact, these days, from what I have seen in my own practice, I would now rate it as on par with all other basics requirements for optimal health we know so well.
Traditional healthcare systems like Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine have promoted the health benefits of skin-to-skin contact with the earth for hundreds, if not thousands of years. If that's not reason enough to consider this therapy, there is also now a growing body of research not only proving what those wise physicians knew all along, but showing exactly what happens when we perform this simple act.
What is known for certain is when you touch the earth with your skin or through material that does not insulate you from its energy field you immediately begin absorbing a significant amount of electrons from its surface into your body.  The key questions are whether or not this matters to you and what exactly happens to you when you do it. My experiences, having recommended this treatment to patients now for years, have been nothing short of astounding in some cases.  I like research and reproducible "proof" as much as the next doc, but for me, the responses I see in my own patients trump all.  Nonetheless, for other obvious reasons, research and the proof it can provide are important.  Here are some highlights from what we know so far:
1. Touching the earth is calming, reduces many negative effects of stress and can help you sleep
Have you ever arrived at your favorite park or beach, taken your shoes off and felt a seemingly instantaneous sense of calm overtake you?  You've probably never even thought twice about it.  Being at the beach or in a park is just nice, so of course you feel calmer right?  Nope, it appears there may be something more to it than that.
Recent research into the effects of grounding is showing that it leads to an increase in parasympathetic nervous system activity, and reduces sympathetic activity.  The fact that most of us walk around in a state of nearly perpetual sympathetic overdrive, anything that encourages parasympathetic activity is beneficial. Beyond that, additional research into other parameters of stress has shown that grounding also directly normalizes both cortisol secretion, a hallmark of stress activity in the body, and melatonin secretion, which is of course crucial for a good night's sleep and possibly much, much more.
2. Touching the earth is anti-inflammatory
Chronic inflammation is now understood to be a primary, causative factor in seven of the top ten leading causes of mortality in the United States. It is beyond the scope of this article to review the details of chronic inflammation, how and why it happens, but it is important to realize that chronic inflammation is not a good thing, and Earthing may be a simple way to reduce it, whatever the cause may be.