Walking barefoot on a sandy beach, laying in the grass, hugging a tree—these simple moments of reconnecting with the earth can bring you more joy than screen time. And there’s virtually nothing more grounding than getting back to Earth.
The best part of earthing is that you don’t need special equipment to practice it. All you need is 30 minutes daily and a piece of natural ground to stand on.
What Is Earthing?
Earthing, also known as grounding, is the direct connection of your body with the Earth’s natural energy.
How does earthing work?
According to Donna Eden, pioneer of energy medicine and trainer of Mindvalley’s Energy Medicine Quest, grounding, in energy medicine terms, means that the energies of your body constantly interact with the energies of the Earth.
There is a very clear polarity that’s happening in your body and the Earth. When you connect with it, it serves like a colossal battery, charging you with free electrons. It creates a stable internal bioelectrical environment for your body’s normal functioning.
What is the purpose of it?
The purpose of earthing is to discharge your electrical energy and stabilize it.
Donna explains that we need to be grounded for the natural exchange between our complex energy system and the Earth.
“For this to happen, the body’s polarities must be aligned with the polarities of the Earth. Think of two magnets: if they are not in proper alignment, they repel one another. If they are aligned, they attract one another and exchange energies,” she adds.
In essence, grounding brings your positive and negative energies into balance.
Myths About Earthing
Earthing has been practiced by our ancestors as a natural way of healing. But in our modern society, it’s often perceived as a non-scientific activity of the New Age. This is why there’s much skepticism around grounding techniques.
Let’s look at the most common myths around it:
Myth 1: Grounding isn’t backed up by scientific evidence
There is solid scientific data suggesting the benefits of grounding. Over 20 studies have reported significant physiological improvements when your body is grounded. It demonstrates that earthing should be included in the clinical practice of preventive, alternative, and lifestyle medicine.
Myth 2: Grounding has no health benefits
There is growing scientific evidence showing that earthing offers many health benefits, such as reducing inflammation, improving heart health, managing anxiety and depression, and treating sleep disorders. And the lack of direct contact with the earth leads to physical and mental issues.
Myth 3: You need some special equipment to ground yourself
If you practice grounding outdoors, all you need are your feet and hands. You can walk barefoot on grass, sand, or any natural earth’s surface. Feeling the soil in your hands and swimming in the ocean or lake grounds you as well.
Myth 4: Grounding takes time
Practicing it for as little as 20–30 minutes daily is enough to experience its benefits. Walking barefoot for a few minutes will boost your energy and uplift your mood. The more you practice earthing, the quicker you will feel the difference in your system.
What Are the Benefits of Grounding?
Grounding is becoming mainstream nowadays due to scientific research, proving its numerous benefits for your physical, mental, emotional, and energetic health. Let’s look at what it can do for your body, mind, and soul:
Benefits for your body:
- Chronic fatigue. In a 2018 study, scientists observed consistent benefits of grounding for massage therapists suffering from chronic fatigue and pain due to their occupation. They also experienced an overall improvement in health and quality of life.
- Muscle damage and chronic pain. A 2015 study has shown that grounding has a healing effect on your muscles when injured or sore, reducing pain and inflammation.
- Hypertension. The results of this extended research have shown that grounding lowers high blood pressure in patients with hypertension.
- Sleep disorders: The latest 2022 study suggests that grounding your body can help you sleep better and longer as it lowers cortisol levels.
- Inflammation. A 2015 multi-disciplinary research has revealed that direct contact with the surface of the earth reduces inflammation, increases immune responses, and accelerates wound healing.
Benefits for your mind:
- Daily stress. Earthing is a natural anti-stress remedy as it discharges stress hormones from your system. Walking outdoors barefoot can help you slow down and reconnect with your natural state.
- Anxiety. Spending time in nature and connecting with the earth can instantly improve your mood. Negative ions coming from the earth activate your parasympathetic nervous system, putting you in a relaxed state and reducing your anxiety.
- Focus and concentration. When you are overwhelmed or distracted, you are ungrounded. It literally means that your mind wanders and your attention shifts from one thing to another. Putting your feet on the ground will instantly get you into your body and clear your mind.
- Mood. According to a 2015 report, spending one hour in contact with the Earth can improve your mood more than relaxation alone.
Benefits for your soul
- Feeling of safety. Grounding benefits your root chakra as it connects you with the core of the Earth, giving you a sense of security and safety on your human path.
- Balanced energy. When you practice earthing, it clears and balances your energies. If you experience low vibration, you can raise it using grounding techniques.
The bottom line is that the more you practice it, the sooner you will experience its effects.
How to Do Earthing?
Earthing happens when you directly connect with the energies of the Earth. Walking or standing barefoot, laying in the grass, hugging a tree, jogging outdoors, swimming in natural waters, such as the sea, ocean, or lake—these are the simplest things you can do to practice earthing.
Spoon your feet
According to energy medicine, at the bottom of each foot is an energy vortex that pulls energy in from the earth; your feet can attune you to the rhythms of the earth. You can spoon your feet to restore that connection.
How to do it: Take a stainless steel spoon and spoon your feet before going to bed.
Watch Dondi Dahlin, Donna Eden’s daughter, present how to do the spooning technique:
Frequently Asked Questions About Earthing
Earthing, as its name suggests, is a pretty straightforward technique. Yet, some questions can help you better understand how to apply it to reap the most benefits.
What is the difference between earthing and grounding?
Earthing is when you directly connect with the energy of the earth through your physical body. Grounding often means a meditative technique when you energetically establish this connection, visualizing it in the safety of your mind.
There’s a scientific basis to grounding called the mind-body connection. In the case of grounding as a visualization method, the body follows the mind. In other words, as you energetically connect with the core of the earth in your meditation, you ground your energies as if you were touching it with your bare feet.
How long should you ground each day?
Scientific tests and research suggest that you need 30 minutes of earthing to experience internal changes in your system. It’s especially beneficial to your blood and all blood-related issues. For more long-term effects, aim for one hour per day.
Are there negative side effects of grounding?
It can be overwhelming initially, especially if you aren’t used to directly connecting with the Earth. Negative side effects may include:
- Feeling of tiredness
- Earthing detox symptoms like fatigue, headaches, and skin rashes (due to the release of toxins)
- Worsening existing anxiety
When you gradually incorporate it into your daily routine, you will stop feeling tired or experiencing adverse effects.
What are the types of earthing?
There are two types: physical and energetic. Physical type implies direct physical contact with the ground, and energetic earthing is about connecting energetically with the core of the earth during meditation.
Does earthing work through clothes?
The energy of the earth is conducive through your bare skin. If you wet your clothing, it will help direct its current through the material.
Biohack Your Health With Energy Medicine
Your body and psyche are constantly challenged by unnatural environmental energies, additives in the foods you eat, and even other people’s negativity.
All these things throw your energies off, and then you become more susceptible to illness, depression, and confused thinking.
So, clearing, grounding, and balancing your energies regularly can prevent or reduce negative impacts on your mind, body, and spirit. And you can learn how to do it by joining Donna Eden in her Energy Medicine Quest.
Unlock a free class by signing up for a no-cost Mindvalley account and learning simple energy medicine techniques you can apply immediately.
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Images generated on Midjourney.
