“We often tired and imbalanced not because we are doing too much, but because we are doing too little of what is real and meaningful” – Marianne Williamson
What Does It Mean To ‘Ground’ Your Body?
Grounding your body can mean two different things, first of all getting grounded in your body. That is, getting out of your own head and reconnecting physically within your own body.
The feeling of being ‘ungrounded’ can include any increase in stress, anxiety, scattered thinking, or rumination about past or future events. Basically spending too much time ‘over-thinking’ and not enough time actually living! When you are grounded in your body you instantly feel more at peace and calm.
If you are a highly sensitive or empathetic person (quite likely if you are reading this blog!) you can often take on the thoughts, feelings and energies of the people and places around you as your own.
It is important to carve out a little bit of time each day for self care so that you can ground your energy, reconnect with your physical body and ensure that you are creating healthy boundaries around your time and your energy.
Grounding can also help you to recharge your batteries. Renewing your energy can enable you to feel full so that you can continue to give out light to the world and not feel constantly drained or depleted.
Teal Swan discusses in this video how if you have experienced any kind of abuse in your lifetime you will face difficulty with remaining grounded in your own body. A quarter of all women have experienced sexual abuse.
In these cases connecting with and staying present within your body can bring up alot of pain. Practicing grounding and developing a loving, connected relationship with your own body can be very healing.
Years ago I read the wonderful book ‘The Power of Now’ by Ekhart Tolle. At the beginning of the book he discusses how he was struggling with depression and was even homeless at one point. One day he thought to himself ‘who is aware of what I am thinking?’.
He believes that the awareness of the present moment is what ends all suffering. Negative emotions arise from being trapped in either the past or the future and not enough time spent in the present moment. Grounding is a fantastic way to regularly bring yourself back to what is happening right now.
What Is ‘Grounding’ Or ‘Earthing’ And How Does It Help Your Body Stay Healthy?
Secondly grounding can also mean to ‘ground’ your body with the earth – also called ‘earthing’. Earthing is also a great way to ground your body with the earth’s magnetic energies and helps to naturally rebalance your entire body! Back in the 1950’s Dr Winfried Schumann discovered that the earth has a frequency (7.83Hz known as Schumann resonance). The human brain when in an alpha or relaxation state gives off a similar frequency (8-12Hz).
This is no accident! For centuries humans lived in almost constant contact with the earth – until now. In developed nations we are less likely to die from diseases that are highly infectious and spread quickly from person to person. However we are far more prone to those slow moving, chronic diseases like cancer along with diseases of the respiratory and circulatory systems.
The magnetic energy that the earth gives off is negatively charged (abundant in negative ions). Throughout our day in developed societies we live in environments that contain many low levels of positively charged electrical devices. Think cellphones, microwaves, wifi, t.v. screens, laptops and any thing else that produces EMF (electromagnetic frequencies).
If you live in a city environment you can be exposed to different types of EMF all day and not really know how these frequencies could be negatively impacting you. These frequencies are said to be so low that they shouldn’t cause much impact but it is the cumulative effect that I think we need to be aware of coupled with very little time spent in nature.
An easy way to minimise any of the negative effects from EMF is simply to get grounded, get outside and get your bare feet on the earth! The earth’s negatively charged magnetic energies are what influences bees, and migratory birds. New research is looking at how EMF can interfere with the natural seasonal rythmns of the birds, bees and other animals that are dependant on the earths magnetic frequencies.
How does limiting our own connection with the earth’s natural energies impact human mental health, well being and circadium rythmns? The documentary linked below discusses a link between EMF and melatonin production which is produced in the pineal gland in the brain. EMF could be causing confusion with frequencies of light, our natural circadium rythmns and ultimately the amount of melatonin each one of us produces.
5 Benefits Of Grounding Your Body With The Earth:
(I found these benefits from ScottJeffrey.com and expanded on them his full article is very comprehensive!) There are many studies now which show how a regular grounding practice can be really healthy and beneficial for your body.
1. Reduces Inflammation:
When we sleep our body gets to work repairing cells and in the process free-radicals are created. A build up of too many free-radicals in the body can be negatively correlated with inflammation – the cause of many major diseases. Grounding helps to turn on an anti-inflammtory switch by neutralising free-radicals and also helps with pain relief for people that struggle with chronic pain.
2. Boosts Immune Response:
When grounded cortisal levels also normalise. Cortisal not only is linked to stress but also to blood sugar levels, metabolism, inflammation and brain health. Cortisal is also crucial to your circadium rythmn and your sleep cycle. Chronic stress and the negative effects on your body decreases your immune response.
3. Improves Emotional Wellbeing:
As I discussed at the start of this article grounding helps you to connect with the present moment and your physical body. This can help you to improve your emotional wellbeing to stay calm and balanced. Grounding can also help to reduce stress and enable you to stay strong and centred within your body.
4. Increases Blood Flow + Circulation:
The earth’s magnetic energy also helps to improve your circulation, which helps to improve the flow of oxygen and nutrients around the body. This also has positive effects on blood thickness, inflammation and cardiovascular health. Great circulation is also what gives us rosy, glowing skin!
5. Boosts Mood + Serotonin:
Serotonin is a precursor to melatonin production in the brain. When we are happy we also sleep much better! Being outside in nature just simply makes you calmer and happier. So make sure you get your 20 minute daily ‘nature pill’ and even better make sure you go completely shoeless 😉
Links:
20 minutes of nature the ‘nature pill’ study from Science Daily
Health Implications Of Earthing study from NCBI
“…emerging scientific research has revealed a surprisingly positive and overlooked environmental factor on health: direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth. Modern lifestyle separates humans from such contact. The research suggests that this disconnect may be a major contributor to physiological dysfunction and unwellness.”
Interesting study on how the earth’s energy can work as an antioxidant from NCBI
Healing Benefits Of Earthing from Chopra
Good Article on Grounding Products and ‘Dirty Electricity’ from EMFAnalysis
Documentary: ‘Resonance – Beings Of Frequency’
Some beautiful nature inspo from Jonna Jinton:
(Photo by Jeremy Bishop via. Unsplash)