You’re walking barefoot on the beach.

Feel the warmth of the sun contacting your skin.

Listen to the rhythm of the crashing waves.

Smell the ocean wind as it brushes by you.

Now, notice your feet. Do your feet tingle? Is warmth rising through your body?

Perhaps you’ve noticed a similar feeling while walking barefoot on the grass.

In those moments, you are grounded. It’s one reason many people are drawn to the ocean.

Thankfully, there are grounding techniques that help produce a similar effect. These techniques can help you reduce anxiety, clear your mind, recharge your body, and calm yourself.

Let’s dive in …

What is Grounding?

Grounding (also called earthing) can mean two different things:

1. Becoming fully present in your body
2. Electrically connecting yourself to the earth.

We’ve all experienced this feeling of being grounded. We feel “at home” within our bodies. In this state, we’re less anxious and more focused and calm.

Grounding techniques are methods and exercises that help us become grounded. Grounding techniques can be physical, mental, emotional, or energetic.

13 Signs You’re Not Grounded

So how do you know if you’re grounded or not right now?

You are ungrounded if you:

• Get distracted easily
• Space out often
• Over-think or ruminate
• Engage in personal drama (in an addictive way)
• Experience perpetual anxiety and worrying

You are also ungrounded if you are:

• Obsessed with your personal image
• Possessed by a strong desire for material things (“brands”)
• Easily deceived by yourself or others

Physical signs of being ungrounded include:

• Inflammation
• Poor sleep
• Chronic pain
• Fatigue
• Poor circulation

It’s fair to say that being ungrounded is a worldwide epidemic. This epidemic is so entrenched that few of us even recognize the problem.

Grounding Benefits: Does It Work?

Research on grounding and earthing began emerging over the last 20 years. It’s still in its infancy, but the results and benefits of grounding are promising.

Over twenty peer-reviewed research studies are showing the positive effects of grounding.

For example, grounding yourself to the Earth is shown to:

• Reduce inflammation
• Improve immune response
• Reduce emotional stress
• Improve blood flow
• Elevate mood

If you take the mindset of an objective scientist, you can let your body be your laboratory. Then, you can evaluate the results of grounding and earthing techniques for yourself.

When I read the book Earthing (Audiobook) years ago, I was captivated by the idea. It seemed both natural and obvious.

Earthing, as stated above, means connecting your physical body (skin layer) to the Earth.

The ground wire is found in the third prong in every household outlet (that semi-circular hole beneath the other two prongs).

In case there’s a short circuit, the ground wire provides a path for an electrical current to be absorbed into the ground.

Without a ground wire, your body touching the device (electrical box, appliance, power tool, etc.) may complete the ground path. This causes a shock if not electrocution.

From an earthing perspective, our bodies are already short-circuiting, resulting in the prevalence of physical, emotional, and mental disorders and diseases.

The authors of Earthing explain:

Earthing naturally protects the body’s delicate bioelectrical circuitry against static electrical charges and interference. Most importantly, it facilitates the reception of free electrons and the stabilizing electrical signals and energy of the Earth. Earthing remedies an electrical instability and electron deficiency you never knew you had. It refills and recharges your body with something you never knew you were missing … or needed.

Connecting to the Earth grounds us, re-balancing our electrical system.

Earthing Theory: Why It Works

The theory is that earthing allows a transfer of negatively charged electrons from the Earth’s surface into the body.

These electrons neutralize positively charged free radicals that cause chronic inflammation.

Excess free radicals damage our cell membranes and DNA, leading to cancer and other diseases.

Because earthing has been shown to reduce blood viscosity (thickness) and inflammation, it has the potential to support cardiovascular health.⁷

Most of us have an overactive sympathetic nervous system—an effect of excessive emotional stress.

Preliminary studies show that earthing has a calming and balancing effect on the nervous system.⁸

Biophysicist James Oschman explains:

The moment your foot touches the Earth, or you connect to the Earth through a wire, your physiology changes. An immediate normalization begins. And an anti-inflammatory switch is turned on. People stay inflamed because they never connect with the Earth, the source of free electrons which can neutralize the free radicals in the body that cause disease and cellular destruction. Earthing is the easiest and most profound lifestyle change anyone can make.

Earthing Has Profound Implications for Physical Health

A growing body of research suggests that earthing helps naturally heal humans from a wide variety of ailments.¹⁰

Cyclists in the Tour de France often suffer from sickness, tendonitis, and poor sleep from the extreme physical and mental stress caused by the race.

The American team experimented with earthing after their daily competition. They reported better sleep, less illness, no tendonitis, and faster recovery from illness.

From my experience, the benefits of earthing go far beyond healing disease.

I believe earthing has unspoken mental and emotional benefits that support our psychological development and peak experiences.

Ground Yourself in Your Bioelectrical Body

Humans are beings of electromagnetic energy. Electrical currents and their associated magnetic fields fill and surround the human organism.

These currents comprise a web or system of interactive energy fields that govern the body’s functioning. In energy medicine, it’s called the human biofield.

This subtle energy is called prana in Ayurvedic medicine and qi (or chi energy) in Chinese medicine.

However, these ancient terms likely include other forms of energy beyond electromagnetic fields (for example, sound energy).

In ancient Indian and Chinese traditions, the understanding is that a life force energy flows through the body (and extends beyond it).

Blockages and imbalances in the flow of this energy lead to illness—physical, mental, and emotional.

More modern forms of energy therapies like Reiki operate on a similar principle.

The Electromagnetic Earth

In Chinese thought, the qi from our bodies comes from what they call Heavenly Qi and Earth Qi.

Heavenly Qi refers to the energy of the sun and the cosmos.

Earth Qi is formed from the Earth’s natural web of energy, its magnetic field, and its natural heat.

As it turns out, the Earth also has an energetic anatomy consistent with our own. (As the saying goes, “As above, so below.’)

Energy centers, energy channels, and magnetic fields emanate from the Earth (sometimes referred to as ley lines).

The Earth is like a massive battery that’s replenished by solar radiation and lightning. It gets recharged every minute by 5,000 lightning strikes somewhere in the world.

The principles of earthing tap into this powerful, natural source of grounding energy.

How to Ground Yourself Outside: Stand Barefoot

Grounding techniques to connect you to the Earth are straightforward: just take off your shoes and socks and get outside!

Taken from a modern perspective, walking barefoot on the ground might seem primitive.

From an instinctual perspective, however, walking barefoot is how we are meant to travel.

Stand on the Earth: grass, stone, sand, or dirt work best. You can stand in one place, walk, or lie down.

As in any electrical circuit, you only need one point of contact to establish a ground connection.

One foot alone on the Earth will ground you, but I’ve found that two feet on the ground provide a stronger grounding effect.

For healing, the researchers behind the Earthing movement recommend staying barefoot on the Earth for at least 20 minutes, twice a day.

But even if you can only walk barefoot for 10 minutes during lunch, it will still serve you.

Spend More Time in Nature

It’s difficult for many people to appreciate the connection between nature and our overall mental health.

Being divorced from the physical world, in general, is a clear sign that we’re ungrounded.

Thankfully, reforging our connection to the Earth doesn’t take any advanced methods.

Instead, simply make a conscious effort to spend less time indoors and in front of a screen and more time in the woods, fields, beaches—or whatever you have easy access to.

Even in a bustling city like New York, Central Park is close by. And if you can find nature in NYC, you can find it anywhere!

If you’re “wired” from a lot of screen time, spend as much time as you can walking, sitting, or standing in nature to counteract the many harmful effects of technology.

Mindful Stretching

Take any stretching routine you may already know from yoga, qigong, or elsewhere. (Or look one up on Youtube.)

It’s easy to mindlessly engage in stretching where you do the exercise while your mind wanders. (We’ve all done it!)

The key to using stretching as a grounding technique, however, is to bring your awareness to the act of stretching and the experience within your body.

Mindful stretching helps integrate the body and mind; it’s an underrated yet highly effective way to ground yourself.

How to Ground Yourself Indoors (Electrically)

One of the primary reasons we need to learn how to ground ourselves is that we’re being bombarded by harmful electromagnetic radiation (EMF) from devices (smartphones, computers, WIFI, etc.) in our homes.

There are numerous ways to ground yourself indoors:

• Assuming your house is wired with a ground (copper rod), you can touch your finger to the center screw in a wall electrical outlet to yourself yourself
• Touching a radiator
• Touching a copper pipe/ COPPER BRACELET
• Using a grounding mat (see below)

If you have a concrete basement, you can stand barefoot to ground yourself as well.

How to Ground Yourself Electrically When Using a PC

It’s also a good idea to stay electrically grounded whenever you’re working in front of a computer or any device.

Earthing pads are made of conductive material plugged into any electric outlet’s grounding port.

You’re technically grounding as long as your skin is in contact with the pad.

You can purchase a universal earthing mat or make your own.

To make your own, you need a conductive material like copper mesh and a grounding plug with an alligator clip to connect to the copper. (See this review for step-by-step instructions.)

I use both options. I have a Universal Earthing Pad under my keyboard and built a grounding mat with copper mesh, wood, and a grounding plug. The copper mat is under my feet as I type.

I explain more about earthing products below—including my experiences using them for years.

Time: Whenever you’re in front of a screen.

How to Ground Yourself Using Earthing Products

When I first read about earthing years ago, it was during the winter.

I wasn’t ready to walk on the frozen ground so I invested in some Earthing products.

Behind the Earthing movement is a new industry of products designed to ground you by connecting the product to the ground wire in your home.

You can get:

• Earthing bed sheets
• Pillow covers
• Grounding mats for your desk
• Chair mats
• Patches
• Earthing shoes

These products appear to work, but the positive results reported could be a placebo effect.

I honestly don’t know for certain, but preliminary research suggests they provide genuine health benefits.

While earthing shoes don’t provide me with the same experience as being barefoot, I can still feel a grounding effect.

You can also still ground yourself in your home without any products. When indoors, ceramic tile and concrete flooring can ground you if you walk barefoot. (Carpet, vinyl, and wood flooring will not ground you.) But the effects aren’t as powerful as direct contact with the Earth itself.

Can You Feel the Grounding Effects with Earthing Products?

If I tried earthing twenty-plus years ago, I probably wouldn’t have felt anything. I had little energetic sensitivity to the movements and sensations in my body.

However, I have greater body awareness after practicing Qigong for over 15 years.

I can instantly observe specific sensations when I connect my feet to the Earth. I can also detect a slight vibration emanating from the ground when I’m centered.

I have used earthing pads and sheets for years as I believe the principle behind earthing is sound.

Maximize the Effectiveness of Grounding Techniques and Earthing

If you consciously ground yourself in your body and then root yourself to the Earth, you can augment the effects of grounding and earthing.

The more time you spend in front of a computer or connected to your phone, the more you’ll benefit from grounding and earthing techniques.

Some people believe there isn’t valid evidence to prove that electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) and radiation waves from electronic devices like mobile phones are harmful.

To me, that’s total nonsense. The evidence continues to mount.

Ultimately, you need only get more rooted in your body to end the debate. The harmful effects of EMF radiation from these devices become noticeable in your energetic body.

 

 

How to Eliminate Chronic Inflammation

Humans used to walk barefoot on the Earth.

We also used to sleep directly on the ground, or natural materials like grass, straw, or animal skins.

Evidence suggests that earlier humans were far stronger, taller, and with larger brains.³

We have to wonder if chronic illness even existed back then.

Could the solution to our electron deficiency simply be to ground ourselves and reconnect with the Earth?

The Earth has an unending supply of these vital electrons.

But our rubber-soled shoes are insulating us from these electrons. It’s why we feel so much more relaxed when we’re walking barefoot on the beach.

So walking barefoot is one solution to this electron deficiency. Wearing earthing shoes is another.

But What About Grounding While We Sleep?

Sleeping is one of the primary ways our bodies mitigate internal threats.

But now, we’re attacked by excessive pathogens even when we sleep.

Most of our modern environments fuel inflammation.

Harmful electromagnetic frequencies (EMF) from our electronic devices, WIFI, smart meters, and power lines bombard us while we sleep.

As a consequence, chronic sleep problems where individuals experience pain and wake up frequently are becoming “the norm.”

Thankfully, there’s a new solution to this modern problem: Earthing sheets (also called grounding sheets).

What Are Grounding Sheets?

Earthing sheets are regular bedding sheets with a conductive material woven through them.

Most often, this material is silver thread because silver is an excellent conductor.

Oftentimes, this conductive material connects to a wire you plug into the grounding port on a standard electrical outlet (it’s the third prong; that semi-circular hole beneath the other two prongs).

How Grounding Sheets Work

Every household outlet has a ground wire that connects the electricity in the house to the ground outside (a copper rod buried in the ground).

In case there’s a short circuit, the ground absorbs the electrical current in the grounding wire.

Without a ground wire, your body touching the device—electrical box, appliance, power tool, etc.—may complete the ground path, resulting in a shock, if not electrocution.

Grounding sheets and earthing mats operate by a similar principle.

By “earthing” your bedding to the grounding wire in a household outlet, you’re theoretically grounding yourself to the Earth, allowing electrons to scavenge your excessive free radicals.

Instead of absorbing additional inflammation from electromagnetic radiation while you sleep, now you’re neutralizing this inflammation by introducing new electrons into your body.

Do Grounding Sheets Really Work? What are the Benefits?

The results of a preliminary study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine are compelling.

Dr. Maurice Ghaly found that participants who slept with a grounding pad showed a reduction in cortisol levels (a hormone associated with stress).

Ghaly and his team also found that participants’ circadian rhythms began normalizing.

Participants reported improved sleep and reduced pain and stress.

The current research on grounding benefits is promising. Twenty-two peer-reviewed research studies show the positive effects grounding has on the human body.

For example, grounding can:

• Reduce inflammation
• Improve immune response
• Reduce emotional stress
• Improve blood flow
• Elevate mood

So do ground sheets work? By this evidence, it certainly appears so.

How to Use Earthing Sheets

Using earthing sheets is easy. Simply make sure your bare skin is touching the ground bed sheet, earthing bed pad, or earthing pillowcase.

You can purchase fitted earthing sheets, a flat sheet, or even a half sheet.

You don’t have to have all of them. One earthing sheet or pad connected to a grounding wire is sufficient.

That said, it’s best to have your earthing sheets or pads beneath you when you sleep. This way, the weight of your body ensures you’re making a strong grounding connection.

You also need to test your outlet to ensure that it’s grounding. An outlet checker often comes with your earthing sheets.

Earthing Blanket: Another Way to Ground Your Bed

Earthing Throw Kit 

Finally, in addition to grounding your bed with earthing sheets, you can use an Earthing Throw kit instead.

While you can put this over your bed, your skin needs to be either in direct contact with the blanket or be in contact with a conductive material on the blanket.

This option is great if you want to ground yourself while on the couch reading a book or watching television.

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