Vitamins and minerals are essential for many bodily functions and play an important role in our health. They aid in regulating hormones, bone health, healing, and the fight against infections. Except for vitamin D, which our bodies produce when exposed to sunlight, most vitamins are accessible through the food we consume.
Walking barefoot in the woods
So, how about Vitamin G (Grounding)? Our diets cannot provide everything required for a healthy body, though a well-balanced diet is essential!
Our bodies also require other beneficial elements from our surroundings to function correctly. Our environment has a significant impact on our well-being.
In essence, just as the human body requires sunlight to generate vitamin D, it also involves ground or earth exposure to receive electrical nutrition in the form of charged particles or Vitamin G!
Numerous studies have revealed that we are electrical beings. We evolved in relationship to the Earth. The human body, including the brain, heart, and muscles, is all electrical.
Walking barefoot on the earth or immersing ourselves in natural water helps us accumulate electrons that help neutralise free radicals. Free radicals trigger inflammatory responses and thus damage our body’s cells.
We benefit from grounding or earthing when we connect to the earth’s grid system.
In today’s world, we live mostly insulated from the Earth. During the colder, darker months of Fall and Winter, we retreat further into our homes, offices, and cars, cutting ourselves off from the ground’s healing electrons.
Grounding availability is reduced. This “disconnect” causes us to become deficient in electrons over time, critically affecting all areas of our health.
Today, we will examine how grounding exercises can help you recover from stressful situations without negatively impacting your health.
Grounding exercises improve our ability to deal with stress. They connect us to our bodies and minds, allowing us to remain grounded during difficult times.
Grounding exercises are an effective treatment for pain and anxiety disorders. They have been used for thousands of years and are popular today.
There are many different types of grounding exercises, but they all aim to ground the body and reduce the effects of chronic stress. Learning to ground correctly can help you effectively manage stress throughout your day.
What exactly is grounding?
Grounding is connecting to the Earth’s energy and counteracting its adverse effects on the nervous system.
Dr. Edmund Jacobson, considered the father of modern bioenergetics, was the first to study and document it.
He described a series of simple exercises that anyone could do daily to help alleviate the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
His method involves lying on the floor and touching the soles of his feet together, then moving upwards along his legs, torso, arms, neck, head, ears, eyes, and nose and finally connecting with the earth at the top of his head.
In his book “The Biology of Belief,” he compares these methods to tapping into the subconscious mind.
What is the purpose of grounding?
When we have stressful thoughts or emotions, our brain produces neurotransmitters, which cause us to feel anxious or depressed.
These neurotransmitters send messages throughout the body telling us whether to fight or flee.
When we do not respond to these signals, they accumulate and become chronic.
Chronic stress is what causes anxiety and depression; it does not cause them; it only exacerbates them.
Grounding helps us release stress hormones by connecting us to the earth.
Who should perform grounding exercises?
Anyone can benefit from grounding.
According to studies, people who regularly practise grounding exercises recover faster from traumatic events and are less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression after experiencing life crises.
Anyone working long hours or living in a crowded environment is vulnerable to stress-related illnesses.
People who work night shifts or travel frequently, eat poorly, exercise infrequently, drink alcohol, or smoke cigarettes are more likely to develop chronic stress issues.
How long Should I practice grounding?
You should ground for three weeks before deciding if it works for you. If you notice improvements in your mood, sleep quality, and stress level, continue practising for a month. If you continue to see positive results, keep doing it indefinitely.
As with any exercise routine, consistency is required to reap the benefits.
2 Grounding exercises to help you connect to the earth
Grounding exercises to reconnect you to the Earth are simple: remove your shoes and socks and go outside.
You can stand still, walk, or lie down.
Like any other electrical circuit, a ground connection requires only one point of contact.
One foot on the ground will ground you, but two feet on the ground will provide a more substantial grounding effect.
The Earthing movement’s researchers recommend walking barefoot on the ground for at least 20 minutes twice daily for healing.
However, it will be beneficial even if you can only connect to the Earth for 10 minutes during lunch.
Pesticide-sprayed grass should be avoided because it will be absorbed through your feet.
Be cautious in areas where there could be broken glass or debris.
Avoid walking barefoot on asphalt.
Stand tall like a tree
Zhan Zhuang, or standing meditation, works best in nature (in fresh air) and even better when done barefoot on the Earth.
Time range: 1 minute to 10 minutes
1. Visualization technique of earthing
Feel the earth beneath your feet and centre yourself.
Now, concentrate on your heart.
Become aware of the life energy emanating from your heart.
Consider the centre of the Earth.
It could be a magma core, a circle of light, or anything else that occurs to you.
Next, imagine a curved beam of light or energy travelling from your heart to the core of the Earth.
A complementary curved energy beam extends from the core to your heart (completing a pointed oval).
Feel the link between your heart and the centre of the Earth.
Time: As long as you want.
Rolling around like a cat
Have you ever noticed how some cats and dogs roll around on the ground?
I’ve often wondered if they know instinctively how to release negative energy.
Try getting your hands dirty and rolling around on the ground.
You’ll realise why cats do it.
It feels great.
Time: 2–5 minutes or as long as you want.
Where can I find more information?
There are several good books available that thoroughly describe grounding techniques.
Check out some of these titles:
- James Hillman’s “Anatomy of a State of Mind”
- Edmund Jacobson’s “The Biology of Believing”
- Andrew Weil’s “Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself”
- Daniel Kahneman’s “Thinking Fast and Slow”
- Andrea Magrin “I Do Not Think Therefore I Am”
Where can I find assistance?
You can learn more about how we can help you with grounding and mind-calming by clicking on the links below:
