Grounding... putting your bare feet on the Earth...This is a subject that I've been learning so much about this past year. If you have read my story, you know that I have put my body through alot of ups and downs this past couple of years. One of the most difficult to deal with things that has come of all of this is chronic anxiety that can sometimes lead to debilitating panic attacks. If you are reading this and suffer from anxiety, I see you and I'm here for you any time. You also know that you would do just about anything to make it stop or at the very least turn the volume down in your mind, body, & spirit. Even though CBD was a huge lifesaver for me, I did alot of damage when I quit prescription narcotics cold turkey & was suffering severe anxiety as a result. I was absolutely determined to stay off of anxiety medicine and went on a quest to see what lifestyle changes I could employ to relieve my perpetual distress. One of the people I'm so thankful to have met on this quest is my precious friend Missy. I could go on all day about how much this beautiful soul has helped me even when she didn't even know. She offered so much inspiration to me as well as some of the best advice I've ever been given "Rachel, drink a big glass of water, go outside, and get your bare feet on the ground". That very evening, as soon as I got home I kicked off my shoes, drank a whole bottle of water, and headed to the yard with renewed hope that this practice would give me another non-prescription arrow in my quiver to combat this wild unbalance I was experiencing. I'm here to tell you that it was surprisingly effective. The only way I can explain it is that it turned the volume down in my mind and body & that, in turn, seriously renewed and energized my spirit. I sat in my front yard with both hands and both feet on the ground for about 20 minutes and had a wonderful and uplifted evening. In this article I will go a little deeper into the scientific theories behind the actual physical grounding (also called "earthing"), but I want to also point out that just sitting there I found myself marveling at things like how beautiful the clouds were, how I noticed the symphony of birds and bugs happily chirping, and how the little ants never take a break from their scurrying. That in itself was pretty powerful to me, realizing all the things I don't notice as much anymore because the hamster in my mind never gets off it's wheel. Physical grounding has become a regular part of my daily routine since that day. My husband will even gently remind me sometimes to go drink some water and get my bare feet on the ground. I've also been researching ways to achieve this in the winter time which I will go into a little later in the article for those of you who are interested. Now, enough with story time... on to some science and common sense! 

What is Grounding/Earthing?

Simply put, grounding/earthing is making direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth. When the atoms that make up our bodies loose an electron, it becomes a free radical and can do all sorts of damage to our delicate systems, throwing everything out of balance. When we walk around barefoot, we absorb it's electrons and they flow through our energy field.

How can grounding help physical & mental health?

We must first understand how electricity works in our bodies. Our cells are specialists that use electricity to communicate through our body to our brain. Elements in our bodies (magnesium, sodium, potassium, etc.) have a very specific electrical charge that our cells can use to generate the electricity they need to do their job. Electrons come in pairs and when an atom looses an electron it throws everything out of balance and can lead to a whole host of disease and malfunction in the body. Grounding helps to restore this balance. As we absorb the free electrons on the surface of the Earth, our body is better able to repair itself at a cellular level. Also, just the act of being in nature and noticing the beauty around you will facilitate a lifting of your spirit. Try it, go read the rest of this article outside with your bare feet on the Earth.

How can I achieve this when weather doesn't permit me to be outdoors?

• Touch something metal in your home that runs into the ground. We have exposed copper pipes in our basement that are perfect for this, however putting your hands on a metal electrical appliance can achieve an electron transfer.
• Take a bath or run your hands under water. As long as your water pipes are metal, you are good to ground. Adding amplifying minerals, such as bath salts can intensify the effect.
• If you are unable to achieve a grounding effect using these methods, never fear. There are many things you can buy, such as a grounding mat, that can mimic the effects of the Earth. There are many many places you can purchase these and I don't endorse any product over another at this time. Start by typing things like "Grounding Mats", "Grounding Therapy", or "Grounding patches" into your search engine and start researching! 

Modern lifestyle for the most part has disconnected us almost completely from everyday access to the Earth's electrons. Think about it, most of our shoes have synthetic soles, building materials that we come in contact with are mostly inorganic, most of modern society no longer grows their own food, and so on and so on. Many believe that this disconnect has had a catastrophic impact on human health. Just imagine, making this one little change to your routine could have a lifelong positive impact on your life.

Ultimately this, among all the other wonderful natural techniques and medicines we have at our disposal, are all about Homeostasis and living a balanced lifestyle is such a huge part of that. 

Bonus!

Here is another great little article with several simple techniques that can help calm your mind. 

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease