By Madi
Somehow the concept of grounding has become a ‘hippy’ or ‘weird’ thing to do. There are times I take my shoes off and walk around outside and people stare at me as if I’m an alien with a misunderstanding of the modern world.
Modern Living
Along the lines of evolution, humans have separated themselves from nature. We live in plaster boxes and stare at silver screens. We walk around with shoes for many hours of the day. Many homes lack plantlife too.
A lot of the western-modern world has forgotten its roots. It has forgotten that we are nature. We are not above it, nor can we survive without it. Maybe it’s because we don’t have to hunt for our food. It could be because we don’t have to forage and pray that we find water everyday. The possibility could be that we don’t have to find shelter in caves or trees because we don’t see the wood being cut down for our tools.
As humans, we breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants inhale carbon dioxide and exhale oxygen–something we learn in middle school science class. That isn’t a coincidence. We are a part of what sustains this earth and planet. Without the trees, we wouldn’t have air to breathe.
Slow Down for a Moment
Look at the anatomy of a tree. It has roots that grow in the ground so the tree can grow upwards. Once it grows up, it grows out with branches. I like to refer to the branches as the tree’s arms and hands—the leaves being censors and feeders.
Do we not have feet or toes that act as our roots? That roots us into the earth. We have arms that stem like branches and hands that extend to give and to receive.
If you cut a tree down, you can see the rings that indicate the tree's age. Look at your fingers. Do those circles look familiar?
All of this is to say, we are nature. We are just like the trees. In essence, grounding and putting your barefeet in nature is going to calm the mind and body. You are returning to your source.
In Yoga
In yoga philosophy, the material in which this physical existence is made of is called Shakti. Everything you see, down to the cells and atoms is made of Shakti which is the feminine energy. This energy makes up the entire universe. I say this to reiterate that nature of all kinds is made out of the same material constructed in different ways and different fusions of various biochemicals.
The Science: The Cardiovascular System Effects
Other than the fact we are made of the same material as the earth, grounding also helps with the flow of red blood cells–blood circulation.
An article by Better Earthing explains this really well: “When Red Blood Cells (RBC) clump together in large clusters (or aggregates), blood flow becomes thick and slow-moving and is more prone to clots and blocks. Blood thickness is a factor in high blood pressure, as the body has to work harder to pump the blood around the body.”
Poor blood circulation is the culprit for inflammation, and since the body has to work harder to push through and around these clots, this creates stress on the body. It can increase blood pressure, but it can also imbalance the hormones.
Cortisol is the stress hormone, the hormone released when the body is protecting itself. When there is stress on the body, cortisol releases and can even take the place of the other hormones, depending on the severity. As you can see, it is like a domino effect. Blood flow is the priority, as it ensures nutrients and oxygen can be distributed. When that is strained or blocked, that’s when we feel pain, or become imbalanced.
Poor circulation in the blood can be the cause of a plethora of health problems. Since the heart pumps the blood, it is the heart health that can be influenced the most. When we are stressed, anxious, or in an unhealthy lifestyle, it can all contribute to poor circulation. The longer we put off prioritizing blood circulation, the more severe the disease!
Luckily, we have the earth to help us…and it’s free.
No one is telling you to sign up for “Naked and Afraid,” I feel that would just spike your cortisol levels. If you take your shoes off and let your toes sink into the grass, dirt, sand, your feet absorb the earth’s electrons. Think of the earth as a charging station: your feet are the plug and your body is the battery.
Watch this quick video to see the cellular before and after effects of grounding! Click here.
So what does grounding actually look like?
Grounding is an organic, natural blood thinner. It is a physical, mental, and spiritual practice that allows you to relax and calm the mind as well as relax the body. It helps to bring in stability and comfort from the earth when we’re moving from place to place (physically and energetically) as well as grounding our minds into our bodies to find clarity.
Grounding on a physical level: the feet–like hands but at the end of your legs instead of your arms. Hands perceive life: they touch, hold, give, create, destroy. Feet have fingers just like our hands. Socks cut off the censors in the feet, so our body, in essence, is walking around blind. You ever see Avatar: The Last Airbender? The character Toph is blind but she can see with her feet through the vibrations she feels. If you haven’t seen it, watch it! It is a universal truth in story form and I highly recommend it. It’s a cartoon meant for kids, but I’m an adult and I still rewatch it and love it.
Physically, grounding can reduce inflammation, stress, muscle tension, blood stagnance, insomnia, and so much more. Our ancestors didn’t have quick access to the spa, they used the earth!
Grounding on a mental level: bringing the mind back down from its chaos. Think how gravity pulls energy down. When we ground our feet on the earth, we are consciously connecting with bringing energy down. You can take a deep breath when there’s less noise and chatter around you. It allows you to get out of the mind and into the body. The mind plays a role in dictating the cortisol levels, so when you feel stressed or anxious, the earth can help bring that energy down and calm the mind.
On the spiritual and energetic level, grounding accesses our lower chakras. It works with our physical being by accessing the inner child. Think how you used to run around and play outside. Using your imagination to bring the trees and butterflies to life. It allows us to be free in so many ways. It connects us with our creative life force energy. Everything starts with an idea, a thought, an inspiration: every project, career, invention, etc. It starts with the creative energy and the power to bring it to life. Just running around outside and visualizing the trees talking or creating a story around the animals you see in the forest, all connects you to your inner storyteller, your inner artist–the power to create.
A Visual Meditation to Ground
Meditation in general is a great way to get out of the thinking mind and into the present mind. It is a proven way to calm the body by stepping into a position as an observer of the thoughts, rather than getting caught in them. A quick meditation I like to do, goes like this:
Find a comfortable seat or lay down on a flat surface. If you can do this outside, it would be even better, but do this where you feel the most comfortable. Close the eyes and bring your attention to the breath. Just focus on the inhales and exhales. Do this for a few rounds. Taking as long as you need to get out of the thinking mind. Let go of what you’ve done so far today. Don’t think about the things you have to do. Bring yourself present, to the current breath that is moving though you.
Now start to notice the direction of your inhales. When you inhale, the energy goes upwards. The belly fills and rises, filling the body with nourishment to the crown of your head.
Then notice the exhale, the air releasing downwards towards the toes. Start to feel this rise and release. Inhale from the toes all the way up to the crown of the head, and then exhale from the crown to the toes.
Do this until you feel ready to add on. This time, on the next exhale down to the toes, have a sense that there are roots stemming from your toes, your ankles, the soles of your feet and rooting into the earth. They can be any color, texture, size, let your imagination free.
Inhale back up to the crown as if you’re reaching the sky with your breath. Then exhale down the body, out of the toes, growing your roots deeper and melting the body a bit more into the earth as if you’re becoming one with it.
Continue with this until your roots reach the center of the earth. The earth’s inner core, the earth’s inner fire, inner power. Let that fire fuel your roots. Inhale that fire as a glow up the roots, into the feet, and up into the heart.
Continue here as long as you feel called to. Feel your body melt with every exhale. Feel your body rise with every inhale.
Remember if the mind wanders, it’s normal, especially if you’ve never done this before it’s hard to keep the mind present! Even if you do meditate, some days are harder than others. Don’t be hard on yourself, just guide the mind back to the practice as needed.
Other Ways to Ground
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Going out into nature barefoot, maybe even climbing some trees
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Asana yoga
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Our yoga mats have a grounding effect on the mind because of their earthly and soothing tones. The grippiness also allows you to root down so the body can rise and flow strongly. The joints are more protected, and the hands and feet feel more grounded in the grip that is able to be maintained throughout the practice.
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Journaling
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Meditation & Breathwork
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A nice bath with a face mask
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Self-massage with your favorite lotion or oil. Topical Sesame oil is so balancing for all body types (Ayurvedic Practice)
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Making a home cooked nourishing meal for yourself
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Planting a garden or some flowers and nourishing the garden
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Reading a self-development book of some sorts. Some I recommend:
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The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
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The Circle of Fire by Don Miguel Ruiz
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The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
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Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton
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SO many ways to ground. Ask yourself what your favorite way to nourish yourself is and do that!
If you couldn’t tell already, it’s really just self-care things. Grounding is turning your attention towards your body and taking the time to reconnect with yourself. It’s reconnecting to your roots, to nature, to source. To reconnect where you’ve been, where you are, so you can navigate where you’re going.
Grounding, like anything else, is a practice. Everyday will be and feel different. If this is a foreign practice to you, it might take a little while for your mind to soften into the idea. Do your own experiment! Share your grounding experience with us here.
Sources:
“What Is Earthing & Can It Transform My Health?” Better Earthing, 27 June 2022, betterearthing.com.au/what-is-earthing/?_gl=1%2A1b3mbm8%2A_up%2AMQ..%2A_ga%2AMjkwNjIwOTgwLjE3MjQ5NDgwNDA.%2A_ga_ZKBPYY012Y%2AMTcyNDk0ODAzOS4xLjAuMTcyNDk0ODAzOS4wLjAuMA..
