Holistic and natural health has many forms. Some people think about natural DIY
products for their skin and hair using ingredients like coconut oil, witch hazel, and
avocados, while other people think more about essential oils, natural herbs, and healing
crystals.
While this is all considered great for overall health and wellness, there is a lot more to it
than that. Some holistic healing practices are more about the mind, rather than just the
physical state. These might include meditation, mindfulness, journaling, and
acupuncture.
Another holistic practice that is great for your emotional and mental state is called
earthing. This is often used to help ground you, providing a long list of healing benefits
for your mind and body.
If you haven’t heard of earthing before, it might sound silly, but it is actually very
therapeutic and something you can do just about anywhere.
Keep reading to learn more about earthing and grounding, and how it can help you each
and every day.
What is Earthing?
To start off talking about earthing and how it works, it helps to understand a little more
about what exactly it is and why you should be doing it. This will help to give you more
insight so you can decide for yourself if it is something you want to explore further.
Defining Earthing
Earthing is simply a practice where you put a part of your body in contact with the
earth’s surface.
Earthing is simply a practice where you put a part of your body in contact with the
earth’s surface.
This can be any part of your body and any surface, but it is most often
done with bare feet. This tends to be the easiest and most convenient method, though if
you want to put your hands on the earth’s surface while sitting on the ground, you can
definitely do that.
What Part of the Earth?
The great thing about earthing is that it is very versatile. You simply need to touch skin
to earth. By earth, it means any surface that gives you contact, which often includes the
dirt or soil on the ground, sand at the beach, natural body of water, or any other
conductive surface.
A Tip for Earthing
It is recommended that if you are standing on flat ground with bare feet, you choose a
natural surface like soil and grass, as opposed to a road with gravel or concrete, which
is not direct contact.
What you will notice is that when you spend some time connecting with the earth
directly with skin-to-earth contact, it starts providing a lot of amazing healing benefits.
This is great for physical and mental benefits, which you will learn more about in the
next section.
Benefits of Earthing
With a little more understanding of what earthing is and the basic concept of how you
can do it, it is time to learn about the benefits and exactly why it is so beneficial for you.
Earthing is a way to ground yourself, which can have a lot of mental health benefits, but
that’s not all. It is also beneficial in a number of different ways, with research being
constantly done about all the positive effects.
When you are having a panic attack or have a lot of stress, and you spend time at the
beach in your bare feet or need to stand on the ground for just a few minutes to relax,
do you ever wonder why it can help you? In fact, if you imagine yourself standing in cold
grass, warm sand, or the comfort of soil, can’t you just feel the relaxation and amazing
feeling?
That is exactly why earthing is so beneficial. You might feel tingly in your feet just
thinking about it, which is a sensation scientists are still looking at.
Physical Benefits
The first category of benefits for earthing are the physical advantages. These tend to be
more surprising to people, especially with how many there are.
Here is a rundown of some physical benefits you get from earthing:
- It helps to reduce chronic pain
- You get a break from inflammation and swelling, such as from arthritis
- It can increase your energy levels during the day
- You relieve headaches and migraine pain
- It eases muscle tension
- Earthing is great for regulating your blood pressure
- You can get better circulation in your body
Mental and Emotional Benefits of earthing:
Naturally, there are also some mental and emotional benefits as well, such as:
- Relieving anxiety through grounding
- Reducing the effects of a panic attack
- Helping with depressive episodes
- Relieving your stress levels
- Getting better sleep thanks to the mental break
- Experiencing calm and serenity
These are not all the health benefits you can experience from earthing, but they show
you just how many different areas of your mental and physical health can be improved
just by standing outside barefooted.
How to Use Earthing for Grounding
Earthing can be used on its own for the above benefits, but it can also be used in
conjunction with grounding. This is another concept that is wonderful for your mental
and emotional state.
What is Grounding?
Grounding is a type of skill that certain people learn in order to handle their own
emotions or those around them. Everyone does grounding for different reasons, from
the person with a high-stress job to someone with sever anxiety and panic attacks.
There are also empaths who need to ground themselves in order to not become
overwhelmed by other emotions around them. This is commonly done by people who
are extremely sensitive to other people’s thoughts and feelings.
Why Grounding is Necessary
Grounding is not necessary for everyone, but it definitely has its advantages. When you
learn this important skill along with earthing, you become more balanced inside and out,
can handle your emotions and those around you, and have a safe place to de-stress.
Earthing Indoors and Outdoors
If you want to use earthing to help ground yourself, it is better to do it outdoors as
previously mentioned. This is when you are going to find earth you can be in contact
with, often by standing on it with your bare feet.
Here are some of the popular outdoor methods for earthing:
- Stand on soil or dirt with your bare feet – One of the easiest ways to do earthing for
grounding yourself is to stand outside on soil or dirt. Just make sure it is natural earth
and not manmade. - Stand on real grass – Again, it is only earthing if you are touching something that is
from the earth. Real grass that grows in soil from seed counts, but not synthetic grass.
Stand on the sand at the beach – If you are at the beach, you can also stand in the
sand. - Lay down on the grass or beach – Again, at the beach or park, stand on the ground
or lay down without a towel or blanket underneath you for grounding.
Stand in natural water – Water also counts as the earth’s natural surface, so you can
stand in a natural ocean, lake, or river, as long as it is not manmade. - Touch your hands to the ground – Finally, you can use other parts of your body for
earthing and grounding as well. If you are sitting on the ground, touch your hands to
sand or dirt to help ground yourself.
Ground Yourself Indoors
While not ideal, you can also do earthing and grounding indoors. This might be
necessary if there is inclement weather, or you don’t have the opportunity to get outside
for long enough, especially with bare feet. If it is the winter, you probably don’t want to
go outside and stand on freezing grass or soil with no shoes on.
Use an earthing mat – Earthing mats are made specifically for earthing when you can’t
get outside, or don’t have any natural surfaces outside your home. These are great for
people who live in apartments or condos without their own lawn.
Try standing on soil or sand – Something you can create yourself is a shallow or
deep tray that is filled with something from the earth’s surface, such as sand from the
beach, or soil from your backyard. Keep it on your porch or somewhere else it won’t
make a mess, making sure it is large enough and stable enough for you to stand on for
earthing purposes.
Be Careful with Ground Currents
There might be a situation where doing earthing indoors is better than going outside.
This is usually when ground currents are a big concern. If there is a lot of electric energy
in the ground, such as in a big city, it won’t be relaxing or therapeutic to stand on the
ground. In this case, stay indoors and use an earthing mat instead.
Other Methods of Grounding Yourself
By now, you understand a lot more about earthing, and how it can be used for
grounding. Speaking of grounding – if this is something you feel that you need to do
more of for your emotional or mental health, earthing isn’t the only way to accomplish it.
It is a great idea to focus on proper grounding in all facets of your life, no matter what
might be available to you.
Here are some additional ways you can ground yourself, aside from earthing:
Try Deep Breathing
Practicing deep breathing has so many benefits and is something everyone should try.
People who use a lot of deep breathing might be someone who likes to practice yoga or
meditation, or who deal with sever anxiety or depression. But you don’t need to fit one
of these categories to do deep breathing.
If you ever need to ground yourself, and earthing isn’t a good option for you, just try
some deep breathing. This requires nothing more than sitting or standing in a relaxing
place, and focusing on your breathing. Take in a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds,
then exhale.
You are going to relax and clear your mind as you focus on each breath you are
inhaling and exhaling. This will begin to help your mind and body relax, and is often
used in conjunction with meditation and mindfulness practices.
Connect with Your Body
Another grounding technique is to be more in tune with your body. You are going to
experience different emotions from head to toe, focusing on each area at a time.
Connecting with your body is also another way to be more mindful and is often used
with meditation as well.
To connect with your body, first take a few minutes to relax in one spot, preferably while
either sitting or laying down. Start anywhere you want, but many people will start from
the top and work their way down.
Focus on your head or face, experiencing sensations and connecting to it, moving down
your body one area at a time. Start with your eyes, ears, and nose, moving down to
your neck and chest, abdomen, arms, legs, and all the way down to your feet.
Try these grounding techniques with or without your earthing practices.
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