Earthing: A Daily 15 minute routine

Earthing: A Daily 15 minute routine

In an earlier blog I mentioned earthing, as a possible health benefit to reducing anxiety and stress. This blog is intended for those of you that are interested in learning more about exactly what earthing is, the science behind earthing, the potential health benefits and how you can introduce a 15 minutes earthing routine into your daily life.

Have you ever thought about why you feel so much better, calmer, relaxed and generally good about yourself when you walk around barefoot either on the earth, grass, sand and even concrete?
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Evidence is starting to emerge that this is not simply down to the fact that you’re in a more relaxed environment. It could be much more scientific than we think, and earthing could actually offer many other health benefits that you may not be aware of.

What is earthing?

In its most simplistic practice it is walking barefoot on the earth. According to the experts in this field Ober, Chevalier and Zucker, the earth is a kind of gigantic battery that gives out very slight electrical charges. Everything electrical including ourselves is connected to these charges (electrons). Our bodies operate electrically, which enables our brains, heart, immune system, muscles and nervous system to function properly. When we are barefoot it allows the earth to transfer its restorative energy (electrons) to our bodies, improving our bodily functions and eliminating free radical damage.  Manmade rubber soles, asphalt, wood, rugs and plastics block these subtle electrons from penetrating our bodies, which according to experts reduces the body’s ability to absorb the earths electrons, in turn reducing our bodies ability to function to its optimum.
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For most of our evolutionary history, humans have had constant contact with the earth. In our modern lifestyle in the western world our contact with the earth has become increasingly diminished, with many of us actually spend little or no time of our day actually barefoot on the earth or in contact with the land in any shape or form.

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Health benefits to earthing

Many people, including gardeners and allotment people report that working with the earth and walking about barefoot often allows them to experience the following:
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·         An elevated sense of calm
·         Greater levels of energy
·         A reduction in stress and anxiety
·         A better night’s sleep

With further research in this area it is becoming apparent that much greater health benefits may be drawn from this free, simple act of barefoot walking. Oschman, Chevalier and Brown’s recent research revealed that earthing brought about significant improvements in;
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• Inflammation
• The immune response
• Wound healing
• Prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

Other reported benefits include;

• Enhanced biological rhythms
• Improved blood flow and blood pressure
• Improve menstrual and female hormone symptoms
• Stronger feet and ankles
• Supports adrenal health
• Relieves muscle tension and headaches

How do I reconnect with my earthing roots?

Ideally walking barefoot for a few minutes of your day in simple terms! However, this is not always possible. In the UK and the United States, we are reported to spend between 90-92% of our time indoors and a lot of the time it isn’t practical or safe to take your shoes off on the school run or on the way to work and we don’t all have back gardens so I have included other possibilities below.
Spend 15-30 minutes a day on the following activities;

• Walking barefoot on the earth, grass, sand or concrete (the ideal)
• Lay on the ground or rest your hands on the earth
• Touching an unpainted piece of metal - if you feel a slight jolt that’s the sensation of excess positive charge leaving your body, if no shock then you are already balanced.
• Earthing mats – NB: you can just as easily hold a doorknob or piece of metal, it will do the same job for far less cash.

So now you have an idea of what earthing is, some of the science behind it, what the health benefits are and how you can earth yourselves whether you are indoors or out.
Happy earthing!