The more I delve into holistic healing, the more I believe these two things: the importance of getting out of the body’s way and allowing it to heal itself, and the importance of staying connected to Mother Earth.
Earthing (also known as grounding) is one way to maintain that core connection with Mother Earth. There needs to be much more in depth research conducted, but there have been a number of studies that have looked at the effects of Earthing on health. When it comes to blood pressure, Earthing’s positive effects on blood viscosity are so immediate that those on prescription blood thinners need to be careful when beginning an Earthing program. Other studies have shown Earthing may support heart health by reducing stress, balancing the autonomic nervous system, reducing red blood cell aggregation, and managing levels of cortisol (a stress hormone). I know we all could use less stress in our lives right now.
A pilot case history series published in 2018 was undertaken with ten hypertensive patients in a single physician cardiology practice. The Patients grounded themselves at home for at least 10 hours per day for several months and monitored their blood pressure at regular intervals. At the end of the study, all patient measurements had significantly improved. Systolic levels decreased, ranging individually from 8.6% to 22.7%, with an average decrease of 14.3%.
A small scale study published in 2013 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine also grounded ten subjects with conductive patches on the soles of their feet and palms of their hands. Those patches were connected to a stainless-steel rod inserted in the earth outside. This study examined effects of 2 hours of grounding on the electrical charge (zeta potential) on red blood cells (RBCs) and the effects on the extent of RBC clumping and found that Earthing or grounding increased zeta potentials in all samples by an average of 2.70 and significantly reduced RBC aggregation. The researchers concluded that grounding may be the simplest and yet most profound interventions for helping reduce cardiovascular risk and events.
So this weekend, I hope you go into your backyard or find a nearby park, chuck those pumps off, and spend some time barefoot! Let me know how you feel afterwards. If you have the time, I highly recommend watching the Earthing Movie (available on Amazon Prime) to learn even more about the science behind Earthing. -XO