Benefits of Grounding You Didn't Know

Well, literally too, as it stabilizes the energy levels in the body, normalizes the body's rhythms, and offers several other health benefits. Let's revise the concept of grounding in electrical engineering. Grounding an electrical equipment (connecting it to the ground) offers voltage stabilization and overvoltage protection, thus ensuring electrical safety.

In simpler terms, it reduces the risk of electric shocks, as excess charge is drained off to the Earth. Similarly, when our body is grounded, which is to say, it is connected to the ground, the excess charge in the body can be removed.

There was a time when people walked barefoot, slept on the ground, and came in physical contact with the soil through activities like gardening, farming, etc. Today, we wear synthetic-soled footwear, hardly walk barefoot, very rarely sleep on the ground, and seldom touch the Earth with bare hands or feet.

The use of carpets and raised floors further disconnects us from the Earth. Then again, many of us stay hundreds of feet above the ground, further weakening our connection with the Earth. According to a research, for every meter above the ground, 300 volts of charge builds up in our body.

Theodor Herzl has rightly said, "The body is a marvelous machine...a chemical laboratory, a power-house. Every movement, voluntary or involuntary, full of secrets and marvels". True, all the bodily processes are governed by electrical impulses generated from chemicals in the body.

The activity of sodium and potassium ions in the cells generates electrical impulses that enable communication between the cells. Neurons carry messages to different parts of the body in the form of electrical signals called nerve impulses.

Chemicals released in the neurons excite them and nerve impulses are triggered. Even the beating of our heart is triggered by electrical impulses. Thus, you see that our bodies can generate electric energy and conduct it too.

Given the heavy exposure to electric and magnetic fields, and the prevalence of electromagnetic waves around us, collectively called electrosmog, or dirty electricity, excess positive charge builds up in our body. In the absence of grounding, it is not drained off to the Earth, and this leads to an imbalance in the energy levels of the body.

The ill-effects of electrosmog alone include:

• Depression
• Behavioral problems in children
• Disturbed sleep
• Headache
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Fatigue
• Elevated blood pressure levels

The buildup of excess charge in the body has several detrimental health effects.

Free radicals produced in the body, due to immune activation, environmental factors, or stress, can lead to cell damage, genetic mutations, and degenerative diseases. Due to the lack of earthing, they do not drain off into the Earth, and continue to build up, causing further cell damage and disease.

This buildup of excess positive electrons shows symptoms like disturbed metabolism, sleep disorders, stress, and fatigue. Lack of earthing has been associated with health conditions like diabetes, arthritis, inflammation, and cardiovascular diseases. Our lost connection with the Earth is that damaging.

Grounding is the way to re-establish our connect with the Earth and improve health. Ever wondered why it feels good to walk barefoot on soil, grass or the sand on a beach? That's because it gives you grounding.

When in direct contact with the ground, you receive electrons from the Earth. Research says that it takes 80 minutes for the free electrons from the Earth to reach your blood stream. They neutralize the positively charged free radicals in the body and bring in a sense of well-being.

The effect of grounding is similar to that of antioxidants, thus helping in the improvement of overall health. Following are the health benefits of grounding:

• Quality of sleep improves.
• The healing of wounds or other ailments speeds up.
• Pain and inflammation reduce.

• Blood viscosity reduces.
• Blood sugar levels normalize.
• Hormonal balance is restored.
• Muscle tension reduces.
• Mental stress and its effects on health are reduced.
• Concentration levels increase and the ability to focus improves.
• Grounding brings in a sense of calm.

To reap the benefits of grounding, you would need to make some lifestyle changes and adopt certain habits. They include:

• Avoiding the overuse of technology.
• Walking barefoot on grass or soil daily.

• Walking barefoot on brick or untreated concrete surfaces, or ceramic tiles could also help.
• Making less or no use of footwear when indoors.
• Avoiding the use of synthetic footwear.

• Sitting or sleeping in contact with the ground.
• Having a bath or a swim is of help, as body contact with water provides it with grounding.
• Listening to Schumann resonance or binaural beat brainwave entertainment brings a mental calm, speeds up the process of healing, and improves concentration and learning.

But even if you make less use of technology, there is no escape from its rampant use around you, unless you move to a place far away where technology and industrialization have not reached, which is impractical.

You just cannot run away from this highly 'charged' world, and it is not always possible to walk, sleep, or sit in direct contact with the ground, or take a daily swim or a walk in the sand, for that matter! You may not be able to get rid of carpets and raised floors, and not everyone can stay on the ground floor or close to the ground.

However, it is quite possible to avoid the use of synthetic footwear, and walk barefoot on the ground whenever you get the chance. It is not difficult to walk barefoot on grass or soil daily as a part of your exercise regimen. Similarly, getting outside to be in the proximity of nature will give you the benefits of grounding and surely improve overall health.