The Importance of Grounding

© Elaine Bontempi, Ph.D., 2021

All Rights Reserved

Photo by Elaine Bontempi, Ph.D., 2021

All Rights Reserved

The Importance of Grounding

In our current society, most of us are constantly on the go. We wake up with a list of “to do’s” and rush through our days, attempting to check off our “to do” lists. We feel tense, distracted, agitated, unfocused, and unable to give anything our full attention or energy. If we do not take the time to be still and recharge, it leads to an energy imbalance, causing us to feel frazzled and depleted. It is a sign that we need to calm ourselves so that we may regain focus and concentrate our energies and thoughts more effectively. In our modern culture, we have an even greater need for regular grounding because our bodies are being bombarded with electromagnetic radiation. Cell phones, microwaves, computers, and wi-if all impact our bodies because they interfere with the electrical impulses and cells within our bodies that are responsible for running our heart, brain, immune and nervous systems.

Grounding is an ancient practice that has been used in various traditions and spiritual practices for hundreds of years among cultures throughout the world.  The concept is similar to grounding in electricity, and is a way of reconnecting and realigning our energies with the Earth.

Benefits of Grounding

Many have found that grounding has psychological, physiological, and spiritual benefits. From a psychological perspective, grounding can promote mindfulness—helping us feel connected and present in the moment. It stills our minds so we take the focus off of ourselves and become more aware of our environment, focusing on the beauty of nature that we often take for granted. We no longer feel scattered and unable to focus our attention, and we have a renewed sense of peace, joy, and calm. This empowers us to face daily stressors more calmly and handle them more effectively. From a physiological perspective, it lowers our blood pressure and reduces our heart rate. From a spiritual perspective, grounding helps us to feel connected to the universe and to God, and strengthens our root chakra.

Techniques for Grounding the Human Body

There are several ways of grounding yourself. Some people prefer keeping something like a piece of copper in their pockets, others prefer guided meditations/visualizations, soaking in a tub of warm sea salt, or spending time by the ocean. One of the best ways to ground yourself is to spend time in nature in a practice called “earthing.” Research suggests that spending just 20 minutes per day “earthing” can have many health benefits including reduced pain and inflammation, decreased anxiety, improved circulation, increased energy and more restful sleep. Whether it be walking barefoot along the beach, gardening and digging into the soil with your bare hands, or sitting outside on the ground praying or meditating, there are several ways to ground yourself in nature.

Suggested Activity

“A Meditative Grounding Exercise in Nature.”

References:

Brown, R., Chevalier, G. & Hill, M. (2015). Grounding after moderate eccentric contraction reduces muscle damage. Journal of Sports Medicine, 6, 305-317. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4590684/

Chevalier, G. (2015). The effect of grounding the human body on mood. Psychological Reports, 116 (2). Retrieved from: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/06.PR0.116k21w5

Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S.T., Oschman, J.L., Sokal, K., & Sokal, P. (2010). Earthing: Health implications of reconnecting the human body to the earth’s surface electrons. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2012: 291541. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/

Jamieson, I.A., Jamieson, S.S., ApSimon, H.M. & Bell, J.N.B. (2011). Grounding and human health: A review. Journal of Physics: Conference Serie,s 301. Retrieved from: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/301/1/012024/pdf

Oschman, J.L., Chevalier, G. & Brown, R. (2015). The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. Journal of Inflammation Research, 8, 83-96. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/