Grounding: Direct contact between our feet and the natural earth has measurable health impacts
“Come back down to earth”.
“Keep your feet on the ground”.
“Get a grip on life”.
These are grounding expressions my mother probably used every week as I grew up. No, I wasn’t levitating! I was probably just being my dreamy self, sharing ideas and aspirations she thought were over the top. Maybe I was just upset and needed some calming down.
Though I didn’t understand it back then, my Mum wasn’t just trying to pop my bubble. Likely, she was picking up on something else. Turns out I was quite dissociated as a kid, and spent a lot of time not quite being ‘in’ myself. In hindsight, I wasn’t particularly grounded.
What does it mean to be “un- grounded”?
Being ungrounded is a subtle thing to explain. Sometimes you only become aware of it after you’ve done some work on being more present in your physical body, or hearing too many friends tell you ‘your head is in the clouds’ (or other less sweet expressions of that idea!).
Common feelings when you’re not Grounding enough…
- Spaced out or dizzy
- Lose focus easily, don’t finish projects
- Little concept of time
- Nervous, anxious, easily knocked off your equilibrium
- Difficulty communicating
- Tendency to hoard things or money while also not having a handle on your finances
- Being hypervigilant/ controlling
- Compulsion to be physical or just ‘get outside’
- Difficulty sleeping or waking
Most of us feel this way sometimes, but some of us feel this way A LOT. You’re not alone. Liz Oaks has written a lot on this topic, read more here.
… versus feeling Grounded
Being energetically grounded is a sensation of being strongly connected to the earth, stable, and at ease. Your nervous system relaxes, and when you exhale you can really feel your body is relaxing. Fears and worries give way to feeling protected and safe because the root chakra is happy. When the root chakra is happy, a trust that life is taking care of the details kicks in. In contrast to feeling ungrounded, being grounded feels like…
Having mental clarity and focus – Starting and completing projects – Taking inspired action in good time – Facing uncertainty with poise – Feeling in control – Feeling confident and self-assured – Pleasurable desire (not compulsion) to be in contact with nature – Falling asleep easily at night and waking easily in the morning
So – what exactly is ‘ Grounding ‘?
Being grounded in the earth allows us to reach for the sky.. just like a well rooted tree
We know that electrical cabling running into our homes needs to be grounded. The human body actually works on the same principle except there are no lightening rods to hold, or electricians to call. You can literally ground yourself by putting your bare feet on the ground. There are some other tips and tricks too, more on them later.
The Science of Grounding
When your feet are in contact with the ground, the negative ions emitted by the earth are directly connecting to/ being absorbed by the body. In the documentary ‘Down to Earth: the Science of Grounding’ cardiologist Dr. Stephen Sinatra describes being in direct contact with the earths surface and it’s predominance of negative ions as ‘like taking handfuls of antioxidants, except you are absorbing them with your feet’. Our bodies, the built environment and the ionisphere (this extends from the ground to about 100km upward) are positively charged. We are meant to be in direct physical contact with the earth to balance our positive ions with the earths negative ions.
‘Earthing’ is an actual thing – a researched healing modality with tonnes of medical literature to back it up. Dr Joseph Mercola is a vocal proponent of grounding after he observed the positive effects the practice had on the US Tour de France team around a decade+ ago, you can read more about his insights here.
Our bodies are electrical. If you microscopically explore any organic compound and magnify the view enough, you can see the molecules are not joined together, they’re held together by electrical charges called adenosine triphosphate (ATP) – it’s the energy currency of our cells. We are bioelectrical beings, and we run by generating this electrical energy. When we connect to the earth through a conductive (not insulated) surface, there’s a transfer of electrons that slowly go into the body. When we insulate ourselves from this surplus of electrons getting into our bodies, we get thick blood and high levels of inflammation. Grounding people with high inflammation (pain) reduces their inflammation levels by 60-70%.
OMG – are my shoes the enemy?
Barefoot is the new Jimmy Choo
Well, kinda! Since the 60s we have been walking around with synthetic soles on our shoes. Even if you’re out in nature hugging trees and kissing rocks, you’re probably wearing some sturdy comfy shoes, right? Apart from shoes, the built environments most of us live, work and play in are divorced from the ground. It’s likely your naked foot rarely kisses the floor, let alone a patch of grass or dirt. Why has it become so strange to walk around barefoot?
Energetic Grounding in 2 easy steps
Step 1: Go barefoot (at least sometimes)
Seriously. Remove the footwear, put your toes in the soil, the sand, natural pebbles. Our Grandmothers generation knew walking around barefoot on the dewy morning grass was a wellness remedy – maybe they couldn’t fully explain the science behind it, but they knew it felt right. There’s no exact amount of time to spend doing this.. just start with whatever time you can make. Then, the more you tune in the better you’ll get at sensing when you need to do some naked foot shuffling and for how long. Even better, sit down with your feet and hands on the ground, or fully lie down on the earth from time to time. Experiment and see what you feel.
Conductive materials on your shoe soles are ok too… for example, rubber is an insulator while other materials like wood or hemp are conductors which allow electricity to pass through easily. There are companies selling ‘earthing shoes’.. Here is an easy read to learn more https://scottjeffrey.com/earthing-shoes/
If you can’t get as much barefoot action into your day as you’d like, here are other lifestyle activities you can incorporate to restore some natural balance to body, mind and aura.
Other physical grounding techniques include..
Eating more vegetables which grow underground is really helpful for grounding
- spending time in nature (especially near running water or the ocean and in forests – apparently pine forests are best)
- eating! root vegetables, sea salt, earthy red coloured teas, dark chocolate.. nourishing homemade meals are best (also avoid caffeine, sugar, refined carbs, alcohol, and smoking cigarettes or pot)
- learning some grounding yoga positions, and breathing based meditation practices (5 easy postures are shown here or search online, there are so many guided options).
Step 2: Use Crystals for Grounding
Finding technical data to scientifically confirm how crystals seem to work is still in its infancy. Let’s not get into those arguments! Science can show that crystals possess a unique electrical charge known as piezoelectricity which is measurable once they’re pressed or cut. Imagine a lighter – press the button and ignition is caused. Similarly, pressure applied to crystals causes them to emit an electrical charge .
Metaphysically, crystals have a vibrational frequency (all matter does, every thing is composed of energy). When we intentionally introduced crystals to our energy field there is an amplification that impacts our nervous systems through the law of resonant frequencies. The exchange and harmonisation of these frequencies is how energetic and health modulation occurs.
How to practically incorporate grounding crystals into your day
Using crystals is as simple as introducing them to your energy field for a period of time. Hold crystals in your hand, in a pocket, wear them on your body.. find ways to keep crystals you feel help to ground you in your personal energy field. In combination with essential oils, crystals can deliver big results when used repeatedly and over time.
Alternates to carrying bags of crystals in your pockets for grounding
Apply Balipuras Grounding Roll-OM direct to your pulse points
At Balipura, we recognised the impracticality of carting around a bag of crystals and came up with a delightful and powerful alternate. By distilling the frequency of crystal combinations in pure water and adding complimentary essential oils, our Grounding range is an enhanced method or tool for grounding yourself.
Spray our Crystal infusion around your body
4 of the most powerful grounding crystals and 2 extremely grounding essential oils (Vanilla and Cloves) are combined in our Grounding Aura Spray and fragrant Roll-OM applicator, alongside a discreet Crystal Wristlet made of natural Black Tourmaline, Smokey Quartz, Hematite and Clear Quartz. Individually or in combination, our range provides unique tools to anchor yourself and experience the difference between being ungrounded and grounded out there in life.
Black Tourmaline, Smokey Quartz, Hematite and Clear Quartz in direct contact with your skin
These 4 potent grounding crystals undergo a cleansing protocol of sun and moonlight, seawater and mantras. The water is then infused by the Balipura Transfer Method™, where the water is never in direct contact with the crystals (produces a much stronger result than direct infusion /soaking can). Therapists, sensitives, empaths and children especially respond well to this range.
