A Health Kinesiology colleague of mine mentioned Earthing on Facebook recently. I had never heard of it before, so I looked over the website at Earthing.com and decided to check out of the library the book Earthing - The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? by Ober/Sinatra/Zucker to learn more.
Earthing is described on their website:
Throughout history humans walked barefoot and slept on the ground. But modern lifestyle, including the widespread use of insulative rubber- or plastic-soled shoes, has disconnected us from the Earth’s energy and, of course, we no longer sleep on the ground. Fascinating new research has raised the possibility that this disconnect may actually contribute to chronic pain, fatigue, and poor sleep that plague so many people.
The remedy for the disconnect is simple. Walk barefoot outdoors whenever possible and/or sleep, work, or relax indoors in contact with conductive sheets or mats that transfer the energy to your body. People who do on a regular basis say they sleep better, feel better, and have more energy during the day. This simple practice is called Earthing, and it is both a technology and a movement which is transforming lives across the planet.
Earthing is safe and natural, for people of all ages, young and old, but it is not medicine or a substitute for medical treatment. If you have a medical condition, see your physician or healthcare provider.
HOW TO EXPERIENCE EARTHING…NOW
Go barefoot outside for a half-hour and see what a difference it makes on your pain or stress level. Sit, stand, or walk on grass, sand, dirt, or concrete. These are all conductive surfaces from which your body can draw the Earth’s energy. Wood, asphalt, and vinyl won’t work. They are not conductive surfaces. Experience for yourself the healing energy of the Earth at work.
I found this particularly interesting, as I have some health issues involving inflammation (which they claim can be helped by Earthing), and I have NEVER enjoyed going barefoot. Especially outdoors. As a child, if my mother put me in the grass with bare skin touching it, I would scream and cry. So, if this was true about earthing, I was NEVER getting grounded from the earth and enjoying the benefits of its energy, as I never touched it! Even at the beach, I was the geek wearing sneakers on the sand. :)
The website sells products that facilitate earthing, but as they mention in the quote above, you can do it for free by standing outside barefoot (it's just not always practical in certain climates or situations to do so, which is why they sell products as well). I was on vacation a few weeks ago in a warmer climate and decided to give it a try - standing outside barefoot on the patio, and even venturing briefly into the grass, which was HUGE for me. (I'm sure there's a health kinesiology correction needing be done there - ha!) I did this every single day for maybe 5-10 minutes, and every day that I did it, I realized that when I went to bed that night, I actually slept straight through, and felt refreshed when I woke up. I was very intrigued.
Knowing I was not going to be walking barefoot in Seattle in winter, I ordered the Earthing Universal Mat. The mat ($59 plus shipping) comes with a copy of the Earthing book, an outlet checker (to see if the ground is properly working in your outlets), a ground cord, the rubber mat and an optional cover for the mat. You plug the cord into the ground hole on a 3-prong outlet, and then attach it to the rubber mat. You can put any bare skin on it - whether it's your feet (which is what I do), or put it under a keyboard and rest your arms on it, or put it in your bed while you're sleeping. The mat arrived the day I returned from vacation and forr about 10 days I noticed that my sleep continued to be restful and uninterrupted, and I find I have far more energy. It's been easier to get out of a chair (which can sometimes be a challenge with arthritic knees). I think it's too early to make any judgments on the use of the Earthing product and it's effectiveness on my health, but the preliminary results are promising.
I also decided to purchase a small Earthing Body Band Kit ($20 plus shipping) which allows me to hook into the earthing/grounding energy while sitting at the office. I have the orange band around my ankle at the office, although I do have to remember to disconnect myself before walking away. :)
I will share with you in a few weeks about my continued experience with Earthing. Have you heard of it before or tried it? I would love your feedback as well if you've done it, whether the experience was good or not. And remember, you can try it for free by simply getting outside and connecting with nature barefoot!
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