Why connection to the Earth & Nature is important to our health
One of the challenges that many people are struggling with, especially over the past 18 months, is to be grounded. Being grounded means being mentally and emotionally stable, and living in the present moment, despite the constant uncertainty surrounding COVID that may cause your stress levels to shoot through the roof.
Even if you are not necessarily on a spiritual journey or a nature lover, keeping grounded is vital to staying centred and focused on your life.
TEST
Do you experience one or more of those symptoms :
- Do you have a hard time being present when someone talks to you ? Are you really listening ?
- Can you focus on the things you do or is your mind hopping from one thought to the next ?
- Are you often multi-tasking ?
- Are you sensitive to the emotions of the people around you ?
- Are you feeling drained, or feeling that you lack energy ?
- Are you feeling anxious or sometimes overwhelmed ?
- Do you tend to forget about appointments, calls, and your to-do list ?
- Do you feel like you’re out of your body ?
- Are you feeling physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually drained ?
- Are you absorbing the energies, emotions, moods and feelings of others, and feeling them as if they are your own ?
Trauma & grounding
After a trauma, it’s normal to experience flashbacks, anxiety, and other uncomfortable symptoms. Grounding techniques help to control these symptoms by turning your attention away from these negative thoughts, memories, or worries, and refocusing yourself on the present moment.
Being grounded means two things:
- Being fully present in your body
- Feeling connected to the Earth.
How do you know you are grounded?
You feel centred, strong, and focused. Much like trees with its roots deeply embedded underground, you’ll be flexible and resilient enough to bend in the wind, but still have a great ability to hold your ground. It gives you a strong base to work from – or grow from.
You’ll feel a slow, steady, and strong intent to your being. You’ll feel connected to the energy of the earth (eyes open, observing nature and holding that energy throughout your body). You are sensible and reasonable, and understand the importance of the ordinary things in life.
What is Grounding (or Earthing) like on a physical aspect ?
Grounding refers to the direct physical connection to the earth’s surface.
How does it work ?
The earth’s surface contains an unlimited supply of free electrons obtained from almost 3 billion lightning strikes annually and other atmospheric phenomena !
Since humans are highly conductive, when we are in direct contact with the earth, some of this never ending supply of electrons from the earth are absorbed. As a result, our electric potential immediately drops to near zero and our bodies reflect the electromagnetic fields generated around us and gradually become charged with these free electrons.
Humans have evolved through their connection with the Earth. We used to walk barefoot or with conductive leather footwear and slept on the ground or animal hides. Then, we started sleeping on raised beds and walking on wooden floors, reducing our contact with the earth. Since the 1950s, insulating rubber and synthetic soled footwear have replaced leather soles, and are today present in virtually all footwear. Nowadays, most of us are seldom grounded except on those occasions when we walk barefoot outside or walk on a beach.
So why is Grounding important ?
The earth’s surface serves as a reservoir of electrons which are readily absorbed when we connect with it. It is well known that electrons are critical to the efficient operation of the millions of biochemical reactions within our cells. Electrons can also neutralise the free radical cascades in our bodies that contribute to the epidemic of inflammatory diseases plaguing modern society.
Thus, the ground under our feet provides an unlimited, constant and free source of “anti‐inflammatory/antioxidant” electrons !
Benefits of Grounding for our bodies:
Spending hours in nature every day is key to our health.
Walking barefoot on natural surfaces, such as on the grass or beach has a calming, balancing, or energising effect. You might think it’s because of the sun on your face or the wind in your hair, but it’s actually the electrons mentioned above. When you touch the ground, your body absorbs the free electrons and all the amazing benefits they provide.
We live our lives mostly insulated from the earth. Over time, this causes our bodies to become depleted. Touching the ground replenishes our electron balance and restores our lost connection to the earth’s energy.
Other amazing benefits of Grounding include :
- thinning the blood and enhancing blood circulation
- improving vagal tone that is critically important for regulating inflammatory and stress systems, while also improving those internal mechanisms
- normalising cortisol levels
- improving sleep and reducing pain
- accelerated wound healing
- reducing inflammation and restoring blood circulation.
Grounding is also beneficial for the following medical conditions: peripheral Artery Disease, hypertension, arrhythmias, multiple Sclerosis, rheumatoid Arthritis, psoriasis, epilepsy fibromyalgia, post menopausal symptoms, diabetes, autism…
So why is Grounding important ?
Here are our tips to help you remain grounded :
- Unplug as much as you can from social media and the mainstream news
- Practice meditation and mindfulness
- Practice breathing and cardiac coherence
- Use EFT for positive affirmation
- Practice gratitude
- Connect with nature – spend time just being there, in the stillness
- Do something physical that you like
- Help others !
All our well-being or healing retreats and workshop offer tools to practice grounding.
Check our next departures, and join us on a transformative adventure in the African wilderness that will not only ground you, but also transcend you to a whole new level !
