Naked and grounded

Earthing is skin-to-skin contact between ourselves and the ground

Earthing requires direct contact between your bare skin and the skin of the earth—the ground. — starmaro/iStock/Thinkstock photo

Connecting with the earth is one of the latest health trends so it’s not surprising there are products to help achieve that connection.

There’s even a name for it: earthing. Earthing refers to skin-to-skin contact with the Earth's surface, resulting in a connection between our body’s electrical frequencies and those of the Earth. Think of the Earth’s natural, gentle energy as vitamin G for grounding. Some people can feel this energy as a warm, tingling sensation through their feet.

Earthing’s purported benefits include better sleep, less pain, reduced stress and better immune function, according to the Earthing Institute.

A retired cable TV executive named Clint Ober first introduced the idea. With his understanding of electrical grounding, he began wondering about how the Earth’s negatively charged electrons can reduce free radicals—those positive charges in our bodies that contribute to inflammation and disease.

Throughout our history, we received this vitamin G all the time as we were in direct physical contact with the Earth’s skin—by sleeping on the ground, for example. But our modern lifestyle—such as wearing synthetic-soled shoes—most often shields us from this primordial charge. Hence, companies such as Earthing Canada will sell you products that often have conductive elements such as copper and metal to get you plugged back in where you belong. Locally, From the Ground Up Organics in Cranbrook carries earthing products.

Examples of earthing products include:

• footwear
• bed sheets
• body bands
• yoga and fitness mats
• ground rods and cords

Dr. Andrew Weil, a best-selling author on holistic health and founder of the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona, said he finds the earthing studies “intriguing.” However, he added, “We’ll need additional studies of better design and with more participants before we can know whether it is really possible to derive health benefits from earthing.”

Now I’m a firm believer in alternative health therapies, but I’m in agreement with Dr. Weil when he said that some of the claims are “over the top.” So how about redefining earthing as simply playing outside with skin-to-skin contact.

Leave your hiking boots behind and take a walk barefoot to reap the benefits of earthing. — kamsta/iStock/Thinkstock photo

Here are my top 4 ideas for grounding ourselves and reconnecting with the Earth by playing outside.

1. Wake up earlier than you normally do, slip into a jacket if needed, grab your morning cup of coffee or tea, and head outside to your lawn. Slowly walk around in your bare feet, feeling the dew on the grass, watching the colours of the sky change and listening to the birds. It’s a magical time when most of your neighbours are still sleeping or at least in their houses. And it’s deliciously quiet.
2. Garden barefoot. The wonderful feeling of the loose soil squishing between your toes is like a gentle massage. You’ll not compact the soil as much as if you had your rubber boots on and you can more easily tiptoe between the tomatoes to weed them. Yes, you will have to scrub your feet clean afterwards, but it’s worth it.
3. Walk barefoot along a lakeshore. I’ve been doing this at Wasa Lake, watching kids and eagles, ospreys, sandpipers and ducks. This is a wonderful way to end your day.
4. Hike into the mountains and plan to eat your lunch on a mountain peak. Upon arrival, take off your hiking boots and socks and eat your lunch while standing on the rocks or slowly walking around. The views alone will give you a John Denver “Rocky Mountain high.”

Whether you buy earthing products or spend some time barefoot outdoors, appreciate the health benefits from connecting to the energy of our beloved Mother Earth.