A massive kwanzan cherry tree sits in my front yard, next to the house. Its roots are thick and curvy, surfacing from the ground in serpentine humps and coils.
The spring blossoms have just fallen, leaving a pink shadow beneath its expansive green canopy.
Lured by the pastel carpeting, my bare feet make their way to an exposed root. I play at balancing, allowing my feet to contour themselves to the hard, rounded surface for a bit before reaching up to grasp a low-hanging branch.
My kids grew up playing in this tree, advancing its layers with explorer's curiosity and gusto. Even at my age, playing like this makes me smile.
If you've ever found yourself gleeful while playing outside in nature, it's likely because nature is intrinsically uplifting, even healing.
The phenomenon of grounding, or earthing, is one way nature can balance your physiology.
As living beings, we’ve evolved to connect to the earth. Many of our internal rhythms and vibrations align with it. When we touch the earth, the exchange of protons and electrons brings our bodies back into homeostasis.
The earth carries a slight negative electrical charge, humans a slight positive charge. When we make contact with the earth with bare skin, electrons flow from the earth into the body, discharging excess energy and neutralizing the body. This restores the body at a cellular level.
Research confirms this phenomenon, offering proof that grounding helps improve sleep, alleviate aches and pains, increase energy, reduce inflammation, speed healing, and lift mood.
Want nature’s help healing your body, mind, and spirit? Summer’s a great time to try grounding for yourself. Here are a few ideas to help get you started.
1) Walk around barefoot. Just like when you were a kid, kick off your shoes and explore grass, dirt, tree roots, sand and other natural surfaces in your bare feet. Play soccer with your kids on your lawn, let your toes sink into silty mud along a stream bed, or kneel down and pull pesky weeds in your flowerbed. These are all win-wins in terms of health and vitality.
2) Start a garden. Spend time elbow-deep in soil. Not only will you reap delicious, fresh fruits and vegetables for your summer table, but you’ll lower your blood pressure and brighten your outlook at the same time.
3) Go to the beach. Letting your feet travel over shells and sand not only grounds you, but it also stimulates the nerves and increases blood flow in the bottom of your feet. Sink into the sand and allow the water to travel over your feet. Swim in the ocean. Frolic. Smile. Repeat.
4) Get a grounding mat. These are mats or pads that plug into the ground socket of your power outlet. The ground prong of a plug is meant to release excess electricity into the ground. When you lie on the grounded mat, it connects your body to the earth’s electric field, simulating direct contact with the earth. Grounding pads are available from many different retailers. They come in various sizes, some extending the full size of your bed so you can sleep on it all night.
5) Spoon your feet. Using a stainless-steel spoon, rub the convex surface all over your bare feet. This aligns your cells’ polarity so that electromagnetic energy can run freely throughout the body. Some might even feel tingling as the cells realign.
6) Use your imagination. Can’t get outside? Too cold for bare feet? No spoons? You’re in luck. Even imagining your body linked to the earth is enough to bring about many of the purported benefits of grounding. Find a quiet place to sit and close your eyes. Bring your awareness to the center of your head. Feel present in your body. Focus on your heartbeat and your breath. Image a thick root sprouting from the base of your spine and traveling deep into the earth. Breathe deeply. Imagine energy from the earth traveling up into the soles of your feet. Added bonus: choose to let go of anything that doesn’t serve you by releasing it down into the earth.
Just being in nature is healing. The air we breathe, the sights, smells and feels of being in the natural world help recharge and renew us. Start by just getting outside. Kick it up a notch by taking the time to breathe fully and enjoy being in the present. Then, shed your shoes or your gardening gloves and dig in. As with any habit, consistency is key. Try to ground yourself through any of these methods at least once a day. Note how you feel afterwards or journal your experiences.
This is play time your body craves… Enjoy!
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