Earthing and Grounding: Your Connection to the Earth

Many studies have been conducted into the benefits of earthing – which is where a person connects physically to the Earth, usually done by walking barefoot on the ground. But grounding is another concept, and from my experience is slightly different. In this article I’ll explain my perspective on grounding and earthing and how they differentiate from each other, the benefits of each, and my recent experiences with an Earthing sheet.

Difference between Earthing and Grounding

I’ve used grounding as a spiritual technique for many years. Grounding is where you become more present in your physical body, connecting to the Earth and your lower chakras. I ground before I undertake any spiritual work so I don’t become light-headed – being ungrounded can cause some unpleasant physical symptoms. I find I’m able to reach a higher vibration when I ground myself first, anchoring myself into the earth.

Grounding can be done through visualisation. I like to imagine roots coming out of the soles of my feet and plunging into the ground. Some people like to visualise a cord running down from the base of their spine into the Earth. You can also ground yourself by taking action physically, but you don’t need to be physically connected to the Earth in order to get grounded – you can feel more grounded by eating something or drinking a hot drink. You can also sit outside in nature or go for a walk. Or you can become immersed in the present moment, noticing the things around you that you can physically see, hear, smell, taste and touch. Unlike Earthing, you don’t have to have your bare skin on the Earth.

With Earthing, you must be physically connected to the Earth’s surface, so that might include walking bare foot or laying down touching the ground, or even gardening using your bare hands in the soil. You don’t need to walk on grass – it can be soil or sand. Wearing shoes with rubber soles will prevent your connection, so it’s important to have bare skin making contact with the Earth. However, if you live somewhere cold or wet or you don’t have access to an outside space, you can get ‘Earthed’ by using an Earthing Mat or Sheet.

So in summary, grounding is a spiritual connection, Earthing is a physical connection – at least that’s how I perceive the difference.

How does Earthing work?

The reason Earthing works is due to the electric charge the Earth carries, which is called the Schumann Resonance. When we make a direct contact with the Earth’s surface through our bare skin, we absorb this energy which allows free electrons from the Earth to be absorbed by our bodies. This neutralises positively charged free radicals and reduces inflammation – the cause of many health issues – and eases pain. Earthing is also reported to lower blood pressure, improve sleep and boost the immune system. And of course, any connection to the Earth can have a positive influence on our mental wellbeing.

Benefits of Grounding

As mentioned, I use grounding before undertaking any sort of spiritual work and this is to prevent light-headedness. If you experience this unpleasant symptom, or dizziness, lack of clarity, headaches or difficulties sleeping, you may be ungrounded. Grounding keeps me feeling whole, stable and steady. It helps me to become present and to get my head ‘out of the clouds’. Nature is incredibly grounding for me, even just looking at pictures of beautiful landscapes helps me to feel like I’m here, fully embracing being on this planet instead of having my mind wander off to some fantasy land.

Benefits of Earthing

Research studies have demonstrated numerous benefits to Earthing, which include the following:

1.       Improves quality of sleep

Sleep issues can be caused by stress, electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) and other factors. Earthing has been shown to regulate circadian rhythms and improve sleep quality by promoting relaxation and reducing cortisol levels (cortisol is what’s commonly called the ‘stress hormone’).

2.       Reduces inflammation

Inflammation is a natural immune response, but chronic inflammation is linked to numerous health issues including chronic pain and arthritis. Earthing has been found to reduce inflammation by neutralising free radicals and decreasing oxidative stress in the body.

3.       Alleviates pain

Earthing can help reduce pain in conditions like fibromyalgia and back pain. Studies have shown Earthing reduces pain levels by restoring the body's natural balance and promoting relaxation.

4.       Maximises the body’s ability to heal and regenerate

By reducing inflammation and easing pain, Earthing can help speed up the body's natural healing processes as your body can focus on getting better faster.

My experience of Earthing

As I live in the UK and we get a lot of rain – plus it’s cold in the winter – it isn’t always sensible to walk outside bare footed. So I decided to purchase an Earthing Sheet so I could use this when indoors.

The Earthing sheet is made from organic cotton and features silver threads that are interwoven into the fabric. It comes with a plug which you attach to the sheet and to a socket, albeit you don’t need to switch the socket on – you’re only using the ‘earth’ pin of the plug. The plug has 3 pins but the bottom two are covered up. The only connection the plug is making to your socket is via the top pin of the plug, which is the earth pin. So the plug doesn’t connect to ‘live’ or ‘neutral’ like other electrical equipment does. This is because you aren’t using electricity with the product, only the earth connection. That’s how it works – you are connecting to the earth via your plug socket, and the plug attaches to your Earthing sheet.

It took me a while to remember to not switch the plug on (force of habit!) but it won’t do any damage if you forget, as you’re only connecting to the top pin.

I find the Earthing sheet super comfortable to lay against due to the soft organic cotton material. I sometimes use it when I sleep by placing it over my pillow or on the bottom sheet, but other times I lay it over the arm of the sofa and I lay against it with my bare skin. I also put it on the floor if I want to rest my bare feet on it. I use it for a couple of hours each day and I’ve noticed a considerable improvement to my sleep. I normally wake up several times a night, but since using the Earthing sheet this has reduced to one, or none! My sleep quality is better and I wake up feeling like I’ve had a really good, undisturbed sleep.

I don’t suffer with inflammation so I’m not able to comment on whether it has reduced this, but I’m certainly enjoying the sleep benefit so I’m still using it every day.

Summary

In our technologically-advanced modern world we can so easily forget about our connection to the Earth and to nature, but this is fundamental to our health. We’re constantly being exposed to EMF frequencies, screens, noise, synthetic lights and processed foods, but our bodies only really want some key, simple things – and I believe a connection to the Earth is one of them. Earthing is free (even if you pay for an Earthing sheet, it doesn’t cost anything to use it as you’re not switching on the plug) and readily available. We just have to tap into the natural healing frequencies of Mother Earth and she will readily give us what we need to remain healthy.