Last year, Naomi Harris,the star of Skyfall andSpectre, took to Insta-

gram to preach the benefi��tsof a practice called “ground-ing”. Another celebrity en-dorsement of the practicecame from actor GwynethPaltrow’s Goop website,which made “grounding” thenew A list buzzword with itsinterview with Clint Ober.Goop claimed that Earthingcan cure everything from in-fl��ammation and arthritis toinsomnia and depression.

So what is “grounding”,and how do we do it?

Grounding, or Earthing, isa new-age therapy that is fastgaining ground. Its propo-nents argue that when thebare skin of our feet con-nects with the electriccharge of the earth, we are‘grounded’, that is to say, thefree radicals creating havocin our bodies are neutral-ised. The result is emotionaland physical health.

Modern lifestyle factorssuch as life in high-rise build-ings, sleep on elevated cots(as diff��erent from bedsspread on the fl��oor) and thewearing of shoes with rubbersoles have contributed to ourlack of direct skin connec-tion with the earth’s surface.Electrons from the earthmay be the best source of an-tioxidants for our bodies andthey have zero negative se-condary eff��ects, because our

bodies have evolved overeons of physical contact withthe ground. Our modern lif-estyles have broken this nat-ural connection with theground and taken our im-mune system by surprise,depriving it of its primordialsource of energy.

Research by Oschman,Chevalier, and Brown stu-died the eff��ects of groundingon the immune system, in-fl��ammation, wound healingand treatment of autoim-mune diseases. They con-cluded that disconnect fromearth has an “important, in-sidious, and overlooked con-tribution to physiologicaldysfunction and to thealarming global rise in non-communicable, infl��amma-tory-related chronic dis-eases”. Chronic fatigue, in-jury, infl��ammation andautoimmune disorders maybe the results of thisdisconnect.

Bioelectrical beingsThe practice of groundingrests on the fact that we arebioelectrical beings living onan electrical planet. Our bo-dies operate electrically. Ourcells transmit multiple fre-quencies that run our heart,immune system, muscles,and nervous system. Multi-ple positive eff��ects can becreated by a reconnection tothe earth. These include de-creased levels of infl��amma-tion and pain, reduced stresslevels, improved circulation,mood enhancement and

emotional well-being.If sunlight gives us Vita-

min D, “earthing” gives us Vi-tamin G. How can we in-crease our daily dose of this?

The simplest groundingtechnique is to take off�� yourshoes and socks and walk ba-refoot on sand or grass. Makesure that your toes, heelsand soles press down softlyand fi��rmly on the ground.The pressure points on thesole relate to various organsof the body and you get a freerefl��exology session with a ba-refoot walk in the park.

The risk of stubbing a toe

or walking on glass bringsmindfulness and presentmoment awareness to thewalk, which thus serves asmeditation.

Feeling more adventu-rous? Lie on the grass andstare up at the sky. Or evenbetter, imitate your pet dogor cat as it rolls on theground. They may be smar-ter than we think. Rolling onthe ground discharges nega-tive energy. It feels good! TheEarth’s energy has a warm,tingling, pleasant sensation.

Another option lies inditching our super-soft bedsand mattresses. Try sleepingon the fl��oor.

Since the late 20th centu-ry, chronic degenerativediseases have overcome in-fectious disease as the ma-jor causes of death. In-

creased human longevitywill depend on fi��nding an in-tervention that inhibits thedevelopment of these diseas-es and slows their progress.

The Earthing Movementsuggests the intervention liesright beneath our feet. TheEarth’s surface electrons area source of untapped energyand the Earth itself is a globaltreatment table. Critics dis-miss these claims as hyper-bole designed to sell Earth-ing products, but perhaps abarefoot walk in the park ora roll on the beach is justwhat we need to realise theeff��ects — and re-establish ourconnection with the Earth.

vinita.dhondiyal@gmail.com

The ground beneath our feetHere is a movement to reconnect us to the earth and help get rid of lifestyle illsvinita dhondiyalbhatnagar