Grounding During Times of Uncertainty

By Laura Koniver, MD, author of The Earth Prescription

With the unique stressors that humanity is facing during this global pandemic, it’s important to have an arsenal of tools that can be accessed anytime, anywhere—including at home—to support our health. 

One of the most easily accessible, most powerful sources of health and healing is quite literally, the ground beneath our feet. Yet this source of healing support is almost always cut off from reaching our body, because we have rubber-soled shoes on or synthetic-fibered clothing covering our body, or we are traveling in cars that have rubber tires that separate us from the ground, or are inside insulated homes with no possibility of directly touching the earth outside.

The result of being cut off from the healing energy of the earth over the long term is an increase in inflammation throughout the body, an increase in the amount of stress and tension we carry, a decrease in sleep quality, and a dip in our mood. These are all things that can be readily reversed just by taking an intentional moment to connect with the earth outside—a healing practice known as grounding.

What energy does the earth provide?

While most people innately understand that the earth provides all the conditions that are essential to support a healthy lifestyle—like air, water, and food—many do not know that the earth itself is directly healing. The earth actually pulses with a measurable electromagnetic field, known as the Schumann resonance—referred to as the ‘heartbeat’ of the earth. This energy pulse acts as a giant recharging base for everything that lives on the planet, always available to rejuvenate our body if we will plug into this reservoir of healing.

What happens to our body when we get grounded to the earth’s energy?

Our entire body—and every cell in it (and even the fluid inside every cell)—is conductive. The very second that one single cell on your body touches the earth, your entire body becomes grounded to the earth, like flipping on a light switch. The result is a discharge of inflammation throughout the entire body, from head to toe. Stress and tension lift as your body becomes stabilized and neutralized by the earth. This often can feel like an immediate relief as your tissues, organs, blood, brain, bones—literally everything your body is composed of—becomes grounded. 

Sustaining a grounded state over time has been shown in medical studies to improve the health of the human body in many ways—from allowing blood to move more freely, increasing circulation, boosting vagal tone, protecting muscles and bones, boosting heart rate variability, supporting proper digestion, stabilizing hormones, increasing metabolism, lifting mood, and even deepening sleep. And, important to note while we face this global pandemic, it even boosts immune function.

A simple way to see for yourself

Grounding is something you can do anytime, anywhere. It’s immediately accessible and immediately supportive. And incredibly simple. All you need to do is touch your wonderful, conductive body directly to any part of the earth’s crust(dirt, sand, rocks, water) or anything living on the earth’s crust(trees, bushes, flowers, even a single blade of grass) to ground your entire body the moment you touch it. 

If you think about it, you already know the feeling of being grounded—can you remember a time when you were at the beach, walking on sand, or floating in the ocean, and how relaxing it was? Or if you like to garden, how centered and present you felt with your hands in the dirt? You can reach for this same boost of wellness anytime by intentionally making connecting to the earth outside a part of your daily healing plan. Try it today. Use a fingertip to touch a tree, or dip a toe into a river or lake. Even cement and concrete is conductive and grounded, so simply standing barefoot on the sidewalk will ground you instantly. Aim for ten minutes or more daily, and watch every aspect of your health improve over time.

Laura Koniver, MD, is an artist, author, holistic physician, and internationally recognized grounding advocate. Koniver has been featured as an expert in four motion pictures about grounding, and has published her own children’s book, From the Ground Up.