Pictured above is a grounding or earthing pad, and is the most convenient way to ground oneself. I use one while meditating and writing my posts. Unfortunately I couldn’t find a source in Turkey but they can be purchased from Amazon.
Recall my May 25, 2015 post on “Meditation”, where I stated that I liked killing a few birds with one stone. That is why I step on a grounding mat while meditating. Not only do I relax and relieve stress in the process of meditation, but I also use an excellent way to get antioxidants into my body and fight free radicals.
Grounding is the electrically conductive contact of your body with the surface of the Earth, such as when walking barefoot on grass.
In a nutshell, grounding shows benefits for:
- Inflammation
- Immune response
- Wound healing
- The prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune disease
The Earth carries an enormous negative charge. It is electron-rich and can serve as a powerful and abundant supply of antioxidants and free-radical-busting electrons.
When you put your bare feet on the ground, you absorb large amounts of negative electrons. This simple process is one of the most potent antioxidants known.
Grounding has been shown to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, improve sleep, enhance well being, and much, much more.
Unfortunately, many living in developed countries are rarely grounded anymore.
As I touched upon in my “Eternal Youth, Can It Be For Real” post, dated January 9, 2015, you can slow down the ageing process by fighting free radicals.
Oxygen causes iron to rust, and free radicals are associated with oxidative damage.
Free radicals are cells or molecules that have a single unpaired electron in the outer shell, and they “steal” electrons from other cells and molecules, causing a cascade, which results in cell and DNA damage. THIS PROCESS LEADS TO DISEASE AND AGEING.
Antioxidants, such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, lipoic acid, N-accetylcysten and resveratrol are happy donors of electrons and help stop the cascade.
EARTHING IS THE MOST POTENT ANTIOXIDANT.
Grounding appears to have a number of beneficial effects on health, including:
- Improve sleep
- Normalize the day-night cortisol rhythm
- Reduce pain
- Reduce stress
- Increase heart rate variability
- Speed wound healing
- Reduce blood viscosity
The concept of grounding was initially developed by Clint Ober to address problems of sleep disturbances and chronic muscle and joint pain. He was a sufferer himself.
During his research, he discovered that most who slept grounded, using a grounding mat, reported symptomatic improvements in sleep and pain, and some also reported significant relief from asthmatic and respiratory conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, sleep apnea, and hypertension.
So, there is more to grounding than just reducing pain and improving sleep.
Another study found that grounding during a single night of sleep led to significant changes in the concentration of minerals and electrolytes in the subject’s blood. And, grounding for 72 hours led to a decrease in fasting glucose among people with diabetes.
Here is something that should interest my weight-training friends. Grounding while sleeping was also determined to be THE FIRST INTERVENTION KNOWN TO SPEED RECOVERY FROM DELAYED-ONSET MUSCLE SORENESS (DOMS). This is the pain and stiffness that may occur after strenuous exercise.
Walking barefoot, or using a grounding mat, can also help ameliorate the constant assault of electromagnetic fields and other types of radiation from cell phones, computers, TV, and Wi-Fi. My grandchildren live in Charleston, South Carolina and walk and run barefoot on grass all the time. This makes me feel a bit better, given the time they spend on their iPhones, iPads and computer. How do you get kids to use grounding mats in colder climates?
SIMPLE WAYS TO GET GROUNDED
Many people in today’s world spend most of their waking hours wearing shoes with rubber or plastic soles. These are insulators which effectively disconnect you from Earth’s natural electron flow.
Wearing leather-soled shoes will allow you to stay grounded, but you need to walk on proper surfaces.
Good grounding surfaces include:
- Sand
- Grass
- Bare soil
- Concrete or brick
- Ceramic tile
The following surfaces will not ground you:
- Asphalt
- Wood
- Rubber and plastic
- Vinyl
- Tar or tarmac
Going barefoot or grounding for 30-40 minutes a day can significantly reduce pain and stress.
Many of us living in Turkey may have noted that truck drivers sometimes take a break and lie down on the grass. They might not know why they do this, but I’m sure they are quite aware of the benefits.
One of my wife’s cousins does the same thing when he’s had a few to many.
So, using a grounding pad while sleeping, working, or relaxing indoors offers a more convenient and solution-friendly approach.
Go to it my friends.
See you next week.