Earthing, Has Anyone Tried It?

[GypsySoulNicole]

After reading the research months ago, I finally decided to start my own trial. I am seeing improvement in several areas since starting last week, and wondered if anyone has looked into this.

What is Earthing?

In its most basic form, Earthing is as simple as doing what people have done for eons: walk, run, or sit outside barefoot. Anyone can do it. Conductive surfaces include sand, dirt, gravel, grass and concrete. Wet surfaces are more conductive than dry. Wood, vinyl, asphalt and painted concrete are not conductive.

http://www.holisticprimarycare.net/topics/topics-o-z/psyche-some-a-spirit/1198-earthing-restoring-health-from-the-ground-u

Some of the studies

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/22757749/

http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2012/291541/

link to more studies and commentaries

http://www.earthinginstitute.net/index.php/research

[Katybug]

I haven't heard of this before. I would just caution you to be careful as walking barefoot in dirt is how many people contract some different types of parasites like hookworms.

[GypsySoulNicole]

I haven't heard of this before. I would just caution you to be careful as walking barefoot in dirt is how many people contract some different types of parasites like hookworms.

I've been trying to just sit in the yard daily, which is hard in northern Indiana weather. There are Earthing mats and sheets you can buy off Amazon. I know a few people that have the sheets and swear by them. One friend had severe insomnia and the sheets finally let her sleep. I thought the idea and studies on cortisol, inflammation and ans were interesting and since it's free to go outside, I'd start there.

I'm keeping a diary of time spent earthlings and anything different I feel or see.

I wonder if this could be a key to MS & autoimmune diseases being more prevalent in northern latitude. You're less likely to come in direct contact with the Earth in colder climates. I am outdoors all the time in the summer and my Pots almost disappears for a few months.

[GypsySoulNicole]

"When one grounds to the electron-enriched earth, an improved balance of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system occurs. Previous investigations reported a marked change in biological parameters after about 20 to 30 minutes, others in several days, and a few others show a drastic change immediately at grounding (<2 sec). Skin conductance and electroencephalographic and electromyographic recordings showed the most immediate and profound changes.6,8 This study showed a positive trend in HRV that kept improving all the way to the end of the 40-minute period of grounding, suggesting a greater benefit with time. In patients who experience anxiety, emotional stress, panic, fear, and/or symptoms of autonomic dystonia, including headaches, cardiac palpitations, and dizziness, grounding could be a very realistic therapy. These patients may see positive effects most likely within 20 to 30 minutes and in almost all cases in 40 minutes. "

(from Emotional Stress, Heart Rate Variability, Grounding, and Improved Autonomic Tone: Clinical Applications

pdf link found under the last link posted in original post)

[Hope]

I haven't heard it called "Earthing" but I've read about the method in different health recovery books for Chronic Fatigue and Adrenal Fatigue. They say to spend as much time as possible outside, and if you can't get outside they go as far as saying to watch nature videos and listen to nature sound CD's etc. Sometimes I feel better being outside, and sometimes I feel worse depending on allergies. When I was a kid, my family's vacations were usually spent camping on our relatives land up north, with lot's of woods and fields to explore. I always felt better and more relaxed.

[MomtoGiuliana]

I don't know about any of this, but I do believe that being outside and getting exposure to a bit of sunshine each day, helped me to feel better when I was very sick.

[Edin]

This is really interesting, I think I'll try it out once I move out of my apartment sometime next year. I definitely noticed I feel a bit better being outside surrounded by nature, but I thought that it was because I really like it and didn't associate it with my health. For now though, I think I'll buy some potted plants to put in my room, to bring the nature to me.

[GypsySoulNicole]

The research is actually on skin contact with the Earth, or the use of an Earthing mat or Bed Sheet indoors. I have seen reports on patients healing faster in hospital rooms with windows to view nature, but this is different. This is the actual transfer of electrons from the Earth to the body.

The studies would affect Pots patients and since contacting the Earth barefoot is free, that is how I started. I am now breaking down and buying the Earthing Mat and am going to sleep on it. If only I lived near the ocean and I could Earth with a stroll on a sandy beach!

"Recent research has shown that the feeling of well-being that comes from walking barefoot on the Earth is associated with important physiological benefits. The Earth is a natural source of electrons and subtle electrical fields, which are essential for proper functioning of our immune systems, circulation, synchronization of biorhythms and other physiological processes. Of major importance is the fact that modern biomedical research has documented correlations between chronic inflammation and all of the chronic diseases, including the diseases of aging and the aging process itself. Inflammation is a condition that can be reduced or prevented by grounding our bodies to the Earth.

It has also been suggested that the modern epidemic of chronic and stress-related diseases began when the leather that was used to make the soles of shoes was replaced with rubber and plastics. When leather becomes moist, as a result of perspiration from the feet, a channel of conductivity for electron flow is created between the Earth and the feet. Rubber and plastics are electrical insulators and therefore block the beneficial flow of electrons from the Earth to our bodies. " (Under standing Earthing http://www.earthinginstitute.net/statements/understanding_earthing.pdf )

Earthing (Grounding) the Human Body Reduces Blood Viscosity—a Major Factor in Cardiovascular Disease

"Previous studies have also demonstrated that grounding promotes favorable regulation of circadian rhythms, improved sleep with

better night-time cortisol dynamics, and favorable ANS function.Skin conductance is altered within 2 seconds of grounding. When one is in simple direct contact with the ground (walking barefoot, sitting or laying down on the soil’s surface), or if one is utilizing a grounding system for

sleep, zeta potential increases, and RBC aggregation and blood viscosity decrease. Grounding may represent one of the simplest and yet most profound interventions to help reduce cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular events."

http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdf/10.1089/acm.2011.0820

The thermographic photos before and after Earthing are pretty impressive on blood flow. http://www.earthinginstitute.net/studies/thermographic_histories_2004.pdf

[ShakeyTheOwl]

Gypsy! Love this concept. Sent the link to a health practitioner in Ireland, he loved it as well.

Sometimes answers come in simple ways, it makes sense to me how first world has become disconnected, then rely on science to heal.

Ive had fortunate experience of living off the grid on a very remote island in the Great Lakes.

(sans electricity and running water)

Best time of my life, short of the labor it required daily

Im fascinated with ancient civilizations and how they lived in balance with earth.

Also have had training under indigenous ways, culture. The first thing done for healing of illness is to address spiritual healing (because of the connection and balance we need as people)

These old ways have been passed through generation since dawn of man.

It wasnt until western modern society lost touch with these ways, and taught/trained to believe modern medicine as answer.

Kind of symbolic with the rubber soled shoes , disconnect from what does provide for our survival as humans, earth

My philosophy with this dys. is to balance both, modern medicine and alternative.

Thank you for sharing these links and concept and happy feet on the ground to you in northern Indiana from an island out in the pacific northwest (lol, I have a thing for living on islands)

[davecom]

Very curious to see if this helps anybody with POTS. Please do report back! I don't want to be the guinea pig with the $150 sheet right now.

[lynnie22]

GypsySoulNicole, how do the Earthling products work? I would be glad to purchase the sheets if I could understand how they replicate the actual earth energy

[GypsySoulNicole]

Davecom- I have been dragging my feet on buying the sheets! I think I'm going with the mat after several recommendations. The mat is $59. There are videos on youtube on how to make your own earthlings sheets, I tried to convince my husband to make some! I like the idea of the mat since it's portable I could use it on the couch, in bed etc. I watched a youtube video on a tour de France team using earthing technology for recovery. Pretty cool to see. My husband brought in a multimeter from the shop and we measured our body voltage. I was higher than everyone else!

Lynnie22, some of the links above should explain how the products work. There is also a good summary here, http://wellnessmama.com/5600/how-to-get-healthy-while-you-sleep/ Electrical stuff is like a foreign language to me, so when I first read about it I kept asking my husband, (who studied electrical engineering) if it made since. He said it did and brought in the meter and some tools to test our outlets to see if they were grounded correctly.

The mat seems to be the best route. But, to start out, contact with the Earth is free! It's been warmer here for the past couple of weeks, so I've made a point to go sit in the yard with my shoes off soaking up some Earth! I will keep you posted on results and when I get the mat and start sleeping grounded.So far, I am falling asleep easier.

BTW, here's another great site, besides the earthing institute. http://www.groundology.com/