Grounding / Earthing
You may have heard the term grounding or earthing, it is a buzzword in the health and wellness community for good reason as many of us unwittingly have completely insulated ourselves from the Earth. Rubber soled shoes, concrete, houses and even cars are built to totally disconnect us from the dirt. This has profound effects on humans as time goes on noticing some people may spend years if not decades without so much as a toe making contact with our planet. Science is revealing the subtle and not so subtle energies that flow in and out of the earth and its inhabitants on a daily basis, and I'm not talking about woo-woo energy but measurable electromagnetic fields of current that have obvious affect on plants, animals and the atmosphere. By wearing rubber soles and petroleum based clothing we prevent the natural flow of these currents through our body while simultaneously trapping our own bodies electricity within ourselves. The Brain, Heart and other organs of the body create and emanate measurable fields of current that extend for surprising distances outside the body, even interacting with others fields in a positive or negative way. While this is all repeatable and accepted science, the effects it has on others and the planet are not well understood but stands to reason that it does make a difference.
It is very likely that our ancestors were much better Earth stewards due to the connectedness they had with the natural environment. Shoes were commonly limited to leather and wool or possibly tree bark and wood which all allow transfer of current in and out of the body. It is not a big jump to see how this may have fostered a connection with nature that most of us cannot achieve.
Today with our technology we are finding ways to reconnect without having to run around barefoot in the grass (although that is still recommended). Grounding mats in many forms are starting to become more mainstream as people who use them have noticed a distinct benefit.
Grounding/Earthing Mats and devicesA grounding mat or other device used for this purpose has one function: to connect your electric body to the Earth. The Earth has a slight negative charge as it's base state while a human has a slight positive charge. Just like how your appliances need to be 'grounded' by having a 3-prong plug-in to prevent a short circuit, your body has the same needs. This is most easily accomplished by barefoot walking or sitting directly on the ground with no insulating material between you. However we as a species have made this practice impractical in our daily lives so many are turning to novel devices that seem to be achieving the same effect.
The essence of a grounding mat is a conductive material (usually a type of metal) embedded in some non-insulating fabric which has an electric cord containing only the ground plug. Obviously the standard 2-prongs must not be a part of this or you would electrify said mat with potentially dire consequences, however with only the grounding part plugged in a complete circuit from your body to the ground can form allowing the body and Earths current to flow as necessary. Potential benefits may include significantly better sleep and a reduction of short circuit related inflammation. There are many products on the market now, however we are not qualified to suggest which is the best. It is possible to create your own however we caution you to be careful with anything related to the high voltage of house electricity, make sure you understand the process and only use a plug in that does not have the energized prongs, this means you'll need a special plug in to prevent possible electricity from your house shocking you or causing a fire. While this simple technology works even in high rises in cities as there is a grounding rod on all electric systems there is a caution where the ground current may actually be affected by the associated high voltage infrastructure in the ground. This subject is deeper than can be explained here and like everything should be researched by the user and their specific conditions. There is much more information on the web and other ways this can be used such as in a office environment or even a yoga mat. Personally I have been disappointed that most yoga mats are made of insulating petroleum products effectively preventing the release of electrical energy created by this wonderful movement. I believe we will see much more effort in the way we try and complete the circuit of our bodies and the Earth.
Perhaps you can see the connection of this type of technology that is related to the use of magnets, copper bracelets and other devices used for healing and wellness that have been explored in recent years. As our ability to measure and understand these energies increases we expect to gain much more knowledge on the benefits of these kinds of technology.
It is very likely that our ancestors were much better Earth stewards due to the connectedness they had with the natural environment. Shoes were commonly limited to leather and wool or possibly tree bark and wood which all allow transfer of current in and out of the body. It is not a big jump to see how this may have fostered a connection with nature that most of us cannot achieve.
Today with our technology we are finding ways to reconnect without having to run around barefoot in the grass (although that is still recommended). Grounding mats in many forms are starting to become more mainstream as people who use them have noticed a distinct benefit.
Grounding/Earthing Mats and devicesA grounding mat or other device used for this purpose has one function: to connect your electric body to the Earth. The Earth has a slight negative charge as it's base state while a human has a slight positive charge. Just like how your appliances need to be 'grounded' by having a 3-prong plug-in to prevent a short circuit, your body has the same needs. This is most easily accomplished by barefoot walking or sitting directly on the ground with no insulating material between you. However we as a species have made this practice impractical in our daily lives so many are turning to novel devices that seem to be achieving the same effect.
The essence of a grounding mat is a conductive material (usually a type of metal) embedded in some non-insulating fabric which has an electric cord containing only the ground plug. Obviously the standard 2-prongs must not be a part of this or you would electrify said mat with potentially dire consequences, however with only the grounding part plugged in a complete circuit from your body to the ground can form allowing the body and Earths current to flow as necessary. Potential benefits may include significantly better sleep and a reduction of short circuit related inflammation. There are many products on the market now, however we are not qualified to suggest which is the best. It is possible to create your own however we caution you to be careful with anything related to the high voltage of house electricity, make sure you understand the process and only use a plug in that does not have the energized prongs, this means you'll need a special plug in to prevent possible electricity from your house shocking you or causing a fire. While this simple technology works even in high rises in cities as there is a grounding rod on all electric systems there is a caution where the ground current may actually be affected by the associated high voltage infrastructure in the ground. This subject is deeper than can be explained here and like everything should be researched by the user and their specific conditions. There is much more information on the web and other ways this can be used such as in a office environment or even a yoga mat. Personally I have been disappointed that most yoga mats are made of insulating petroleum products effectively preventing the release of electrical energy created by this wonderful movement. I believe we will see much more effort in the way we try and complete the circuit of our bodies and the Earth.
Perhaps you can see the connection of this type of technology that is related to the use of magnets, copper bracelets and other devices used for healing and wellness that have been explored in recent years. As our ability to measure and understand these energies increases we expect to gain much more knowledge on the benefits of these kinds of technology.