What is grounding?
Grounding is a practice, a natural sensory experience, in which your body connects back with the natural world and brings about a sense of calmness and peace, clearing your thoughts and your body of any unwanted energy. Also called “earthing,” and getting a bit more technical, grounding is making contact, generally with bare feet, with the earth’s surface electrons. Mother Nature’s electrical currents are linked to improving overall wellbeing, and has been for thousands of years. As a practice, it is so simple, yet so powerful. The best part, is that anyone can incorporate this into their daily routine, no matter how busy, and benefit from its many positive effects.
Let’s get less technical again. Changing your mindset can change your life, and practicing meditation can promote effects that can be profound for your mental and physical health. Grounding can provide similar effects in a short period of time, as it essentially changes your mindset by activating your senses and drawing your attention to those sensations. Earth’s electrons balance our system while this is happening.
Who can practice grounding?
Grounding is a practice that anyone can do, in a variety of ways. There isn’t one way that works for everyone, but with a little thought and creativity, you can find your own way of participating in the practice.
How to practice grounding
The most common form of grounding is to go outside, to an area with natural ground, take off your shoes, and walk. Whether it be in grass, sand, water, or on more rocky terrain, it’s all about connecting with nature and its energy. Allow your skin to come in contact with the Earth and focus on what it feels like. Clear your mind and allow only positive thoughts that directly relate to what you’re experiencing.
People often practice grounding by lying on the ground, swimming in natural waters, and gardening as well.
Grounding is often done when people are looking to clear their mind and rebalance their system. After a long day, when feeling lost, when in need of a blank slate—there are countless reasons.
Grounding in a pinch
But, what happens when you’re looking for that grounding feeling but are unable to connect with nature at the moment? This is where I believe that grounding can be done from anywhere, at anytime, with just a little creative thought and a couple of borrowed natural elements. (Also, there is such thing as grounding mats that can bring the Earth’s electrical currents to you, but here are some less expensive options.)
It can be hard to practice grounding in the moment if you are somewhere that lacks exposure to the earth or a grounding mat. And while grounding may usually denote the actual ground of the Earth, the same or similar effects can be triggered even when you don’t have access to the natural ground.
Yes, grounding is a direct interaction with the Earth, where the energy can flow between she and you due to skin to nature contact, usually through the feet. But, energy can flow from the Earth through many elements, even when they aren’t in their natural environment, and we can also trick our minds into reliving those experiences and taking advantage of some of the mood-boosting effects in a pinch, when we actually do not have any contact. Here are some examples:
Using sight and hearing:
Are there trees outside a nearby window? Watch it’s leaves and branches. Block out everything else. Play some natural or meditation music through your headphones. Does it seem like things are dancing? How is the sun, or the rain, affecting the tree? Soak it all up with your eyes and think about nothing but what you’re watching.
Do you love the beach? Make a little sensory bottle and tip it back and forth, watching the water and sand as they flow. Again, add some music for a heightened experience. Clear your mind and just focus on the gentle movement inside the bottle.
Adding in touch:
For the next examples, add in some sensory touch. Remember: energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transferred. Therefore, natural elements picked up from the ground contain the positive energy from the Earth’s surface, too. When you feel they need an extra charge, let it sit on the ground for a bit, and then pick it up again.
Play some bird callings and keep a little box with some bark, pine needles, and pinecones nearby. Crystals are also great for this purpose. Examine them through touch, or simply hold them. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in a forest. Let go of everything else for a moment and let the calming grounding feelings take over.
Grounding over time
While the grounding-substitute activities above are just that—as substitute that can work when you don’t have access to actual nature, it also helps you to practice mindfulness and meditation in short, little bursts. With practice of the actual activity of grounding or a little creative substitution, your connections to the earth and the benefits of the activities will become stronger and more fruitful. And even if it’s difficult at first and your mind keeps telling you to not believe it, if you let go of your doubts, you will see a profound difference in how you feel afterwards.
As is true for many others, grounding is something that has helped me reset my energies and emotions, returning with a clear mind and positive mindset to conquer the difficulties that life can bring. If you already practice, or are thinking of getting started, all I have to say is that there is no wrong way. You do you, and do what feels right for your soul.
Happy grounding!
