Why the heck am I talking about grounding and negative ions on a forest bathing site?
Stay with me, here.
I promise, it’s relevant and fascinating!
By the end of this article you’ll understand how negative ions affect your health and wellbeing and how to cultivate them.
You’ll also have the indelible urge to kick your shoes off and walk through your yard.
Hopefully…;)
So, before we go any further, let’s break down the science of matter, ions, and grounding. A little middle school chemistry and physics lesson. It will help you understand this so much better.
Let me just tell you, I’m a huge skeptic when it comes to pseudoscience-y type stuff. I’ve been known to scoff at salt lamps and crystals.
Grounding though?
Completely rooted in science.
If it wasn’t, we wouldn’t be here.
The Science of Charged Particles
Like you learned in school, everything on earth is made up of matter.
All matter consists of atoms, which consist of protons, neutrons, and electrons.
If an atom has more protons than electrons, it has a positive charge.
Now, even though we tend to appreciate positivity in an emotional sense, when it comes to atoms and our health, negative is actually better.
Negatively charged particles abound on the earth’s surface, and you can get negative electrons by planting your feet on the earth.
Everyday items that emit a positive charge, on the other hand, include cell phones, televisions, pollution, and Wifi.
High concentrations of positive ions are actually detrimental to your health.
You can remove any charged state by grounding.
Grounding your feet is the same process as grounding a gasoline tank to keep it from exploding.
The only way to ensure electrostatic energy (static) doesn’t explode the gas is to connect it to the earth and neutralize the charge.
You can change your own charge by getting a transfer of electrons from the earth too.
The human body, when connected to the ground, creates a closed circuit for energy transfer.
The earth literally supplies you with electrons to neutralize your charge.
So, does your charge really have any effect on your health?
According to science, it totally does!
The Health Benefits of Grounding
Earthing, or grounding with your feet, has significant research-backed scientific benefits. Don’t take it from me, take it from the research on the benefits of grounding. Essentially, negative ions are antioxidants; they neutralize oxidants, or free radicals. They allow your body to achieve equilibrium or homeostasis at a cellular level.
Negative ions:
- Reduce inflammation, which contributes to chronic disease
- Improved sleep
- Reduced cortisol levels
- Relieve pain
- Faster healing
- Calms the sympathetic nervous system
I don’t even like to limit these amazing benefits to bullet points, but for the sake of readability, I will. We could go into depth about each one of those! They’re not just a side note, they’re the headlines!
As the study authors state, the Earth’s surface is “the ‘battery’ for all planetary life.”
Another study of the effects of earthing indicates how “earthing the human body may be an essential element in the health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water, nutritious food, and physical activity.”
Real scientific proof that we need to reconnect with the earth.
Best Ways to Neutralize Your Charge
So, just like you exercise and eat healthy, you should get your negative ion infusion every day.
Your morning routine is a great time to practice earthing. My personal morning routine consists of spiritual time, journaling, personal development, and now grounding.
Shoes are an insulatory shield against the negative ions, so kick ’em off.
According to my research, the areas with the best saturation of negative ions is near water, grass, or sand.
To get the most effective dose of negative ions:
- Walk in bare feet in wet grass, either after it rains or in the morning dew
- Walk in the sand along the shoreline
- Use a humidifier or diffuser to take the static (positive ions) out of the air
- Use a Himalayan salt lamp
Doesn’t that sound rather spa-like?
You can now add grounding to your list of benefits of forest or nature bathing. Next time you’re in the forest or out on your back lawn, kick off your shoes and let nature have access to your body.
I was going to say, “hey, try this, it couldn’t hurt,” but I think that would belittle this entire article and all the science behind it.
No, I think you should definitely try it! And I think it definitely helps!
If you’d like to learn more about grounding and negative ions, check out these resources:
More earthing resources
*For a full list of earthing studies (to prove its benefits), check out these resources from the Earthing Institute.
If you’re a visual person, these thermal images show pain reduction after grounding in real time.
And if you’re a total science nerd like me, or still a skeptic, you can even check your own voltage with a voltmeter before and after earthing.
Try this ASMR foot friction exercise to get your daily dose of grounding and negative ions.
What do you think?