What is Grounding and why it helps in reducing anxiety?
Connecting with mother nature is a thrill with many benefits.
It does not only soothe your eyes but gives you perspective far greater than your pupils can grasp. It brushes serenity onto your monkey mind. It heals the physical and emotional aches. It lifts your spirits up, wakes up your inner child and, reminds you about the strength of a tree and the fragile beauty of a leaf at the same time.
We all have witnessed that magic touch of nature in some way or the other. Whether it was our childhood days in a park, our travel diaries in the mountains, or water splashes on beaches.
We have seen it, we have felt it but, did you know that there is a concept behind this beautiful transaction that happens between a human body and the natural world. It’s called grounding or earthing.
Grounding is a therapeutic technique that involves doing certain activities that grounds or electrically reconnects the physical body with the earth.
Basically, the earth is a giant charger and we, as bio-electrical beings vibrating on different frequencies lit up whenever we are in sync with Mother Nature. And, this is the reason why we feel good after a swim session or we feel centered and balanced when we are around mountains or trees.
Science has also tried to look for answers with regards to why this phenomenon works and there is some limited research that says, grounding has helped reduce inflammation in the body of the participants, has improved blood circulation on different parts of the face, reduces anxiety and improves overall mood/quality of life and they also believe grounding can restore natural defenses of the body, making your immune system stronger.
Now, that’s enough data to organize a reunion with Mother Earth? Right?
Unfortunately, our lives today have disconnected us from nature. We may have beautiful gardens around or we may travel to certain picturesque locations but we are greeting nature as a distant relative.
We may have beautiful gardens around or we may travel to certain picturesque locations but we are greeting nature as a distant relative.
Our comfortable lifestyle serves us with overstimulated information and unnatural desires which lead us to anxiety and depression. The parameters society is setting up for happiness and success are nowhere getting us back to our roots. We need to realize that our bodies are designed from these elements of nature and we must embrace this relationship.
From an evolutionary standpoint also, our bodies are meant to be in the wild, we are hunters, gatherers, we are meant to climb trees, play, and be active, we need the earth’s energy to come into alignment. We need this connection with the earth for our mental and emotional balance. To work and live effeciently the way we have constructed our modern lives to be.
One good news, you don’t need any special techniques to begin a grounding practice today.
Here are 8 things that I have been doing that you can do too:
Walk barefoot on the ground - This is easy, isn’t it? You just need to take off your shoes, walk on the ground. Try not to use your phone while doing that. Try and pay attention to your surroundings without any labels. Just be, walk slowly and relish every step.
Hug a tree - Trees have gone through so much, they deserve some affection too. Don’t be shy, hug a tree!
Lie on the floor for a while, or sleep on the floor. - It’s good for your back too.
Submerse in water - Go swim in an ocean or beach, be adventurous?
Try a Grounding Meditation at home - This is my daily practice, I use Jeffrey Allen’s Grounding Meditation to strengthen my presence.
Get drenched in rain - I did this a few weeks ago and it was exhilarating.
Listen to natural sounds or tribal drums - You can find many videos on youtube. One channel that I go to is called “Healing vibrations” or I usually search for Shamanic drums and listen to them while at work or doing home chores.
Reminiscence about your time in nature - because thinking and visualizing are powerful too. If you are unable to go out and you need to shift your energy, mood, or emotions, thinking about your time in nature can be a helpful trick.
Now, let’ go out and thank Mother Nature for all that she has given us and still continues to give.
