Grounding is an absolutely essential practice that has, unfortunately, been either glossed over, or made to be more complicated than it needs to be. Grounding yourself may help when the constant demand on your energy throughout your day leaves you needing to relax, rejuvenate, and heal your body.
When you’re not grounded, you may experience any or all of the following:
Some people will go for a walk, immerse themselves in nature, some love to swim either at the beach or a river, some get a massage and others let the water jets in a hot tub gently massage them in the comfort of their own homes; these are all different ways of grounding.
Grounding yourself is an easy activity which you can do for yourself daily without the need for an appointment with a practitioner or the necessity of any equipment. Practices like meditation, yoga and even just a swim or walk in nature can harness the Earth's natural electric charge to stabilise your body and provide health benefits. If you have a spa pool or swim spa in your own backyard, you can jump in and ground yourself by water immersion any time you need.
Grounding is a natural form of healing that helps reduce inflammation, helps fight chronic fatigue, reduces anxiety and depression, reduces cardiovascular disease, and improves sleep length and quality in people with sleeping disorders.
How does it work? Grounding works because the earth has its own electromagnetic field; in fact, if you are out in the open, away from buildings, you can have between 100-300V/m between your head and your toes! The grounding theory uses these natural electric pulses to better human health, and it’s straightforward to utilise. It is a relatively new field of scientific research, so there isn’t much data, but the studies that have been conducted show promising results in improving your health. You can find a list of research papers here if you want to look deeper into the science.
All this information leaves another question, ‘if the earth always has these currents that help health, why don’t they work all the time?’ and the answer is insulation. Insulation can take many forms, including rubber-soled shoes, carpet, concrete, pavement, wooden walkways, etc. These artificial structures place a barrier between you and the earth, so you do not benefit from the earth’s natural healing properties.
Grounding can be done in a number of ways, and most of them don’t require any special equipment! The four main ways to tap into the power of grounding are:
Walking barefoot on the natural ground is the simplest way to connect yourself to the grounding powers of planet earth. Walk without shoes or socks on grass, sand, or even mud! Anywhere that you are connected directly with the earth. Walking on pavement barefoot or other artificial walkways don’t give the same effect, but it can still be beneficial. Make sure that wherever you walk barefoot is safe and that you will not step on any dangerous objects like broken glass, sharp stones, or city waste.
Lying down on the ground is also effective for connecting you to the earth. It increases the amount of skin you have in contact with the earth and can be very relaxing to take a nap on the grass or even the beach. If you plan to nap in the sun while grounding yourself, make sure you wear appropriate sunscreen or use a sunshade to prevent sun damage to your skin.
Some supporters of grounding state that submerging yourself in natural water rich with minerals, at the beach, river or a lake, can give the same grounding effects as the methods that utilise contact with the earth.
If you want to ground yourself and don’t have access to natural ground, you can purchase grounding equipment that will produce a similar result. These grounding devices can be great for people that don’t have time to stop and ground themselves during the day because some of these devices can be connected directly to the bed. Connecting one of these devices directly to the bed allows you to ground yourself while you sleep. Grounding while you sleep has also been shown to increase your sleep quality.
The family range of spas are bigger than the compact range and offer a variety of seating and jet layouts. Most of these spas are over 2m square, allowing for greater personal space for each occupant, but without being so large as to take over your outside space. These spas are designed with groups in mind, big enough for the whole family or to catch up with friends. Most of the family range has been created with enlarged footwells to allow space for multiple users, including undercut footwells to accommodate even the tallest people. Many models include his and hers recliners or captain’s chairs to account for the different heights of individuals and ensure everyone has a position just for them. Their powerful air and water jets ensure a blissful therapeutic experience for all users. So if you want a slice of heaven in your backyard, a spa from the Sapphire Spas family range could be just what you are looking for.
Grounding is a natural, accessible form of healing that can supply significant long-term health improvements when you ground consistently for an extended period (you may start seeing health improvements in just four weeks!). If we have access to free health care that poses minimal risks to our well-being, why shouldn’t we take full advantage and start to live life at our full potential? If you have pre-existing medical conditions worsened by the outdoors or any elements of grounding, ensure you consult your doctor before trying any of the methods mentioned above.
