Return to the Earth

For most of our history, humans have had regular physical contact with the earth either through bare skin or conductive animal hides. Only in modern times do we almost never connect with the earth anymore. Rather than walk barefoot or in leather shoes, we have synthetic soles that separate us electrically from the earth. Rather than live in houses with dirt floors or sleeping on animal hides on the ground, we live in elevated buildings separated from the earth. Rather than ride on horses or walk, we use vehicles with rubber tires. Every creature except domesticated pets, animals in zoos, and modern humans still live in daily contact with the earth (for some, like birds, more intermittent but still regular).

Joseph Pilates was inspired by nature. In particular, he watched babies and animals as he was growing up in Germany and wild cats on the Isle of Man where he was interned during WWI to inspire his movement method. Towards the end of his life, he regularly visited the New York Zoo to watched the caged lions and tigers, lamenting their unnatural and limited movement. Another reason for the poor health of animals in zoos is their disconnection from the earth.

Electrons from the Earth

The earth is negatively charged, possessing electrons that pass into conductive materials that connect with it. This includes trees and plants, dirt and rocks, oceans and lakes, animals and humans. As soon as we touch the earth or something connected to it, our electrical potential matches that of the earth’s. And for as long as we stay connected to the earth, electrons pass from it into us.

Increasingly our bodies are subject to inflammation. Many chronic modern diseases are diseases of inflammation—heart disease, diabetes, cancer, autoimmune diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, etc. Our current health model is that we can reduce some of this oxidative stress from free radicals by consuming or supplementing with antioxidants. It’s one of the reasons why a diet high in fruits and vegetables is encouraged and why supplements like C, E, resveratrol, quercetin, and carotenoids are trendy. But not everyone has access to fresh fruits and vegetables, or expensive supplements, and the research doesn’t always show that they reduce inflammation like we’d expect (source).

But everyone on this earth has free access to its electrons. Normal physiological processes produce free radicals, like when our immune cells attack a foreign pathogen or when the mitochondria in our cells make energy (ATP) in the electron transport chain. The body needs a steady supply of antioxidants to deal with this oxidation and we can often make our own with the right resources (like glutathione) or we can get them from touching the earth.

Research on Earthing

Touching the earth is called Earthing or Grounding. As soon as you do, your inflammation is reduced (source). Earthing also reduces pain (source), promotes wound healing, increases vagal tone (source), improves sleep, normalizes cortisol levels (source), improves circulation, thins the blood (source), and reduces severity of viral illnesses like Covid (source).

Our current medical model focuses on the mechanical (which we address with surgery, physical therapy, Pilates) and biochemical (using pharmaceuticals and supplements). But our bodies are also electrical, clearly evident in the function of the nervous system, heart, and muscle contraction. Considering our electrical environment is something we haven’t really done, but I believe it will prove to be a potent paradigm for understanding the human body and maximizing health.

Personal Experiences with Earthing

For the past six months, I’ve been exploring earthing while also increasing my sun exposure (see our blog post for more about that experiment). I started by putting my bare feet on the earth while getting sun. Then I would garden without shoes on. When I tried putting my feet on a brick patio for 30-45 minutes before bed while watching the sunset, I noticed huge improvements to my sleep. It motivated me to ground more, which meant using tools to also ground indoors. I began connecting to the earth through the grounding wires in our homes and working up to sleeping grounded (working up because even though grounding is healthy, you may still need to dose it correctly for you and work your way up slowly to doing more—I estimate about 10-15% of the clients I’ve taught this to are in that category). I taught select private clients about earthing and offered the opportunity to try grounding during a Pilates lesson. Here are some of the things we have noticed from earthing/grounding:

  • Reduced pain

  • Quicker healing from injuries and surgeries

  • Improved sleep. Clients who used to wake after a couple hours are sleeping twice as long before waking. I had over a solid week of sleeping 8+ hours/night, something that hasn’t happened to me in decades.

  • Improved mood

  • Feeling more “zen”

  • Reduced swelling

  • Reduced muscle tension

  • Increased flexibility

  • Less emotional stress when grounding during work in a high stress job

  • Ability to drink alcohol without hangovers (if earthing while drinking, noted by multiple people)

  • Decreased reactions to vaccines. One person who had ten vaccines in the past few years (Covid boosters, flu shots) went from being “down” for 1-5 days after each shot to feeling perfectly fine post vaccine. She is grounding overnight and also increasing sunlight exposure.

  • Decreased blood pressure. Having to lower medications because BP is so much lower.

  • Improved energy

  • Decreased brain fog

  • Decreased digestive issues

  • Faster healing from viruses

  • Feeling calm, clear and focused after a grounded Pilates session

Before and after 45 minutes of grounding during a private Pilates lesson. Visible reduction in swelling and fingers that hurt to bend before did not after.

One unique improvement relates to me and bodywork. Celia, who offers Moving Manual Therapy at Kinesis Pilates on Thursdays, has been my body worker since 2016. I’ve seen her at least once a month for those seven years. Once I started grounding, she said that her ability to do her body work—organ work, cranial sacral therapy, fascial work—on me improved greatly. She said that previously, it was like watching a TV screen with a poor connection and static. Now with grounding, the signal is clear. She’s so compelled that she is grounding more herself as well as grounding massage clients.

Americans spend an average of 93% of their time inside buildings and cars (source). Ninety-three percent! That equates to less than two hours outside in a 24-hour period and even then, we are disconnected from nature via sunglasses, hats, sunblock, clothing, and synthetic shoes. I believe that more time spent in nature with fewer things separating us from it is important for our health—something we can presume Joseph Pilates thought too by the way he lived his life (often seen outdoors in minimal clothing and footwear).

How to Earth

To earth, simply touch any bare skin of your body, not just feet, to the earth or conductive materials in contact with the earth. This includes dirt, sand, rocks, grass, the leaves of plants grown in the ground, brick and flagstone patios, even concrete (wood decks do not ground you, nor does asphalt). Natural bodies of water are conductive, especially if they’re loaded with salts and minerals like the ocean. You’ll benefit immediately, so even for a minute is better than none. But the longer you do it, the more benefits you’ll reap. Try earthing when eating meals—that’s 30-60 minutes you could be grounded each day without setting aside additional time. Another great time is first thing in the morning when you’re outside getting natural sunlight into your eyes, as is prior to bed. If you toughen up your feet, you may be able to go on barefoot walks (this took me months to do with the use of moccasins first). I sometimes even take my small barrel or chair outside and do Pilates on the lawn.

It is getting cold as winter approaches, but fear not! There are tools to help you ground indoors through the grounding wires installed in every electrical outlet in your house. There are mats to place your feet on, sheets, patches you can connect directly to specific body parts, even grounded socks and shoes. If you’re nervous about grounding through your house’s electrical system, remember that almost all scientific studies were done this way rather than by touching the earth so that the studies could be double blind (participants and researchers didn’t know if they were actually grounded or in the control group ungrounded).

Plumbing fixtures in houses as well as pools, fountains, and hot tubs are also grounded. Maybe that’s one reason why we think spending time in a bath or hot tub is so relaxing and restorative. The tools I use to ground clients in the studio are from earthing.com. If you’d like to try being grounded during your next Pilates private lesson with me, just ask.

Joseph Pilates believed his movement method would return you to life. You’ll reap even greater health benefits if you also return your connection to the earth!

Feel free to email sophia@kinesispilatesdenver.com with questions or to share your experiences. And check out the resources below to learn more.

Resources:

Dirt on your feet is okay!