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Earthing Explained: The Science of Grounding for Better Sleep, Less Pain, and More Energy with Dr. Gaétan Chevalier, Ep 307

https://growing-joy.simplecast.com/episodes/earthing-explained-the-science-of-grounding-for-better-sleep-less-pain-and-more-energy

You've probably heard the phrase, “Go touch grass.” It's usually thrown around online when someone needs to log off and reconnect with reality. But the act of touching grass, literally putting your bare feet or hands on the earth, is scientifically proven to reset your mood. It's known as earthing (or grounding), and it's been proven to reduce inflammation, boost your energy, improve sleep, and even help your body heal. So I specifically sent Dr. Gaétan Chevalier an email to have him on the show to explain everything we need to know about earthing. With 15 years of experience, he’s one of the leading experts in this field, and he’ll explain how our bodies literally need that natural connection to the Earth’s energy.

In this episode, we learn:

[01:49] Meet Dr. Gaétan Chevalier!
[03:23] How Clint Ober introduced earthing in 2003
[04:58] First studies on barefoot grounding and surprising results
[07:46] What exactly is earthing?
[09:09] The Earth as a living battery: why its charge matters
[12:20] Why is inflammation the root of disease, and how does grounding help?
[14:02] Make the perfect personalized wedding gift with Wind River Chimes!
[15:48] Learn about 90+ wild, edible, and medicinal plants in Revered Roots by LoriAnn Bird
[16:45] The Earth’s negative charge explained
[19:01] The natural cure for jet lag: 30 minutes barefoot
[19:34] Are earthing and grounding the same practice?
[20:45] How modern life disconnects us from the Earth’s charge
[22:24] What is the most powerful way to ground yourself?
[24:17] What are the benefits people report from daily earthing?
[25:18] Grounding as a bioelectrical reset for the immune system
[27:30] Electrons as “electric nutrition” for your body
[28:30] Can grounding be measured? How testers work
[30:52] What does it take to be grounded? (30 minutes barefoot in your garden)
[32:28] Grounding houseplants and even cut flowers
[34:12] Grounding indoors: mats, mouse pads, and sleeping mats
[35:57] PMF devices vs. grounding: what’s the difference?
[37:00] What are the two things needed for a good home ground system?
[39:29] Why hugging a tree bark won’t ground you (but leaves might)
[40:06] What is the Schumann Resonance?
[42:40] How grounding shields you from electrical “frenzy”
[44:30] Can grounding help offset EMF and cell phone exposure?
[45:18] Yes, there are grounding shoes and sandals you can buy!
[46:59] Where can you learn more about grounding?

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What Is Earthing?

Earthing is having your body physically connected to the surface of the earth. You can do it through walking barefoot on grass, swimming in the ocean, putting your hands in dirt while gardening, and even touching the leaves of your outdoor plants.

If you live somewhere cold, there are also grounding products like mats, sheets, or pads you can use indoors. They basically act like an extension cord for the Earth’s natural energy.

Dr. Chevalier said that Earth is like a giant battery, recharged by the sun through a complex process involving lightning strikes that send electrons into the ground. Our bodies evolved in constant contact with this electrical source, and we've only recently disconnected from it due to modern life.

How Did We Become Disconnected?

We built houses out of dead wood that doesn't conduct electricity. We started wearing rubber and plastic shoes that act like insulators. We walk on asphalt instead of dirt. We basically never touch the Earth with our actual skin anymore.

Think about our ancestors, though. They walked barefoot or wore leather shoes that got moist with sweat and conducted the Earth's energy. They slept on the ground, worked with their hands in soil all day, and lived in constant connection with the planet. We traded all that for comfort and protection, but apparently, there's been a cost.

Why Disconnection Causes Inflammation

When we’re disconnected from the Earth, our bodies miss out on the free electrons that help neutralize inflammation. Without those electrons, inflammation can build up and lead to all sorts of health issues like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or autoimmune conditions.

The Benefits of Earthing

People who practice regular grounding often report:

Better sleep
Reduced pain and faster healing from injuries
Lower stress and anxiety levels
More energy
Relief from chronic inflammation
A natural way to fight jet lag!

Dr. Chevalier’s research has even shown improvements in serious conditions like AFib, long COVID symptoms, and wounds that wouldn’t heal through conventional means alone.

How to Ground Yourself (No Lab Equipment Needed)

Go barefoot outside
Garden with bare hands
Touch leaves or wet plants (sorry, houseplant parents, because potted plants indoors won’t ground you unless they’re wired to the Earth outside!)
Swim in natural bodies of water
Try grounding shoes (there are sandals and sneakers designed with conductive soles. Just visit Earthing Insider’s Facebook Group to see the most popular brands)

Dr. Chevalier says we need a minimum of 30 minutes a day, since it takes about 20 minutes for your body to start showing physiological changes like lower heart rate and calmer respiration. Five minutes is better than nothing, of course, but half an hour is more effective.

Why Gardening is an Effective Earthing Activity

Gardening itself already helps reduce stress, but doing it with more skin contact will be more beneficial, so make sure you garden barefoot or without gloves next time. Sink your toes directly into the soil.

In fact, our feet are specifically designed for earthing because we have more nerve endings per square inch on the soles of our feet than anywhere else in our body.

Touch Grass, and Make it Daily

We spend so much time and money looking for solutions to stress, fatigue, or pain, when maybe the simplest answer has been right under our feet all along.

So kick off your shoes and touch the earth. Feel the grass on your feet, and go swimming! Do it for at least 30 minutes and notice how you feel.

And if you need more information about it, check out the Earthing Institute because they have all the research on their website!

Mentioned in our conversation:

Thank you to our episode sponsors:

Wind River Chimes

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Quarto: Revered Roots: Ancestral Teachings and Wisdom of Wild, Edible, and Medicinal Plants by LoriaAnn Bird

Reconnect with nature and learn about the many different medicinal benefits of your local plants. Revered Roots by LoriAnn Bird offers practical guidance on over 90 wild, edible, and medicinal plants of North America, blending folklore, ancestral wisdom, and beautiful illustrations. The book helps readers deepen their relationship with the earth through personal reflections and teachings on harvesting and healing. Whether for experienced foragers or beginners, it serves as both a love letter to nature and a guide to reconnecting with it.

Grab your copy of Revered Roots at quarto.com and wherever books are sold, and let your next garden walk become a sacred walk with your ‘plant teachers'.

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