What Is Earthing?

Sleeping on rocky, root-covered ground isn’t understood to be one of camping’s signature joys. But the year I opted for a cabin vacation rather than wilderness paddling, I missed nights in the tent the way a dog misses its absent owner. I felt huge relief crawling back into my sleeping bag on the following trip.

Scientific research into the practice of earthing (also called grounding) offers some explanation for that relief. It appears that any amount of time we spend in direct contact with the earth can have profound healing effects on our bodies and minds.

The Electron Effect

You might think of camping and other outdoor experiences as a chance to unplug, but earthing advocates suggest otherwise. In their view, spending time outdoors recharges the body’s battery. It’s plugging in.

Today, most of us live and work ­indoors and wear nonconductive shoes outside. This lack of contact with the earth means our bodies rarely have a chance to ground their electrical energy. Earthing proponents argue this ungrounded energy can manifest as illness and anxiety, while grounding it fosters better health.

“Just as vitamin D in our body is produced by energy and frequencies generated from the sun, 93 million miles away, the earth right under our feet provides unique energy and frequencies that directly influence our body,” explain the authors of a 2020 research review.

Yes, it sounds woo. But these researchers point out that electrical grids are routinely grounded in the earth for safety and stability.

The human body is also an electrical system. Our heartbeat starts with an electrical impulse and our neurons communicate partly by electrical signals. If our electrical systems are unregulated or imbalanced, it makes some sense that this would affect health overall.

According to earthing advocates, direct contact with the ground floods the body with electrons, helping to neutralize the effect of free radicals in the cells. This can produce a potent anti-inflammatory effect.

Studies have correlated earthing with decreased postworkout muscle soreness, improved digestive motility, blood thinning, reduced hypertension, and faster wound healing (which is hard to confuse with a placebo). Premature babies who had grounding cords affixed to their skin showed improved heart-rate variability, indicating better nervous-system regulation.

This regulating effect can increase our overall resilience. “Those who regularly ground appear to have a better tolerance to stress­ful situations,” notes integrative psychiatrist Tracy Latz, MD, MS, in the 2020 review.

How to Ground

The simplest way to try earthing is to walk barefoot on grass, sand, brick, or stone that sits directly on natural earth surfaces. Wet surfaces are more conductive than dry surfaces. Asphalt and sealed concrete are insulative rather than conductive, so they don’t work. Gardening, picnicking, or anything that gets you directly in contact with the dirt connects you.

Some people can’t or don’t want to go barefoot outside; it’s also impractical in cities or during a snowy winter. In these cases, proponents suggest grounding with earthing socks, blankets, and mats. These use cords that plug into the wall and ground to the earth.

As with most healing modalities, earthing works for some and not others — nothing provides relief to everyone. Yet most of us could benefit from a quiet moment with the sun on our face and our feet on the ground, remembering that, at least at the level of electrical frequencies, we really are connected to everything.