Grounding: Definition, Benefits, & More

As humans, we have a profound capability for connection at our fingertips.

Unfortunately, it seems that our incredible ability for connection comes in the form of digital screens rather than a true, physical connection to one another and our planet.

Which is a shame, because these very real connections can make all the difference in the world to actually improve our lives thanks to improved health and wellness.

That’s why grounding is gaining popularity.

Grounding (sometimes called “earthing”) is a simple practice that can have quite extensive benefits—sometimes more than we may even realize.

What is grounding, exactly?

To understand grounding, first we must remember the earth—the “ground,” broadly speaking—is electromagnetic. That is, there are currents eternally flowing through our planet.

So, in its most basic sense, grounding is the practice of connecting your body (often the soles of your feet) directly with the earth so that this energy is transferred into you.

As simple as it sounds, recharging with Mother Nature in this way can have big benefits—including balanced cortisol levels, reduced stress and inflammation in the body, improved circulation and cardiovascular health, strengthened immune function, and it can even bolster your mood.

More good news? There’s more benefits to grounding beyond the electrical. Like the microbial.

When you practice grounding in a way that puts you truly in direct contact with the world at large, you’re not just recharging electrically via the earth’s natural electromagnetic current, you’re reconnecting yourself to Mother Nature and her infinite wisdom on the cellular level. You’re exposing yourself to the bountiful varieties of biodiversity that exist all around us to huge benefits.

This berth of exposure to different lifeforms is what makes the microbial aspect of the grounding practice so exciting. It all comes back to biodiversity.

We know biodiversity is absolutely essential for life, and humans are no different.

Now, think about our microbiome—so much of our health is dependent on a flourishing microbiome to keep us healthy and well. A big part of your microbiome working as it should is ensuring it is diverse. The more diverse the microbiome, the better. (Which is also why supplementing with probiotics may not be solving your gut health issues.)

So, what does this have to do with our health? It’s become quite obvious as we continue to study the connection of the microbiome and its effect on the body’s overall wellness that the modern world we're living in is actively curbing our ability to get necessary biodiversity into our microbiomes—and causing adverse effects to our health as a result.

For example, recent studies conducted show that hunter-gatherer tribes (who come into contact with a lot of biodiversity by their way of life) have on average 40,000 species of bacteria present in their gut. Compare that to the American gut, that only averages 8,000. You quickly see a picture forming, where an explosion of chronic health issues correlates quite clearly with less everyday exposure to the world at large. (Leaving our microbiomes with less biodiversity.)

To put it simply: less microbiome diversity ultimately means more opportunity for weakened immune function, digestion issues, and more. And that’s just the gut! We have microbiomes all over our body that rely on biodiversity to thrive.

Ways you can ground and reconnect with nature

When you get out and practice grounding, you’re doing more than getting the electric charge from the earth, you’re consistently coming into contact with the Earth’s various life forms that can help you create a diverse and flourishing microbiome.

And guess what? There’s many easy opportunities to reconnect with Mother Nature via grounding. (And yes, it can be as simple as you’re imagining!)

Ways you can incorporate grounding into your everyday life:

• Walking or standing barefoot outdoors (grass, dirt, sand!)
• Sitting in a chair and connecting with the ground with your bare feet
• Lying flat on the ground with your back, legs, or arms bare
• Submerging yourself in a natural body of water (think: pond, lake, or ocean)
• Getting your hands into the soil (gardening is great for this!)

The above are all fantastic options that allow you to get the full benefits of grounding, especially the crucial element of introducing biodiversity into your system by exposing yourself to new microbes in the world around you.

Nurture a stronger connection to nature with ION*

Grounding is an incredible practice. Getting out into nature and getting all sorts of wonderful exposure for your microbiome will do a world of good for your health overall.

Another daily wellness ritual that’ll help you reconnect with nature in support of better overall health? Making ION* Gut Support part of your wellness routine.

Like grounding, ION* is all-natural and proven to help bolster your overall well-being. It’s even made from the ground! (Derived from ancient, humic-rich soil to be exact.)

ION* is proven to strengthen the gut by tightening cellular junctions in the gut lining, meaning your natural defenses against toxins are bolstered from within, allowing your body to digest well and absorb more nutrients so you can thrive the way nature intended.

Try ION* Gut Support today.