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CONTENTS Report Summary ............................................................................................................................................................ 3
Welcome to The New Frontier of Earthing .................................................................................................................... 4
Earthing and Medication ............................................................................................................................................... 5
Is There a Best Way to Get Grounded? ......................................................................................................................... 7
Earthing Speeds Athletic Recovery & Healing ............................................................................................................... 9
Lupus and Other Stories of Relief ................................................................................................................................ 11
Relief from Vitiligo ............................................................................................................................................... 14
Autism .................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Less Pain .............................................................................................................................................................. 16
Caution with Coumadin and Earthing .................................................................................................................. 16
CPAP Machine Side-lined, Less Bowel Irritability ................................................................................................ 17
Barefoot Benefits ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Multiple Benefits ................................................................................................................................................. 17
Benefits for an 86-year-old .................................................................................................................................. 18
More Sleep, Less Snoring ..................................................................................................................................... 18
Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms ............................................................................................................................... 18
Hashimoto-related Fatigue & Husbands Car Accident Pain ....................................................................................... 19
Asthma Flare-Up Abbreviated ............................................................................................................................. 19
Very Happy Marathon Runner ............................................................................................................................. 19
Swelling, Posture, Headaches, and Sugar ............................................................................................................ 19
Salt Reduction Method? ...................................................................................................................................... 20
Fast Hip Replacement Recovery at Age 90 .......................................................................................................... 20
Earthing vs. Good and Bad Free Radicals .............................................................................................................. 21
New to Earthing? Some Important Reminders ................................................................................................... 22
Earthing Care Tips ................................................................................................................................................ 23
The Earthing and Blood Pressure Connection ............................................................................................................. 25
What To Do If Earthing Doesnt Seem To Be Working? ............................................................................................... 28
An Earthing Checklist ........................................................................................................................................... 28
Electrical System Problem ................................................................................................................................... 28
Ground Rod Problem ........................................................................................................................................... 28
Check Your Earthing System ................................................................................................................................ 29
No Direct Skin Contact ......................................................................................................................................... 29
Dehydration ......................................................................................................................................................... 29
Improper Care of Earthing Sheets ....................................................................................................................... 29
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Stress!!!! .............................................................................................................................................................. 30
Medical Considerations An Earthing Advisory .......................................................................................................... 31
Earthing Capital of the World? .................................................................................................................................... 33
Moral of the story: Stay connected! ................................................................................................................... 33
Earthing Tips: Feet Too Cold on The Earthing Mat? .................................................................................................... 38
Grounding and Awareness of Groundedness .............................................................................................................. 40
From Cat Saunders, Ph.D., author of Dr. Cats Helping Handbook: A Compassionate Guide for Being Human
............................................................................................................................................................................. 40
From Rabbi Tmimah Ickovits, Los Angeles ...................................................................................................... 40
From Anders Blomqvist in Sweden .................................................................................................................. 41
From Gerard Bechard, a cranio-sacral therapist in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts .................................. 41
From Rhonda Whittaker, a massage therapist in Fairfield, Iowa ..................................................................... 41
From Clint Ober, who has grounded thousands of people for more than a decade ....................................... 42
Nurturing the Nervous System-Heart Connection .............................................................................................. 42
Dr. Sinatra shared these recent examples: .......................................................................................................... 44
How NOT To Ground ................................................................................................................................................... 46
Nurturing the Nervous System-Heart Connection ...................................................................................................... 48
One Dentists Earthing Experience .............................................................................................................................. 51
Multiple Benefits the Holistic Impact of Earthing ..................................................................................................... 53
Lynn Deene, 65, Milo, MI ..................................................................................................................................... 53
Karen Ball, 60, massage therapist, Beaverton, OR .............................................................................................. 54
Earthing, Inflammation, and Aging Something to Think About ................................................................................ 56
Why is there such a big and growing interest in chronic inflammation research? ............................................. 56
Earthing for Snoring Relief ........................................................................................................................................... 59
Menopause Transformation A Case History ............................................................................................................. 60
How to Optimize the Lifespan of Your Earthing Sheet ................................................................................................ 62
So what can you do to protect your sheet? Here are some anti-aging tips to enhance its longevity: ............ 62
The Bottom Line .................................................................................................................................................. 63
Rapid Benefits: An Earthing 1-hour Time Trial ......................................................................................................... 64
Shifting Lives with Earthing A Psychiatrists Perspective .......................................................................................... 67
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WELCOME TO THE NEW FRONTIER OF EARTHING Gaetan Chevalier, Ph.D., Director, Earthing Institute
As director of the Earthing Institute I look forward to the many exciting discoveriesahead related to the simple proposition that good things happen inside our bodies when
we connect to the Earth beneath our feet.
As a researcher involved primarily with the bodys electrophysiology (how the body
produces and utilizes electrical energy), I find it rather amazing that at this point in the
human timeline we are just starting to scientifically explore the benefits to health that
come from direct contact with the planet we live on. It is obvious that past cultures, and
even indigenous people today, put great emphasis on connectedness to the Earth.
Finally, we are investigating the precise dynamics and benefits of this connectedness.
The studies I have been involved with have yielded an intriguing glimpse at what
appears to be a new, more vital and robust human physiology. The bodys inner
workings are different when we connect to the Earth either by being barefoot outside orsleeping on the Earth as was the case throughout most of evolution until only very
recently, or through the utilization of practical Earthing products indoors that allow us
to sleep, relax, and work grounded. The impact on our body, these initial studies
strongly suggest, is a powerful and positive shift in the physiology that may one day give
rise to a new definition of what is normal.
Earthing restores a lost electrical signal to the body that seems to stabilize the
complicated circuitry of our essentially electrical body. My research shows that this has
head to toe repercussions and many benefits for the hardware and software of our
built-in self-regulating and self-healing mechanisms. For many people the shift is
practically equivalent to charging a failing battery or restoring power after constant
brownouts.
Those of us involved in Earthing research hypothesize that Earthing transfers negatively
charged electrons into the body that are abundantly present on the surface of the Earth.
Electrons are the object of affection, so to speak, of positively charged free radicals,
the biochemical agents causing oxidation in the body. Electrons are the source of the
power of antioxidants. The influx of electrons from Earthing neutralizes or otherwise
satisfies and quenches free radicals, stopping them from stealing electrons from healthy
tissue that results in tissue damage and chronic inflammation at the heart of so many
common and serious diseases. Here, seemingly, is a natural, profound, and simple
remedy for chronic inflammation: connect to the Earth.
Modern living has increasingly separated humans from Mother Earth and its great
natural commodity of unlimited, subtle health-nurturing energy. This energy has nowbeen discovered scientifically and with that discovery the magnificent prospect of doing
great good for the entire population of our planet.
We welcome your comments, questions, and feedback.
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EARTHING AND MEDICATION Stephen T. Sinatra, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Co-author, Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?
Can Earthing products be used if you are on medication? Thats a question I hear fairly
often. The answer is yes, but with a prudent qualifier. Keep in mind that Earthingreduces inflammation in the body and restores natural internal electrical stability and
rhythms. Any doctor would applaud such benefits and improvements. But because of
such changes, as good as they are, it is possible with continuing grounding, such as
sleeping grounded at night, medication dosages may become excessive, and perhaps
even unnecessary in some cases.
Years ago as a practicing cardiologist in Connecticut, I often found myself having to
reduce the level of Warfarin (Coumadin) for patients coming back to their homes after
snow birding in Florida over the winter months. Their blood coagulability had changed. I
thought it was simply a result of going from warm weather to cold weather. I was
wrong. I didnt know anything about Earthing back then. I now know that the reason for
the change was because they were going barefoot for many hours during the day and
swimming in the ocean or in concrete pools. They were grounding themselves!
There is something very special and healing that occurs in your body as a result of being
in direct contact with the Earth. I regard it as pretty much the equivalent of being on a
treatment table. Your body is absorbing the natural, subtle electric energies
omnipresent on the surface of the Earth. There is an instant shift in your physiology. We
see that happening in laboratory studies that measure the electrical activity inside your
body.
Logic tells us that the normal state of humans is to be grounded, that is, connected
directly with the Earth. Most of us in the so-called developed societies function
ungrounded, wearing plastic and rubber soled shoes, and no longer living on the Earth
but above it and in structures that separate us from the Earth. For millions of years, our
ancestors evolved in intimate connection to the Earth. We think that the evolving body
adapted itself to the energies and frequencies in the ground and that by being
ungrounded the body malfunctions in one way or another, or in many ways. Think of aflickering light bulb that is not fully connected to its energy source.
Humans have increasingly adopted unnatural lifestyles, causing self-inflicted stress and
illness. We regard the separation from Earths natural energies as one example of an
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unnatural lifestyle, along with more familiar factors such as poor diet and lack of
exercise.
Reconnecting to the Earth, such as being barefoot outdoors and sleeping or working
indoors while using Earthing systems, is extremely beneficial. However, our research isin an early stage and we have not completed any direct studies related to medication,
including Coumadin, a commonly used medical blood thinner and anti-clotting agent. In
general, our experience suggests that some patients taking medication are able to
reduce their dosage level. For that reason, we highly recommend that people on
medication and considering Earthing should consult with their doctors first and then
monitor their medication carefully.
Earthing helps balance the nervous system, lower stress, reduce inflammation and
inflammation-related pain, and improve sleep and energy. The research also suggeststhat the electrodynamics of blood, a subject not very familiar to doctors, is also
improved, and this effect may lead to a more desirable blood viscosity (thickness),
reduced aggregation of red blood cells, and better overall circulation.
Your doctor is looking out for your well-being and will naturally be reluctant about
something new that he or she has no knowledge about. If you are under a doctors care,
we strongly advise you to consult with your physician before grounding yourself. If
interested, the doctor can read our book, Earthing: The Most Important Health
Discovery Ever?, as well as check out the research we have posted elsewhere on this
website. Keep in mind that Earthing is nothing more than the equivalent of standing or
walking barefoot or sleeping on the ground. The same natural, subtle electric energy
that your body would absorb from being in direct physical contact with the Earth
outside is the same energy that you receive when sitting or sleeping indoors and using
an Earthing product. It is something totally natural.
For those of you on Coumadin or any critical medication, you should decide with your
health care giver about grounding yourself. If you decide to do it, it may be prudent to
do so for shorter periods in the beginning, such as walking barefoot in the park or in
your backyard, where it is, of course, safe and comfortable to do so, or ground yourselffor a few hours while you watch television. As you slowly increase your Earthing time,
monitor your situation carefully, including how you feel, so as to determine if your
dosage of medication needs to be lowered. Ground with caution, and under the
watchful eye of your physician.
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IS THERE A BEST WAY TO GET GROUNDED?Clinton Ober
Co-author, Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?
Over the years I have been asked many times about which Earthing sleep system is the
best. This is because I have continued to refine the systems for ongoing research and tomeet the demand of people who want to sleep connected to the Earth. So there are
different versionsvariations on a theme.
We have tested many different versions of Earthing sleep systems and confirmed that
reduction of inflammation appears to be consistent with all of them. However, we have
observed that the larger the grounding device the more rapid the results and the more
that sleep is improved.
As I mentioned in the book, attempting to develop sheets with the best function was
very challenging. Some women were concerned about sheet thread count and colour,
issues that I felt added unnecessary cost and complexity to the simple priority of
improving sleep and health. I could understand people wanting to be fashionable and
colour coordinated and all that, but I have to admit it was a source of frustration for me
because my sole objective was to help people feel better. Somewhat out of frustration I
decided to develop a white half-sheet that people could place out-of-sight over their
regular bottom sheet at the leg/foot end of the bed. In this way they could at least
ground their feet and not be concerned about the colour of the sheet showing or about
any less-than-luxuriant tactile feel of lower thread counts on their hands. The ground
plane of the half-sheet is obviously less than a full sheet but nonetheless effective. It
also represents an excellent and more affordable option for most people who want to
sleep grounded for the first time. The use of the half-sheet alone consistently produces
good results, even for people with significant health issues.
After having grounded thousands of people and observed the results, and speaking from
my own personal experience with use of various grounding methods over a period of
twelve years, I believe the most effective and practical Earthing product is a bottom
fitted sheet. The whole body lies on a ground plane during sleep and it stays well in
place throughout the night. This is my preference and what I have primarily used myselffor the last six years. When I travel, my first choice is the recovery bag. I like the
surrounding ground of the recovery bag when you are inside of it, and not just on top of
it. Its like a sleeping bag, only much lighter. Its made of cotton and poly.
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Most of the people I come in contact with regarding Earthing have very compromised
health. If asked which system I recommend, I usually suggest the body bands during the
day and a recovery bag or a bottom fitted sheet at night to sleep on. For individuals with
sleep issues, I recommend the bottom fitted sheets.
Over the years I have also been asked countless times whether connecting to a ground
rod is better than connecting to a ground port of a wall outlet in a home that has been
properly grounded. Both methods produce identical results in reduction of
inflammation. Many people have reported better sleep with use of a ground rod, but
this is difficult to quantify in any way as sleep is so very subjective. Personally I use a
ground rod for my bed and an electrical ground outlet for floor mats when I am working
barefoot at the computer during the day. If you use a ground rod and live in a dry
climate, such as in the Southwest United States, I suggest watering the Earth every week
or two around where the ground rod is inserted, or as often as you remember. Keeping
the ground moist enhances conductivity.
In summary:
1) The bigger the ground plane the better,
2) Direct skin contact with the Earthing device is essential,
3) Any ground is better than no groundthe body always equalizes with the Earths
direct current (DC) and becomes charged with free electrons which we know reduces
inflammation.
In general, I recommend what people can afford and find acceptable aesthetically. All
the systems work effectively to put you in contact with the Earths natural energy.
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associated with faster recovery from day to day activity. People have more energy, less
pain, better function, and require less sleep. All these are indications that the body is
repairing itself and functioning more efficiently.
From my experience, whether you are sick or injured, the more consistently you ground
yourself and the more time you spend grounded, the greater your bodys ability to heal,
repair, and regenerate, and operate optimally.
For athletes, there is clearly a positive effect on biology, leading to heightened recovery
from day-to-day activity that facilitates competing at a higher level. Recovery is
everything. Competition and training tear the body down. Without adequate recovery,
the body will eventually break down or the person sets himself or herself up for injury. If
you can sleep less and respond better, and train harder, which is what we see from
Earthing, than the assumption can be made that you are affecting the recovery
mechanism and repairing the body better and faster.
These kinds of observations are why I tell my athletes to get grounded and get better!
Southern California-based Jeff Spencer, a member of the Earthing Institutes Board of
Advisors, was awarded the 2004 International Chiropractic Associations Sports
Chiropractor of the Year award in recognition of his uniquely effective treatment and
care of world-class athletes to prevent and heal injuries, and maximize performance. Dr.
Spencer, a former Olympic cyclist, has worked with professional golf, baseball, football,
tennis, motorcross, and Formula 1 racing champions, a World Series MVP, rock stars,
and top business executives. He can be reached at
HTTP://WWW .FACEBOOK.COM/CONNECTWITHDRJEFFor
HTTP://WWW .JEFFSPENCER.COM/
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good friend Katie McGuinness, a former general counsel for a Fortune 250 corporation. I
am posting her story here, in her own words, and at length, as a message of inspiration
and hope for individuals who may suffer from lupus or some other debilitating auto-
immune disorder. Heres her story:
The American College of Rheumatology has established 11 different criteria for the
diagnosis of lupus. If you have four of them, you are considered to have the
disease. Some are based on physical symptoms, others on blood tests. The bottom line
is that lupus is an inflammatory process. You may have inflammation in the joints, and
even in all the joints. I personally have had at times both shoulders, both elbows, both
wrists, and both knees involved. It is painful to the point where I took aspirin by the
handful as well as other painkillers. What I learned is that you dont get rid of the pain
but you do get erosive gastritis and mess up the digestive tract.
My informal relationship with lupus began in 1999 with kidney dysfunction. The
symptoms accumulated to the point where the doctors prescribed an anti-malarial drug
for me, which is a first-line medication for dealing with lupus. Why an anti-malarial
drug? Because malaria is an inflammatory disease. And lupus is an inflammatory
disease. This approach worked for me for about 18 months and kept the symptoms
under control.
Lupus, however, has a bunch of different triggers, and you learn what they are over
time. I learned, for instance, that sun exposure could trigger a lupus flare-up. I was living
in California and volunteering at a nature preserve, and getting a lot of sun. That was my
catalyst for starting down a pharmaceutical road to steroids. At first I could get by with a
three-week course of steroids and get my strength and the pain back towards normal.
But then the flare-ups got harder and harder to control. And the dosage of the steroids
got higher and higher.
In December of 2009 I experienced another flare-up. In addition to the pain, I was now
experiencing debilitating fatigue. That was the hardest part. I could sleep 10 or even 12
hours a day, but still not have any energy to do any of the things I liked to do. I couldnt
cook. I couldnt walk the dogs. I couldnt groom my horse. Along with this came mentalfog. Its not dementia and its not any psychoses. Its like the brain doesnt work at the
normal level of RPMs. I was fighting that, and the fatigue, and the pain, and all the while
seeing the steroid level ramp up and up. I had gotten up to 35 milligrams of cortisone a
day. Thats a pretty high dosage. I was getting quite concerned because long-term usage
of cortisone can have very damaging side effectssuch as osteoporosisand I wasnt
really getting relief from it anymore.
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The doctor at this point said he wasnt willing to raise the cortisone level any higher. He
suggested we try something else. So he handed me a prescription for an immune
suppressant called CellCept, a drug they give people with lupus when the steroids dont
help anymore. The drug is aimed at reducing inflammation and autoantibody production
in patients with autoimmune disorders. These, and other similar drugs, are also given to
people who have organ transplants in order to prevent the immune system fromrejecting the organ. The medications, however, can weaken your immune system to the
point where you become more vulnerable to cancer and other very nasty things.
Side effects include high blood pressure, kidney and liver problems, and susceptibility to
infection. These are not drugs you take lightly. I told my doctor I wanted to consider this
option carefully. I also said I was considering an extremely rigorous nutritional approach.
I was desperate. I had already consulted with a nutritional expert who had
recommended two months of an intense diet and nutrient supplementation program
followed by a period of fasting. I needed help wherever I could find it. When I told this
to my rheumatologist, he wanted to take back the prescription.
You cant do both, he said. I told him I wanted to keep the prescription but wouldnt
take the drug if I decided to follow the nutritional approach. I was confused and not
sure what to do.
Luckily, nature intervened in two ways and resolved my dilemma. First, because of
long-term use of pain relievers, I was taking Kapidex, a stomach acid suppressant, which
was interacting with the cortisone and creating constant intestinal discomfort. The
thought of eating a heavily cruciferous diet of broccoli and cabbage, a main feature of
the remedial diet, was out of the question.
Around this time, my husband had a conversation with our friend Marty Zucker, who
thought that Earthing could help me. He strongly urged me to get grounded. We
followed his advice and immediately obtained an Earthing sheet. I was willing to try
most anything at this point. So I started sleeping grounded not knowing what would
happen. I had the CellCept prescription if needed, but I wasnt willing yet to play that
drastic card.
As the days went by I noticed that I started feeling better, having more energy, and
thinking more clearly. This went on for a few weeks and then it was time for my regular
monthly visit to the rheumatologist. I should mention that whenever I saw him I would
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have my blood drawn a week before so that at the time of the office visit he would have
a fresh picture of what was going on in my body.
This time when I walked into his office, he asked me how I was feeling. I said it is really
strange but I honestly feel I have more energy and Im starting to feel like my old self
again. He sat me down and said that this was the first time in the five years I had been
seeing him that my blood work was normal. None of the hallmark factors for lupus were
present, including the primary test for lupusthe antinuclear antibody test. In my case,
the test had been positive for ten years.
Now, six months after I started grounding, I have to admit that Imalmosttaking mygood health and abundant energy for granted. Now, I walk my dogs twice a day,
practice chi gong, study photography, and participate in two weekly strength training
classes to prevent osteoporosis. But every night I sleep on my grounding sheet. The
prospect that I might slip back into the pain, fatigue, and fog of lupus is truly frightening.
I only wish I had started grounding sooner and not lost so much time to lupus. I will be
forever grateful to Earthing for restoring my health and vitality. I dont consider myself
to be cured. But I do consider myself to be in remission. Earthing has given me a second
chance at life.
When I saw Katie recently, she looked vibrant and energetic. She was indeed living
again. She had even gone through a cross-country move and was able to handle the
stress and physical challenges involved. Her husband Frank perhaps put it best when he
said: Katie is doing so well she is shell-shocked with wellness!
RELIEF FROM VITILIGO
As I have gotten older I have begun to experience age-related things like brain fog,
difficulty in dropping excessive weight, and most unexpectedly, not sleeping well.
Better nutrition and higher intensity weight resistance exercises effectively addressed
the first two problems, but I was having difficulty finding a solution to getting good,
sound sleep. I tried many methods, short of taking drugs, but nothing worked. It was
extremely frustrating. I never had difficulty sleeping before.
I decided to try grounding, despite a healthy dose of scepticism. The first night
grounded, I slept as though I had taken some kind of sleeping pill. I slept through the
night and deeper than I had in years. I was stunned by the result. I experienced the
same thing the next night and it continued in the ensuing nights.
The week after I started sleeping grounded I visited my elderly mother who suffers
from an assortment of chronic inflammatory maladies from arthritis to vitiligo, the skin
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disorder made famous by the singer Michael Jackson. (Note: Vitiligo is a relatively
common autoimmune skin disease affecting an estimated one percent of the
population. The immune system attacks and destroys melanocytes, the cells which give
skin its colour, causing the skin to turn white in patches. The condition is associated with
inflammation and often with redness and itching. The medical system does not have
effective treatments for this condition).
I decided to carry my sheet with me to show my mother, since grounding might
possibly relieve her symptoms of chronic inflammation. When I arrived at her home, I
was stunned by a sight I had never encountered before. She was experiencing a full
blown, painful skin flare-up on her left forearm. She had mentioned these episodes to
me in the past. She develops extreme and burning-like pain along with severe itching.
She also has some eczema mixed in. However, I was not prepared for what I saw. Her
arm was so red and inflamed that it looked like a bloody, pulpy, piece of raw flesh. My
stomach turned and my heart dropped at the sight of it. She was obviously in great pain,
and the itching was severe as well. Some of the pain, she told me, could have been
exacerbated by the constant scratching in an attempt to relieve the itching.
I asked her what she normally did to calm down her bodys reaction. She said all she
could do is to take her meds and wait for 10-12 hours for the symptoms to subside. I
felt terrible for her.
I instinctively pulled out my grounding sheet, connected it, and told her to just put it on
her arm to see if it would at least help minimize the itching. She wrapped it around her
arm and we started to talk about other things to take her mind off her discomfort.About 45 minutes into the conversation, I looked at her arm and was shocked. While
still a little red, the pulpy appearance had all but vanished. And so, too, the itching was
almost gone. She said she felt so much better and was relieved by this totally
unexpected development. I have seen a lot of extraordinary things over the years, but I
have never witnessed a dramatic, healing transformation quite like that. I continued to
ground her for the rest of my weekend visit and there was no recurrence of her severe
symptoms.
I subsequently obtained an Earthing system for her and she started grounding on a
consistent basis. In the two months since, she has reported much improved sleep,
greatly diminished itching, and only one flare up. The flare-up happened when she
lapsed in her grounding routine. She quickly got the situation under control by
grounding herself the same way as the first time. She had the exact same relief.
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AUTISM
(In the Earthing book, one California mother described the improvement of her young
son who had been diagnosed with autism two years before. The boy did not sleep
through the night and was subject to behavioural meltdown and crying in the afternoon.
As the following report indicates, he continues to improve).
Our five-year-old son is a completely different kid since he started to sleep grounded.
He is in general education kindergarten this year, steadily making progress with his
speech and behavioural issues, and currently doing school work at a first grade level.
Most importantly, his sleep has been very consistent since being grounded with the
Earthing sheet. He sleeps 10 hours per night without waking up, and rises each morning
feeling refreshed and happy. Sleep is a big issue, a snowball factor. From reading posts
in my autism groups, depression and behavioural problems often occur with lack of
restful sleep. Autistic kids seem to really be affected by bouts of insomnia.
LESS PAIN
I am a non-professional athlete who has been running since my mother said I ran out
of the womb. I had shoulder pain from a fall on a local running trail in August 2009, left
hip pain for years, a tweaked neck, and was recovering from a sprained ankle a month
before (that was not my year!). After one hour of Earthing, the pain in all areas nearly
vanished.
I went through the change three years ago and could not sleep a full night without
waking up multiple times from pain of past injuries and a noisy living environment. Since
sleeping on my Earthing sheet, all has changed. For the first time in three years I havebeen sleeping a full night sleep with dreams. I feel more balanced, my friends say I look
younger now, and I have a renewed zest for life!
CAUTION WITH COUMADIN AND EARTHING I had bypass open heart surgery nineteen months ago and was not able to sleep
through the night without medication. I also developed significant muscle and joint
stiffness. I started sleeping grounded two months ago and within a month was able to
sleep without medications or even herbs. My morning knee and even back stiffness, and
sometimes pain, disappeared. My INR blood test moved from 1.5 to 5.5. Ideally, it
needs to be between 2 and 3. My cardiologist was astounded and had to lower my
dosage of Warfarin by 1.5 g. (Note: Earthing has a blood thinning effect and individualson Warfarin, also known as Coumadin, or any other blood thinner, need to monitor their
blood level very carefully with their doctors in order to prevent excess thinning and the
risk of bleeding. Refer to our earlier Earthing Report on medications).
Five days ago I took the sheet off my bed to launder it and woke up with terrible knee
stiffness two mornings in a row. I had forgotten to put the sheet back on. I immediately
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SALT REDUCTION METHOD? Since sleeping grounded, Ive found prepared foods to be way over-salted. Strange,
because normally I love salt and cant get enough of the stuff.
FAS T H I P REPLACEMENT RECOVERY AT AG E 90 Arvord Belden Ph.D., gave us his inspiring story in the Earthing book how, at age 90,
sleeping grounded has enriched and energized his quality of life. Hes been Earthing for
more than nine years. We spoke to Arvord in mid-2010 to see how he was doing.
Quite well, he said. He had just had a right hip replacement and the doctor and nurses
were amazed at his quick recovery and lack of swelling. He asked the doctor if he could
have his Earthing sheet in the hospital bed with him. No problem, the doctor
said. Arvord was in the hospital for four days and after two weeks reported doing
super-dooper and walking better than before.
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short period of time. Everybody benefits in some way, but each of us is different. The
benefits can come quickly and dramatically, or subtly and gradually over time. Often
people who are very ill or saddled with various symptoms feel the difference
dramatically. One older man adamantly told us he didnt feel any difference but then
admitted that he didnt get up at night to urinate as frequently as he did before, and
often didnt get up at all. Thats a sign of deeper sleep and probably reduction ofprostate inflammation. Both are great benefits!
Someone with radiant health and who sleeps well may not feel any
difference. However, connecting to the Earth helps to preserve and perpetuate good
health. In this situation, regard Earthing as a simple, effortless, and natural form of anti-
aging and preventive medicine, whether you feel benefits or not.
For people taking medication, we always suggest being alert to the possibility that asthey feel better, the dosage level of medication may be able to be reduced. You may
experience signs of overdose. If you do, please see your doctor right away. In any case,
do not reduce medication without consulting with your doctor. If you are taking any
form of blood thinner, whether a prescription medicine like Coumadin, or a nutritional
supplement, remember that Earthing has a blood thinning effect. Monitor your blood
level very carefully and talk to your doctor about what you are doing. You want to guard
against excess thinning and the risk of bleeding.
A new European study published in 2011 indicates that Earthing affects thyroid function.
The precise meaning of the changes is unclear, but quite a few people on medication for
underactive thyroid have told us over the years they been able to reduce their dosage of
medication after starting Earthing. Some reported feeling palpitations, irregular and/or
forceful beating of the heart, an unpleasant symptom reflecting perhaps an arrhythmia
but a common sign also of excess thyroid hormone. We believe that Earthing may
improve thyroid function and thus the regular level of medication may become
excessive. Thus, if you take thyroid medication and start Earthing, be alert to the
possibility of medication overdose. If that happens, you may need to consult with your
physician about adjusting your medication level. Many people have reported being able
to do so.
EARTHING CAR E TIP S We would also like to remind you about taking good care of your Earthing
sheets. Remember NO BLEACH when you wash the sheets. Bleach will destroy the
conductive silver threads in the sheet that carry the Earths energy. Use gentle laundry
detergent, such as the eco-friendly varieties you can purchase in health food stores, or a
product like Tide Free and Clear.
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people start Earthing have been associated with reduction of pain and the anxiety and
fear of chronic illness.
Earthing book co-author and cardiologist Stephen Sinatra remarks: I am convinced that
grounding does indeed lower blood pressure. And, if you are hypertensive and takingmedication for it, and you want to ground to reduce inflammation, you need to tell your
physician. He or she may need to adjust and lower your medication accordingly. Track
your own blood pressure with a monitoring device at home and bring to your doctor a
written record of your readings before and after grounding sessions.
Occasionally, people have reported increased blood pressure after they start Earthing.
Such a situation, however, has nothing to do with Earthing. There is nothing about
Earthing that can cause a rise in blood pressure. Blood pressure either comes down or
stays the same. Our observations suggest that any parallel rise in blood pressure among
people who are Earthing is unrelated to Earthing. Rather, it is likely related to stress in
their lives or where individuals taking blood pressure medication stopped taking the
drugs on their own.
Earthing book co-author Clint Ober, who has inspired and promoted Earthing research
for more than a decade, recalls the case of one male participant in an early study whose
blood pressure was very high and stayed high during the eight week duration of the
study:
His numbers changed very little. He was like 160. Meanwhile, the blood pressure of all
the other people in the study dropped. I asked the doctor involved in the study what
was going on with that individual. He told me that the man was having serious financial
problems.
In my experience, I have seen many people, and especially women, have significant
reductions in their blood pressure. That happens because Earthing is changing the
hormones and having a systemic effect in the body. People have less pain and become
happier.
Mr. Ober also cites the case of a man who has been Earthing for many years who has a
blood pressure that runs normally in the 110 to 130 range. The fluctuations depend on
the time of day the blood pressure readings are taken and how much stress he is dealing
with. When his mate died, the mans blood pressure went to 160 and stayed there for
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almost eight months. It was the trauma of the loss. When his son died suddenly of a
heart attack, the same thing happened. The blood pressure went up and stayed up for
quite a while despite many hours of Earthing during the night and day.
Mr. Ober also recalls an incident from his youth and growing up in rural Montana: Myuncle had a mink farm with several hundred mink. When my city cousins came to visit
once, they were very noisy and rambunctious around the animals. I remember that
several of the mink died, probably from a heart attack. The caged animals had become
stressed, had no defense, and nowhere to hide. My uncle got good and mad at them
and never allowed them into the mink house again.
Some people are in a constant stressed, fight-or-flight mode. They are in a corner. They
cant run, hide, or do anything. They feel helpless. Thats life today for many people.
They get into a sympathetic state and whether they are Earthing or not they manifesttheir predicament as high blood pressure. Think of the word hypertension. Everything is
tight and tense. You are ready to spring, launch, run, or fight.
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One person unknowingly put the rod into what she thought was the ground but which
was actually a thick layer of dirt on a ground floor balcony. When she moved the rod a
few feet away and into actual soil, her Earthing system worked perfectly.
That incident reminds us of situations in the past where people have put ground rods in
flower pots. A flower pot has soil in it, but its not the Earth.
CHECK YO UR E ARTHING SY S T E MCheck the conductivity of the Earthing system, that is, if it is conducting the Earths
energy as it was designed to do. To test the conductivity, use the Earthing continuity
tester. You simply connect the tester to the ground port of a properly grounded wall
outlet and place it directly on your Earthing mat or sheet. A green light will confirm that
your system and wire are in good working order. You may have to press firmly to get
the light to go on when testing the sheet.
NO D I R E CT SKIN CONTACT Sometimes individuals put the grounding half-sheet (also called the bed pad) or mat
under their bottom sheet in bed. This may not work so well. Direct skin contact with the
Earthing sheet or mat is highly recommended (please refer to our Earthing report from
July 2010 on Is There a Best Way to Be Grounded?) Although people sweat during the
night and the moisture can permeate the bottom sheet and create a channel of
conductivity between the body and the Earthing product, the quantity of sweat differs
individually. Thus we urge everyone to make direct skin contact. If you are using the
Earthing mat in bed, you may want to reposition it. Your feet could be coming off of it
during the night.
DEHYDRATION Many people dont drink enough water during the day. They are dehydrated. We have
observed that people who are dehydrated may not experience the benefits of Earthing
as fully as those who drink an adequate amount of water.
IMPROPER CA R E O F E ARTHING SHEETS
Improper laundering of Earthing sheets (including bed pads, full fitted sheets, and the
recovery bag) can result in loss of conductivity and benefits. Launder just as you would
wash other bedding, using a gentle wash cycle and a mild detergent. However,do not
useany chlorine bleach or fabric softener, or any detergent that contains bleach orfabric softener, as these chemicals can ruin the conductivity of your sheet. When
necessary, use hydrogen peroxide-based non-bleach to remove stains and/or to whiten
your sheet. Low-heat drying is recommended. Alsodo not applylotions, creams, or oils
before bedtime to areas of your skin that will come in contact with the sheet. The
reason for this is that such substances can easily become absorbed into the sheets. The
oils they contain become oxidized by the air and can diminish the conductivity of the
silver threads in the sheets.
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MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS AN EARTHING
ADVISORYEarthing (grounding) refers to the process of establishing conductive contact between
the surface of the Earth and the surface of the human body to allow electrons to flow
from the Earth and maintain the body at Earth potential.
Research indicates that regular Earthing restores and stabilizes a natural state in the
electrical functioning of the body, affects many physiological processes, reduces
inflammation, and improves sleep and energy. Studies providing evidence of Earthing
effects include:
Earthing the Human Body Influences Physiologic Processes
(WWW .NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/PUBMED/21469913)
Pilot Study on the Effect of Grounding on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness
(WWW .NCBI.NLM.NIH.GOV/PUBMED/20192911)
Other studies are posted atWWW .EARTHINGINSTITUTE.NET/INDEX.PHP/RESEARCH
IF YOU ARE UNDER THE CARE OF A HEALTH PROFESSIONAL , WE STRONGLY ADVISE YOU
TO INFORM YOUR PRACTITIONER ABOUT EARTHING BECAUSE EARTHING CAN INFLUENCE
HOW YOU FEEL, YOUR MEDICAL TEST RESULTS, AND MAY POSSIBLY REQUIRE
ADJUSTMENT IN YOUR MEDICATION.IT IS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED THAT INDIVIDUALSTAKING MEDICATION TO THIN THE BLOOD, REGULATE BLOOD SUGAR, CONTROL BLOOD
PRESSURE, OR TO REGULATE THYROID HORMONE LEVELS, CONSULT THEIR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER BEFORE EARTHING.
Earthing influences thyroid function, so if you are on thyroid medication you may begin
to feel symptoms of over-medication. Similarly, if you are on Coumadin, you need to
know that Earthing has a blood-thinning effect so there could be a compounded
response, and too much blood thinning. Youll need to monitor your blood carefully and
above all consult with your doctor. We also know that the regulation of blood sugar
improves, so if you take anti-diabetic medication you need to check with your doctor to
see if a medication reduction is in order. Keep in mind also that Earthing reduces
inflammation, so if you are taking any anti-inflammatory medication please be sure to
monitor your dosage with your doctor.
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After one month I noticed that I tend to sleep through the night more and wake with
a more positive attitude.
The first time I used the sheet, I put it over my body and put my hands on top of it,
palms down over my heart area. A sensation began immediately of something flowingprofusely into my palms. It was like Niagara Falls. It was a very pleasant sensation. Its
been four months now and I find I drop off to sleep more quickly and wake up feeling
more refreshed. The quality of my sleep has improved a great deal. Before, falling asleep
was sometimes a problem for me. I noticed also a profound reduction in anxiety within
a month or so. I suffered from a chronic low level of anxiety and it affected my life in
many ways. With less anxiety, my general mood has been more positive and optimistic. I
have felt happier. At the time I started Earthing I was still recovering from a badly
sprained big toe on my left foot. I had sprained it while dancing six months before.
Several different treatments had helped somewhat, but the joint was still stubbornly
inflamed and very tender. Quite quickly I noticed the inflammation went away, and the
sprain began to heal and after four months the joint is almost completely normal.
My intense day and night hot flashes are about 90 percent gone since I started
sleeping grounded two months ago.
I use the Earthing band at night and also during my long sitting period of meditation.
I have noticed significant reduction in pain from a neck injury due to an accident many
years ago. The neck and shoulder pain was almost a daily reality. The pain is now almost
gone. Lower back pain is significantly less and if there is some strain due to prolong
sitting or weather changes, the recovery time is very fast. My sleep quality has
improved almost from the second or third night.
I had some trouble with restlessness and inability to fall asleep for a few years before
I started using the sheet. Now I dont have any trouble and I wake up feeling great. I got
an earthing pad for my 13-year-old dog. For about a year he had had a chronic infection
in one eye. I used antibiotic eye drops from the vet which would clear up the condition,
but when I stopped using them the problem would always come back. When he started
sleeping on the Earthing pad the condition cleared up without eye drops and didnt
return. Before sleeping on the pad he used to jump up suddenly from the lying position
for no apparent reason. He hasnt done this since Earthing.
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hips to help relieve hip pain at night.
Oh yeah, I also got the bands that I wear when Im at the computer. One band is on my
hand and one is on my knee.both inflamed and tender.
Prior to sleeping on the earthing sheet, I had very little sleep at nights due to the
intense pain and hard to get comfortable. Lack of sleep added to my health challenge. It
took at least a month before I started to sleep better after getting the sheet. Then, more
and more I was starting to sleep for 2 or 3 hours at a time. For quite some time now, I
am sleeping longer periods of time, and deep and restful sleep. I have to be reminded to
remember how bad my sleep was prior to grounding. Getting such better sleep no
doubt helps with the other challenges I have.
Wearing the bands has improved the wrist and knee joint, with less inflammation and
more mobility. I am sure there is much more benefits going on in my body from
grounding for 8 months now.
About every 4 months I have blood work done and they check my SED rate to see how
much inflammation I have in my body (0-30) is the average range. I have always been in
the 60-90 range. Since Earthing, the SED rate has come down and this last blood work
done this week, SED rate was at 29!! This is the 1st time in 5 years that I have been in
the average range.
I know I have a ways to go to regain my health but I know Im beating this disease!
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EARTHING TIPS: FEET TOO COLD ON THE EARTHING
MAT?With winter approaching in Australia (summer in the Northern Hemisphere), Earthing
distributor Linda McNair began to feel the chill in her feet.
I love using the Earthing mat and my feet are planted on it every day while Im at my
computer, she says. However, with the chilly winter weather I need to put socks on to
keep my feet warm. I could move the mat to under my hands, but Id rather not. I feel
more strongly grounded when its the bottom of my feet that are connected. So I
decided to do a little experimenting with socks to see how much conductivity would be
lost by wearing them. It made sense to me that socks may be more conductive if they
have a small amount of silver or copper in them. I did a quick search on the Internet and
found both silver- and copper-threaded socks. With a click of a button they were on
their way to me. I then did a little test with my voltmeter and included everyday socks
and stockings to see which ones conducted the best.
Here are Lindas results:
Situation & voltmeter reading (in volts)
Ungrounded
Standing on carpeted floor in office 1.260
Grounded
Standing on mat barefoot 0.016
Standing on mat with an everyday sock 0.420
Sitting, with feet on mat with everyday sock after half-hour 0.100
Standing on mat with nylon stockings 0.100
Standing on mat with silver-fiber socks 0.030-0.016
Standing on mat with copper-fiber socks 0.023
What Linda was doing was testing the induced ambient alternating current (AC) voltageon her body while wearing a variety of socks. She conducted her test in her office where
she has a variety of computer equipment, phones, and lamps. Such electrical
equipment, as well as the wiring in the wall, emits electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
As Lindas experiment reveals, wearing silver and copper socks reduced the AC charge
on her body nearly as well as being barefoot. However, wearing nylons and everyday
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GROUNDING AND AWARENESS OF GROUNDEDNESSNow and then, feedback from the growing global Earthing community includes some
thoughtful comments regarding an increased inner state of groundedness. In this brief
report, we would like to share a few of these comments with you, along with a personal
note at the end from Clint Ober.
FROM CAT S A UN DE R S, PH .D., AUTHOR OF DR . CAT S HELPING
HANDBOOK : A COMPASSIONATE GUIDE FOR BEING HUMAN
Connecting with Mother Earth through grounding allows me to experience the planets
massive support in a literal, physical way. This is much different from keeping my
energy grounded the way Ive been taught by healers and body workers. Thats
important as well, but its like the difference between thinking about water and actually
having a drink.
Earthing is like mainlining an ocean of pure, unadulterated energy. Plugging into the
endlessly sustainable power plant called Earth has not only improved my physical
health, it has also improved my psychological functioning and deepened my spiritual
sense that all is well no matter whats happening in my world or in the world at large.
Being physically sustained by Mother Earth has also given me a sweeter and safer
experience of mothering than Ive ever known. Although many people have positive
connotations of the word mother, I cant say the same has been true for me. Now that
Im experiencing constant support from the electrical field of Mother Earth, the word
mother no longer strikes a note of fear in my heart. Somehow, grounding did what
many years of therapy couldnt do by putting those old mother fears to rest at last.
At home, I sleep grounded and I wear Earthing bands on my feet during the day. I use
an Earthing mat under my feet at the computer, and I keep an extra set of Earthing
bands in my office for counselling clients, so we can both be grounded when we work
together. For me, Earthing bands are like umbilical cords to connect with the Great
Mother that sustains us all. What could be better than that?
FROM RABBI TMIMAH ICKOVITS , LO S ANGELES
After several months of Earthing, I feel a greater sense of well-being and of inner
tangles less tangled. I settle in and rest more deeply. I am simultaneously experiencing a
greater feeling of connectedness to the Earth and to community, and, as a result, a
greater ability to share.
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FROM CLINT OB ER , WHO HAS GROUNDED THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE
FOR MORE THAN A DECADE
I grew up in a farming and ranching environment. Surrounded by Earth. I was exposed
a good deal to the Native American culture around us, in which everything is connected
to Nature, to the planet, and the universe.
Many people become more sensitive and aware of their being after spending some
time sleeping grounded. I believe that part of this inner development comes from
reducing environmental noise on the body. Its kind of like being in the woods and
hearing the birds sing. Birds are everywhere. They carry on in all environments, but the
noise of the city drowns them out. Furthermore, when you are connected with the Earth
you are electrically connected with all animals and plants that live on the Earth with you.
I strongly believe there is more to Earthing then reducing inflammation and improving
sleep. There is perhaps a parallel conscious intimacy that grows with Nature and the
living planet.
NURTURING THE NERVOUS SYSTEM-HEART CONNECTION
Perhaps one of the most overlooked Earthing dividends and so beneficial in these
stressful times is the rapid calming influence that takes place within the autonomic
nervous system (ANS) that regulates functions like heart and respiration rates, digestion,
perspiration, urination, and even sexual arousal.
The effect begins pretty much instantly when you connect with the Earth. The ANS shifts
from a typically overactive sympathetic mode, associated with stress, into a
parasympathetic, calming mode.
To help you appreciate this benefit, we would like to share details on a heart rate
variability (HRV) study that we previewed briefly in the Earthing book in 2010. The
study, published recently in Integrative Medicine: A Clinicians Journal, was conducted
by electrophysiologist Gaetan Chevalier, Ph.D., and cardiologist Stephen Sinatra,
M.D. Click here to read the full study.
You may not be familiar with HRV, so heres a quick synopsis, courtesy of Dr. Sinatra:
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In cardiology, a balanced ANS supports good HRV and is an indicator of better heart
health. Conversely, the presence of disturbed ANS and HRV means an increased risk of
arrhythmias, coronary artery spasm, and sudden cardiac death. HRV has also become a
reliable clinical tool for measuring survival potential after a heart attack. HRV is not the
same thing as heart rate. Your heart beats faster when you exert yourself or become
stressed, and it slows down when you relax but thats not HRV. HRV refers to theimperceptible variations in the hearts beat-to-beat interval that result from the basic
breathing process. We refer to it technically as respiratory sinus arrhythmia. You cant
feel the difference, but when you breathe in, your heart rate increases just ever so
slightly. When you breathe out, it decreases ever so slightly. We can see these
fluctuations on an electrocardiogram, and weve learned even more from sophisticated
computer analyses of beat-to-beat intervals.
Let me give you an example here. Have you ever had an electrocardiogram exercise
stress test on a treadmill? If so, you may recall that you remain hooked up for a bit of
time after the test. The reason is that your doctor wants to see what your heart rate is
doing after exertion on the treadmill. Your heart rate may rise to 150 beats a minute
during the test. Afterward, it should drop down into a de-accelerated zone of say 100
beats or less in about six minutes. If not, and it stays higher, you have a classic indicator
of disturbed HRV, and increased likelihood of cardiovascular trouble. You may, for
instance, have a beat rate of 112. Thats not good enough. I remember as a young
cardiologist years ago waiting even a half-hour or so for some patients heart rates to
drop down sufficiently.
Surrounded as we are these days by constant psychological arousal from stressful news
and a volatile world, anything that can improve ANS and HRV function is of great benefit
for overall health. Exercise, tai chi, yoga, and meditation are examples of activities that
improve ANS and HRV. You become more relaxed and you sleep better.
This effect is precisely what many people report after they start Earthing.
The Chevalier-Sinatra study involved monitoring test subjects before, during, and after
40-minute grounding sessions while seated comfortably in a recliner chair. It confirmed
a balancing effect on sympathetic and parasympathetic function and a restoration of
normal tone that reduces the stress response. These improvements go beyond basicrelaxation and may explain in part the repeated feedback from people experiencing
lower blood pressure and improved arrhythmias after they start
Earthing.
Medical research has made it clear also that HRV is a superb indicator of your ability to
cope with both internal and external changes. It is, in fact, the most accurate predictor
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diabetes more than ten years ago. If your body aches, have it cured here, she told
amused reporters. Try it, it doesnt hurt. Another advocate said, I have wasted all my
money on proper medication. Now I prefer coming here, because it is free.
One local doctor was quoted as saying there was no official research that had
determined the true effects of railway-induced electric therapy. However, he added, the
therapy was widely seen as questionable as it did not conform to medical norms.
Concerned railway officials are obviously alarmed at the prospect of someone being
killed by a train and so dispatch agents to expel locals from the tracks.
We dont know whether theres something special about railway track energy. To us this
seems like a variation of being barefoot on the ground, but for sure NOT a variation we
would ever, ever recommend.
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beats or less in about six minutes. If not, and it stays higher, you have a classic indicator
of disturbed HRV, and increased likelihood of cardiovascular trouble. You may, for
instance, have a beat rate of 112. Thats not good enough. I remember as a young
cardiologist years ago waiting even a half-hour or so for some patients heart rates to
drop down sufficiently.
Surrounded as we are these days by constant psychological arousal from stressful news
and a volatile world, anything that can improve ANS and HRV function is of great benefit
for overall health. Exercise, tai chi, yoga, and meditation are examples of activities that
improve ANS and HRV. You become more relaxed and you sleep better. This effect is
precisely what many people report after they start Earthing.
The Chevalier-Sinatra study involved monitoring test subjects before, during, and after
40-minute grounding sessions while seated comfortably in a recliner chair. It confirmed
a balancing effect on sympathetic and parasympathetic function and a restoration of
normal tone that reduces the stress response. These improvements go beyond basic
relaxation and may explain in part the repeated feedback from people experiencing
lower blood pressure and improved arrhythmias after they start
Earthing.
Medical research has made it clear also that HRV is a superb indicator of your ability to
cope with both internal and external changes. It is, in fact, the most accurate predictor
of sudden death and the most accurate reflector of stress, according to Paul Rosch,
M.D., president of the American Institute of Stress in New York City. If you can alter
your HRV, that is, increase it, you can reduce the likelihood of stress-related disorders,
including cardiovascular disease.
For individuals who experience anxiety, emotional stress, panic, fear, and/or symptoms
of involuntary muscle contractions and spasms, including headaches, cardiac
palpitations, and dizziness, Earthing appears to represent a genuinely promising
strategy. Such individuals often see positive changes within 20 to 40 minutes.
Dr. Sinatra says this about stress: As a cardiologist, I have repeatedly treated the
human wreckage that stress acute or chronic sympathetic overdrive can exact. In
trying to rebuild and restore the wreckage, I have applied the best tools that both
conventional and alternative medicine has to offer. Reconnecting the body to the Earth
offers perhaps the most natural tool available anywhere. Ive seen this simple remedy
do some amazing things.
Dr. Sinatra shared these recent examples:
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changes. We are also using Earthing bands on the head at night and they have been
working remarkably well with better sleep, less bruxism, more dream sleep time, less
snoring and headaches, and an opening of the passages during sleep so that nasal
breathing is enhanced. From my own results and that of friends, family, and patients,
Earthing works extremely well in an overall program that addresses total health and
wellbeing, and why it does so makes perfect sense to me. Earthing reconnected mepersonally to the Earth and to an exciting healing factor.
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MULTIPLE BENEFITS THE HOLISTIC IMPACT OF
EARTHING Many different systems in the body are affected when we reconnect with the
Earth. Earthing is truly a holistic concept. People who start Earthing because of a sleep
problem or a pain problem are often surprised to experience a broad array of relief.Here are two stories weve received along those lines:
LYNN DEENE , 65, M ILO , MI
In November 2010, when I started Earthing, I had been looking for some kind of relief
for bilateral swollen and painful Achilles tendons and plantar fasciitis for over a year. I
had tried different exercises, ice packs, massage, and finally physical therapy, all with
little or no relief and none with lasting effect. At the end of each day, my feet were so
painful and sore, as well as my calves, that it felt like every step was torture. It didnt
matter if my day was more or less active. Also, with the fasciitis, getting out of bed in
the morning, even with doing foot and ankle exercises before putting my feet on the
floor, it felt like I was standing on blocks of wood. It took several slow steps to loosen up
my feet. I also had left shoulder and upper arm pain from a fall six months earlier,
which, again, had minimum relief from therapy, pain relievers, and stretching
exercises. I was also experiencing urinary frequency, headaches, fatigue that sleep
didnt relieve, other muscle aches, and a feeling of heaviness in my legs that came after
a few minutes of my daily walks, and chronic knee pain from a twenty-year-old injury
caused from a horse kick.
I have led a healthy lifestyle all my life no alcohol, no tobacco, eat well, drink lots ofwater, take supplements, have regular adjustments, daily exercise, and love the
outdoors.
I first heard of Earthing when Dr. Sinatra was interviewed by Dr. Christiane Northrup. I
was very intrigued, so I got the book, and then an Earthing mat. I put the mat on the
floor at my computer. After a 10-hour day in front of the computer, I noticed after just a
couple of days that I didnt have the normal headache after a few hours at work, and
also, that I wasnt nearly as fatigued at the end of the work day. I had more energy for
my after-work walk.
I was so excited that I got a half-sheet for our bed. My husband was willing to give it a
try. After 2 weeks I had less muscle pain. After 3 weeks, I noticed that my Achilles
tendons were less swollen and that they didnt hurt at the end of the day. After 4
months, I was like a new person. My tendons looked and felt normal. The fasciitis was
completely gone. The knee pain, creakiness, and heaviness in my legs were gone. My
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mobility became stronger, quicker, and more flexible. I wasnt fatigued at 10 am, as I
was before. The shoulder and arm pain was greatly relieved. And the urinary symptoms
were gone. I didnt have to plan my life around the availability of bathroom
facilities! Moreover, Ive been able to lower my blood pressure medication from 20 to
5 milligrams with a consistently-lower reading that I havent seen since starting on
medication more than ten years ago. The best yet is that my husband has very littlemuscle pain, sleeps more sound, and with less snoring, and has more energy.
Looking back, almost a year-and-a-half later, did I believe all this could happen? That
my pain and fatigue would be gone? No, I didnt. The best that I had hoped for was
some relief from the tendon pain. I was afraid that my active life was going to be
severely compromised, but instead, I am able to not only enjoy more, but to do more
physically.
KAREN BALL , 60, MASSAGE THERAPIST , BEAVERTON , OR
In July 2011 I was in terrible shape. At 244 pounds, I was 80 pounds overweight. I had
been suffering with serious insomnia for 22 years, sleeping maybe 2 -3 hours on average
per night. I had developed an inability to break down carbohydrates and had other
digestive difficulties, mild depression, bloating, 15 years of hot flashes, bone density
issues, and severe arthritis and muscle contracture in my right hip that caused pain and
restricted movement. Sleeping pills, mega-doses of melatonin, antihistamines,
supplements, hot baths, herbs, teas, meditation, breathing exercises, relaxation CDs,
and so many more things were not making much of an impact on my problems. I read
everything and tried everything I found, many times over. I checked out every book the
library had on insomnia, and read anything I could find on the web.
In July 2011 I got the Earthing half-sheet and started sleeping on it. The first three
nights I didnt get any sleep, but I had massive amounts of energy from laying on it 7-9
hours per night. Within the first 2 hours I lost considerable inflammation so that my
ankles which had been severely swollen now appeared normal. I weighed myself and
found I had lost 4.5 pounds of swelling those first three nights. Not real weight loss; just
a very noticeable decrease of swelling. It took 6 nights before I got a good nights
sleep. But since August of 2011 I have had 4-8 hours of sleep every night except for 2
nights. I have had 11 nights where I have been able to sleep the night through without
getting up to urinate.
My ankles first and then the knees became normal size without the swelling. I could
actually see my kneecap for the first time in five years. My pain was reduced. The
contracture in my right thigh (my body trying to protect the hip) went away. The
position of the femur corrected itself, and was no longer pressing against the side of the
hip socket. This meant a greater range of movement, less pain, and for the first time in
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EARTHING , INFLAMMATION , AND AGING
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUTGatan Chevalier, Ph.D., Director, Earthing Institute
Type the word inflammation in the search box at the U.S. National Library of Medicine
(Pub Med) website and youll get more than 377,000 medical research articles to
consider. The very first one goes back to an 1813 paper on inflammation in the eyes.
Its been since 2000, however, that the relationship between inflammation and disease
has really taken off and specifically the relationship between chronic inflammation and
chronic disease. Hitherto, inflammation was largely thought of as the bodys response to
injury and infection. That, to be sure, is what acute inflammation is about. But now,
researchers have become preoccupied with the chronicity factor, that is long-term, and
the nitty-gritty details of how chronic inflammatory underlies many of the most
common health disorders, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and
neurodegenerative conditions. More than two-thirds of the 58,000 or so articles on
chronic inflammation have been published in the last 12 years.
WHY IS THERE SUCH A BIG AND GROWING INTEREST IN CHRONIC
INFLAMMATION RESEARCH?
In the 1980s, medical investigators started to take notice that immune cells congregate
at sites of diseased tissue in the body in a wide variety of apparently unrelated
disorders. One of the earliest observations involved atherosclerosis, where the lining of
arteries become inflamed and damaged, and develop into a potentially life-threatening
witches brew of fat and debris, the basis of plaque. Russell Ross of the University of
Washington identified the presence of macrophages in atherosclerotic tissue, white
blood cells known to flock to sites of inflammation. During the next twenty years,
arterial disease became increasingly linked to an inflammatory process. By 2000,
ongoing studies by Harvard researchers led to the breakout conclusion that
cardiovascular disease was inflammatory in nature. By 2004, smouldering
inflammation had been incriminated as the silent menace behind multiple diseases. The
chronic inflammation revolution took centre stage worldwide on magazine covers; page
one in newspapers, and TV news headlines. Inflammation research became a dynamic
growth industry in mainstream medicine. Everywhere they turn, researchers uncover
evidence that inflammation ignites and feeds chronic illness.
Our Earthing book focuses a good deal on inflammation. In it, we suggest that the
ground beneath our feet is the original anti-Inflammatory. In other words, the biggest
anti-inflammatory on the planet is, well, the surface of the planet itself. If proven true,
thats a pretty neat design-by-nature. In the book, as youve probably read, we make a
strong argument about how contact with the Earth, either by being barefoot outside or
sleeping or sitting on Earthing products indoors, quenches inflammation by allowing the
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Earths infinite supply of negatively-charged electrons to rise up into the body and snuff
out the hit men of chronic inflammation, the free radicals. The theory of the Earth as an
anti-inflammatory had never been mentioned before in research. It is still just a theory
but we dont know how else to explain the way that Earthing knocks down
inflammation.
But what about aging? Could chronic inflammation be the main cause of aging or a
major factor accelerating aging? Can Earthing slow the aging process due to its obvious
and remarkable impact on inflammation?
Improving the health of older people can and must be one of the goals of modern
gerontology, the study of aging. It is imperative in order to decrease the alarming rate of
hospitalization, risky and frequently injurious administration of multiple medications,
and soaring age-related disease-care costs. Physiological functions naturally decline with
age and negatively influence the absorption and/or metabolism of nutrients, a
degradation process further compromised by drug side effects and interference.
The natural slowdown occurring in cells and tissues with advancing age are responsible
for an increased risk of disease and death. Part of this process involves the aging of the
immune system called immunosenescence characterized by a chronic low-grade
inflammatory status of the whole aging organism. This process has been referred to by
some researchers as inflamm-aging. More than 300 theories have been put forward to
explain the reduced functionality associated with aging but none fully explain the
immunobiology (physiological functioning of the immune system) of senescence.
So what are some of the current recommendations of researchers to delay the process?
1) Healthier nutrition and maintaining a robust population of beneficial bacteria
(microflora) in the gut, a major element of the immune system. Part of a healthier diet
has to include caloric restriction. People tend to overeat, particularly the wrong kinds of
food, and put on belly fat, an actual source of increased inflammation in the body.
2) Exercise. Youve heard this many times before, so I wont dwell on the
subject. Exercise, even a minimum, is good for your body and spirits.
3) Antioxidants have been heralded as having the potential to increase longevity by
curtailing the effect of oxidative stress on the body. Oxidative stress means rampant
free-radicals that damage healthy tissue throughout the body. Such damage creates
chronic inflammation.
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