Tiptoe Through The Tulips was not just a 1929 hit by Nick Lucas. It is a definitive prescription for better health.
Huh?
You thought only hitchhiking hippies, and cross-fitting paleoists went barefoot? Well, guess what? They are onto something.
Our hunter-gatherer brothers and sisters constantly touched live plants as they pulled them from the ground, leaned against trees, sat and slept on the ground, and you guessed it, let their feet, barefoot, run freely across the plains.
Get Grounded! – Fight Disease With The Practice Of Earthing
Who cares? Well, your body does. It is not just the sun that is a wealth of good energy. It is the earth too. The word is taht if we lack regular connection, as our ancestral family had, we find ourselves in a heap of trouble.
In the early nineties, Clint Ober took special interest in the concept of “Earthing.” He realized that with the advent of rubber soled shoes we stopped being in contact with our planet.
We walked fully isolated from the ground’s negative electrons and between that and the amount of time spent inside we were as far removed from the restorative power of the earth as Neil Armstrong in 1969.
When was the last time your bare feet touched soil? Don’t include that once a year trip to the beach. When, in your daily life, do you make direct contact with the earth? It is almost never for most of us. Interesting, huh? I walk barefoot at home, inside yoga class and into and out of the shower but nary is there a day that shoes or flip flops don’t shroud my feet before I take a single step on solid earth. What about laying in it or rolling it? Never, right?
There are plenty of people, smart people, who say you should.
Dr. Laura Koniver has been studying the concept of “grounding” for years. She is featured in the documentary, “The Grounded,” that profiles a small Alaskan community gone hog wild embracing the movement of grounding. Although largely anecdotal evidence, the results during the film are remarkable.
Watch the film THE GROUNDED
The film may be based on individual case studies, but my chin grazed the floor when I saw how many peer-reviewed journals had featured studies on the positive effects of grounding. Blood viscosity and blood chemistry, joint and muscle pain, anxiety and depression, arthritis, weight loss and even snoring have demonstrated marked improvement with the application of grounding.
The most well-studied positive effect from grounding is the reduction of inflammation. Having been a chiropractor for over 20 years, I have seen the level of inflammation in the general public skyrocket. Processed food, stress, lack of sunlight, alcohol, smoking, and chemical exposure from drugs and environment all contribute to the ever-increasing fire inside our bodies. But earthing, or getting grounded, has been shown to reduce inflammation significantly. The before and after videofluoroscopy findings are stunning.
[Tweet “Tiptoe through the tulips.”]
Dr. Suzuki, (Canadian smart guy) also featured in the film, further discusses the fact that we are all more deeply connected to the earth from a biological standpoint than we ever imagined. Breaking that connection is a recipe for physiologic disaster.
Dr. Mercola and Dr. Oz have both jumped on board. Dr. Mercola has released a film called “Down To Earth,” that explains that connecting with the earth is as essential to our bodies as sunshine and water. The full-length feature will be released later this year.
What is the deal? Why would a roll in grass cause a neutralizing effect on all these physical and mental issues? This quote from physicist, Gaetan Chevalier Ph.D. helps clarify.
“Unbeknownst to us, we live inside a battery. The surface of the Earth is charged negatively and the ionosphere, a layer of the atmosphere about 60 miles up, is ionized by the sun. The rays of the sun are so strong that they split the molecules in two, a positive charge and a negative charge.
The negative charges are transferred to the surface of the Earth, through lightening mainly, and the positive charges stay 60 miles up. The problem arises when we don’t have a negative charge. We need grounding just as we need air and we need sunshine.”
When coming at it from Dr. Chevalier’s angle, getting grounded makes sense! But let’s get to the goods. I wanted to know, what exactly do we need to do?
Take your shoes off.
Run your toes through grass, dirt, or rock. Tiptoe through the tulips. Do this for as long as your schedule allow. The good news is any amount of “earth connection” is beneficial.
But what if you can’t get outside enough or you live where there is too much snow cover, or you have some other excellent reason for not being able to dip your toes in dirt? Good news. Slowly there are products becoming available to help to “ground” even within the walls of our homes and offices. There are floor mats, shoes and even mattress pads that plug into the wall. (Wait. What about the EMF from plugging into an electrical outlet? Nope, these have one small prong that plugs into the round grounding wire only. No EMF.)
Trust me; you are going to hear more on this subject of earthing and “getting grounded”. I am going to be doing a little more investigating on its efficacy. But in the meantime, if it is free, if it can’t hurt, and it may help… you get my point. Get out there, take your shoes off and enjoy the many positive returns the earth has to offer.
This week I challenge you to get grounded. Go to a park, take your shoes off an stroll in the grass. Then lie down spread eagle for an additional five minutes. I guarantee you will rise refreshed and more relaxed. Who knows, if you keep at it, you might even end up with less back pain or fewer pounds.
Want the Facebook Live version of this post on grounding and earthing?
REFERENCES
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2012/291541/?hc_location=ufi
- http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2011.0820
- http://www.esdjournal.com/articles/cober/earth.htm
- https://www.google.com/patents/US20080068773
- http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2017/02/25/grounding-recharge-immune-system-slow-aging.aspx
- http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/8-methods-of-grounding.html#sthash.fI7dc1uC.qjtu
- https://draxe.com/earthing/
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3 Responses
Um…I’m thinking that Tiny Tim enjoyed his brief stardom somewhat later than 1929. Like, almost 40 years later! 🙂
I’ve been doing this earthing thing for the past few years. I’m standing on a grounding pad while I type this! I didn’t have any particular ailments to overcome so can’t vouch for its efficacy but I haven’t developed any ailments either. Ounce of prevention, and all that.
GROUNDED
This beautiful movie was a major eye opener for me. Throughout the film, my tears, Aha’s, and oh my goodness moments were a wonderful roller coaster of emotions. I wanted to know more. I recognized Dr. Mercola from the Dr. Oz show, and remembered about the barefoot lunch time strolls and how relaxing and stress free it was to act like a kid again. It took me back to a time when my brother and I would head out on a Saturday morning, tee shirt, shorts, and definitely, bare feet. We would roll in the grass, play in the dirt, make mud pies. stay gone until dark. It makes so much sense. I went barefoot most of my life, I still do. My brother has this amazing garden, he works in it everyday. He says it brings him pleasure, and removes the drama. He owns a restaurant, so that speaks for itself.
I loved the heartfelt stories of the individuals that had suffered so many years form snoring, chronic arthritis, to the tear jerking journey of the wheel chair bound gentleman, and the day he took his first steps. I researched the grounding mats, shoes, and other indoor options. But, the best way to get grounded, is the same way our ancestors did it, get touchy feely with mother earth and all that entails.
Thank you for sharing this educational film. I am sure it will benefit so many people. It has changed me in many ways. It has made me more aware and grateful for the natural options, to live a life with less pain. To be able to enjoy friends and family, and to finally accept the invitations that have been declined for so long. What a gift!
THank you so much for your comment, Shari! So helpful for my other readers! 🙂