My question for you today is: how grounded are you?
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Same as everyone else in Sydney: 100 percent grounded. And I fear we may remain this way for some time. But do we have to talk about lockdowns again? It's all a bit too sad.
Relax - this is a good kind of grounding. It's about connecting with the earth, and it's exactly what we need right now.
When was the last time you walked barefoot on the ground?
Just now in the shower.
Wrong answer. Grounding - also known as earthing - requires your bare feet to touch the earth's surface.
It's good for your health and we don't do it enough. And if you've been indoors more than usual, as most of us recently have, chances are that you and the earth are estranged.
More lifestyle:
I do feel fabulous when I walk barefoot on a beach. What's going on?
It's all about electricity. Think of the earth as a giant battery, fed by solar radiation, heat from its core, and zaps of lightning. We're electrical, too.
From our heartbeat to our neurons, we're a bunch of sparks and energy currents.
Over millennia, our bodies have evolved to be connected with the earth's surface electrons to remain in balance.
Ooh, I've come over all tingly. Isn't this a bit sci-fi?
There's solid research. Over the years, scientists have studied the effects on our bodies of simply connecting with the ground.
In one 2012 study, medical researchers concluded that grounding could improve sleep, reduce pain and stress, speed wound healing and improve blood circulation.
To see benefits, they recommend as little as 30 to 40 minutes a day of going barefoot outside.
Ground control to Major Tom! Is it really that simple?
It makes sense when you ponder how disconnected we've become. Our ancestors walked, slept and ate barefoot, close to the ground.
But now we wear shoes, live and work in high-rise buildings, sleep on raised beds. We can spend months, even years, without truly touching the ground.
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I'm coming down to earth. Is there anywhere specific I need to walk?
As long as it's ground, it's good. Put your soles on sand, grass, soil and even concrete to plug in to those good vibes.
Get those shoes off! We're hitting the ground running.
- Amy Cooper is a journalist who embraces wellness, but has also used kale to garnish a cocktail.
