Frequently asked questions about earthing products
What is the best way of getting grounded?
Walk barefoot outdoors on grass, earth, sand on rocks or in natural water as often as possible. The best earthing you can get is bathing in the ocean, in lakes or rivers but the natural surface of our planet in all it’s different forms give you access to the Earth’s unlimited resource of negatively charged free electrons and it’s energy.
When it is not practical to walk barefoot outdoors or take a bath in the ocean or a lake there is an effective ”substitute.” Earthing sheets for your bed, earthing mats for your workplace, the favourite chair, the computer desk or any place you desire, grounded yoga mats and body bands for those needing to move around.
Is it dangerous to ground yourself?
Grounding contains no dangers for your health and wellbeing. On the contrary it gives unexpected health benefits. It is as dangerous as walking barefoot in the grass or on the beach, something that most people experience as pleasant and relaxing. You simply feel good and now we know another reason for that good feeling and healing effects.
What are free electrons?
The Earth’s surface has a very weak electrical charge pulsating with different frequencies controlling the rythms in nature and the biological clocks in animals and humans alike. The surface of our Earth contains an unlimited supply of free electrons, i.e. the electrons are not attached to any particle, they are free and mobile. Earth is constantly charged with these free electrons through thunderstorms, solar winds, ionospheric winds and volcanic eruptions. It is estimated that globally there are between 1000 and 2000 thunderstorms simultaneously discharging up to 5000 lightning bolts per minute charging our planet. Electrons are the smallest particle we know that is containing an electrical charge.
What happens when a person gets earthed?
When you earth yourself either outdoors or indoors through any of the earthing products, the free electrons are absorbed into the body and equalises the difference in charge between the Earth and your body. Your body simply returns to the only electrical balance that is natural. Our bodies have incredibly complex electrical systems that control most functions. Just imagine that every heartbeat is controlled by electrical impulses telling the heart muscle to contract. Pain is electrical impulses from the nerves to the brain, Thoughts have an electrical nature. We are bioelectrical beings living on an electrical planet. Since we are electrically functioning beings it is natural for us to be grounded just as we ground all our sensitive electric and electronic equipment so it will safely function properly.
The free electrons balances out the deficiency of electrons most of us suffer from because we live in fully insulating environments, and when we go outside we put on shoes with insulating rubber or plastic soles. We simply walk around with unhealthy electrical charges in our bodies most of the time. The free electrons neutralises free radicals that are so damaging to our health. Free radicals are molecules that are missing one or more electrons.
What are free radicals?
This is an interesting paradox. The essential oxygen necessary for our cells metabolism, to some extent also create a byproduct, a free oxygen radical that is missing an electron. In its struggle to replace the missing electron the free radical becomes unstable and aggressive and attack the body’s different building elements, for example, proteins, carbohydrates and cholesterol. If the free radicals attack the genes, our genetic hereditary factors, it can lead to growth of tumors that starts to expand uncontrollably. Free radicals are formed in and around every cell in our bodies and it is believed that every cell is exposed to tens of thousands of free radicals every day. Our immune system also forming free radicals but these also have a positive effect as they fight viruses and bacteria. This mean that many, but not all, free radicals are harmful. Recent research is showing that different diseases, and also ageing, is affected by free radicals. What determines if the body is damaged though, is it’s ability to protect itself and this is where the antioxidants come in as the protectors. By releasing electrons to the free radical the radical becomes neutralised. Free radicals are formed in many ways such as smoking, fried food, air pollution, stress, exposure to wi-fi and cell phones, training, breathing, cell metabolism to mention a few factors. Earthing gives unlimited access to free electrons that are necessary to neutralise free radicals. This is why earthing can be called the worlds strongest antioxidant.
How is grounding helping me to feel better and my body’s ability to heal itself?
Pain and diseases other disturbances in our bodies are often caused by chronic inflammation. Such inflammation is, in turn, caused by positively-charged molecules called free radicals. When you make direct contact with the Earth, either by being barefoot outside or via a conductive sheet or mat indoors, the negatively-charged electrons from the Earth are absorbed into your body and reduce the free radicals and inflammation. This is the accepted theory and it is supported by research and feedback from tens of thousands of people who use grounding products.
This benefit of earthing is very important because medical research has found that many of the chronic and debilitating diseases of our time have the same cause: chronic inflammation. Scientists now realise that pain and disease arise in our bodies where an inflammatory response has taken place, but the inflammation has not completely stopped after the healing process. A low level of chronic inflammation can continue for years, damaging normal tissues and wasting energy.
The human immune system evolved over a long timespan during which we were in virtually constant barefoot contact with the Earth. In our modern society, humans no longer walk barefoot. We wear shoes that insulate us from the Earth’s energy. In recent decades the incidence of chronic diseases, allergies, auto-immune conditions, and insomnia has skyrocketed in modern societies. One overlooked reason for this situation is that the immune system began functioning less efficiently as humans increasingly separated themselves from the Earth’s energy.
When I began grounding regularly I got a strange feeling in my body, what’s happening?
All people are different and have different starting points when they begin earthing. Initially, some people may feel a temporary discomfort or even flu-like signs, nausea, pain or aches. In practically all cases, this experience is fleeting. We believe it is the result of a normalisation of the body’s “electrical system.” As the process gets underway, the body’s ability to release accumulated toxicity may improve and you could feel that as transient discomfort. Typically, after some initial adjustment, you start feeling better and more energised. The feeling might last a few days at the most but it will go away. If you are uncomfortable, stop earthing yourself for several days and then begin again, starting with shorter exposure and gradually increasing the exposure. In the majority of cases, no discomfort is felt at the beginning.
I am one of those electro-sensitive people who have started sleeping grounded and the energy feels strange to me.
Electro-sensitive people sometimes report feeling strange energy in the beginning and some even say they feel ill. The energy they feel when grounded is simply Earth’s natural energy. We regard these sensations generally as part of an adjustment/healing/detoxification process as the body normalises and inflammation goes down. If the feeling is too uncomfortable, stop sleeping or working grounded. Re-start your earthing by spending a half hour or forty minutes, or even less, twice a day barefoot outside or in contact with an earthing sheet, mat, or band inside your home. Then very slowly increase your exposure. In this way, you may often be able to work your way gradually to sleeping earthed for six to eight hours at night. Just go very slow and at your own pace. Some electro-sensitive people have found that they receive positive benefits just from minimum exposure to earthing.
Would it be considered earthing to plug something into the ground port of a wall electrical outlet, for instance, a wire and wrap it around my ankle or wrist?
Don’t do it! Unless you are an electrician or an electrical engineer, it is highly recommended not to “experiment” with plugging “something” into a wall electrical outlet. First and foremost, it is unsafe to plug a bare wire into an electrical ground in any case. An outlet should always be checked to see if it is properly grounded. All the earthing products are specifically designed for safe, biological earthing of people. They have a built-in resistor that limits the flow of current in order to prevent the unlikely possibility that electricity would flow through the connecting wire and possibly hurt someone. This allows the Earth’s natural energy to come through but not any potentially harmful electricity. In this respect, the resistor acts like a “kink” in a hose, curbing the flow. Earthing products for personal use have built-in protection similar to the systems utilised in industry throughout the world to prevent electricity and static from damaging sensitive electronic parts.
A few word about earthing via the electrical outlet's ground port
In every country the electrical system and it’s way of using ground may differ. In some countries like Sweden, the ground is connected to the zero phase and that is unsafe. Other countries have a so called TN-S (Terra Neutral- Separated) ground that is a much better system as the ground and the zero phase are separated. Sometimes there may be a combination of both. Then there is the issue of homes sometimes being miswired and another problem is that there is a grounded outlet but it’s not actually connected to a ground wire. We recommend using an inexpensive ground checker to guarantee that the ground is properly connected if you intend to connect your products this way. We sell an inexpensive ground checker for those who wish to check their ground connection. It is wise to ”know your ground” before plugging into the electrical system. If in doubt consult an electrician.
We cannot know the ground in every home and every country and therefore we recommend using the ground rod as the simplest and safest alternative, if possible. A ground clamp on a water pipe is also a good and safe alternative.
How do I test to see if my sheet is still working?
The easiest method of testing both earthing sheet and cords is with the conductivity tester we sell. It gives you a green light when conductivity is good. If you already own a multimeter you can use it set at Ohm (resistance). If you measure the sheet from snap button to far end of the sheet set it at 200 Ohms. You will get a reading of apx 25 Ohms. The same setting applies for the ground rod cord and extension cords.
Please note that the white cord supplied with the Evolution sheets and mats and the spiral cord has a built in 50 kOhm resistor to reduce any incoming current to below 30 mA. This is a safety feature in case somehow there would be any electricity coming in through the cord by accident. When you measure the white cord or spiral cord you need to set the multi meter at 200 kOhm and you will get a reading of apx 50 kOhm. If you do not get a reading you have either set your instrument at the wrong setting or the cord is broken.
You can find many more answers at the Realyou Earthing. Click here to go there