posted
Since detoxing and inflammation are our major battles, and EMF (for those of us that have to endure lights, powerlines at work) hampers/increases these issues, it would make sense to find a way to ground all this electrical pollution out. Personally, the second I enter the work area my brain is cooked and improves when I leave. I'm sure some of you can relate.
I just read the book reviews on Amazon for a book about Earthing, check it out:
posted
looks like quackery to me.
Posts: 339 | From Outer Space | Registered: Aug 2009
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D Bergy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 9984
posted
I do not know if this would help or not, but it is not very hard to try out.
It does not cost anything to walk around without shoes, if you live in a climate that allows you to.
There are some parasites that can enter through the bottom of the foot, so maybe a conductive moccasin would be better.
You can also grab the metal parts of a stove or any other grounded, metal appliance and ground yourself. They are grounded via the wiring to a copper earth ground.
Dan
Posts: 2919 | From Minnesota | Registered: Aug 2006
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quote:Originally posted by the3030club: looks like quackery to me.
Sounds like you've never had severe electrical sensitivity. Actually it's the furthest thing from quacker, especially on a Lyme sight. Open your mind, or stay in old medical territory that doesn't work if you choose.
In the beginning of my search, time spent with electrical engineers and medical professionals resulted in little more than blank stares and research in the medical libraries turned up nothing. Then after discovering that the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences was compiling a paper on the effects EMFs have on human health. I focused my attention on their work and as luck would have it, their information provided a simple piece of evidence that gave me direction. It was their conclusion that the adverse effects found in some human studies from exposure to EMFs was determined to be inconclusive as the same effects could not be reproduced in animal studies. Pay dirt, EMFs in some studies adversely effect human health and animals in similar studies [a herd of sheep, baboons and the like] did not experience the same adverse effects. These animals were not wearing shoes and sleeping in comfortable beds insulated from earth, they were naturally grounded.
A herd of sheep sleeping under a power line, to study changes caused by EMFs in human melatonin levels. I could not resist; this determined the area of study, ground humans while asleep, the primary time when the healing and restoration of the body takes place.
The method to effectively ground people while in bed was developed and the study began. The effort produced, with a control group, the following results:
85% went to sleep quicker
93% reported sleeping better throughout the night
100% reported waking, being and feeling more rested
82% experienced a significant reduction in muscle stiffness
74% experienced the elimination of/or a reduction of chronic back and joint pain
78% reported improved general health
In addition, several subjects in the study also reported experiencing significant relief from asthmatic and respiratory conditions, rheumatoid arthritis, PMS, sleep apnea and hypertension.
Then a Dr Russell Whitten of Ojai, CA confirmed these findings when he took an interest in the study and additionally grounded 35 of his own patients and found similar results.
This combined evidence confirmed that the human body, with loss of ground contact, is now operating in a bio-electrically stressed state.
Now the task is to identify individuals and companies that can help develop and provide effective and safe methods to restore our vital connection to the earth."
1. Pilot Study on the Effect of Grounding on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness | View 2. Changes in Pulse Rate, Respiratory Rate, Blood Oxygenation, Perfusion Index, Skin Conductance, and Their Variability Induced During and After Grounding Human Subjects for 40 Minutes | View 3. The Effect Of Earthing On Human Physiology, Part 2 | View 4. The Effect Of Earthing On Human Physiology, Part 1 | View 5. The Effectiveness of a Conductive Patch and a Conductive Bed Pad in Reducing Induced Human Body Voltage Via the Application of Earth Ground | View 6. The Biologic Effects of Grounding the Human Body During Sleep as Measured by Cortisol Levels and Subjective Reporting of Sleep, Pain, and Stress | View 7. Medical Thermography Case Studies | View 8. Grounding the Human Body to Earth Reduces Chronic Inflammation and Related Chronic Pain | View 9. Grounding The Human Body to Neutralize Bioelectrical Stress From Static Electricity and EMFs | View
Earthing Commentaries
1. Gaetan Chevalier, Ph.D., The Earth�s Electrical Surface Potential A summary of present understanding | View 2. James Oschman, Ph.D., Can Electrons Act as Antioxidants? A Review and Commentary | View 3. James Oschman, Ph.D., Charge transfer in the living matrix | View 4. James Oschman, Ph.D., Perspective: Assume a spherical cow: The role of free or mobile electrons in bodywork, energetic and movement therapies | View
Posts: 501 | From Cleveland Ohio | Registered: Apr 2009
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lymie_in_md
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posted
the3030club stated : "looks like quackery to me.". Can you supply some interesting research papers or some valuable studies to support this view! Until you do, the point of view is without substance.
-------------------- Bob Posts: 2150 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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Stress is not good for us. Most of us know that by now. We hear it daily from doctors, news reporters, medical journals, health magazines and talk shows. There is plenty of research about the adverse effects of chronic, unmanaged stress. They include: a weakened immune system, heart issues such as high blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat, blood clots, and hardening of the arteries, muscle pain in your neck, shoulders, or back, stomach issues such as aggravated irritable bowel syndrome and ulcers, reproductive issues such as low fertility, erection problems, problems during pregnancy and painful menstrual cycles, a worsening of certain lung conditions like asthma and COPD, and skin issues such as acne and psoriasis are also made worse by stress. As if all that is not reason enough to get your stress level under control, there are a myriad of emotional issues linked to chronic stress such as feeling generally cranky all the time, feeling overwhelmed by even the smallest of issues, lack of patience, feelings of frustration, lashing out for no reason, finding it hard to focus, feeling either jumpy or tired all the time, and chronic fear as you imagine all the bad things that can happen. Bottom line, being stressed out all the time is no way to live. So where does all the stress come from? Have you ever wondered if there is an external force affecting the stress level of our world? What can we do to reduce our stress and get back in sync with the world around us? Please read on and consider this�.
Did you know the Earth has a heartbeat? I�ve recently been reading a fascinating book called Nature�s Secret Messages by Elaine Wilkes, which is where I first learned about it. The heartbeat is known as the �Schumann Resonance� � named after the German physicist W.O. Schumann who predicted it. More scientifically speaking, the Schumann Resonances are �quasi-standing electromagnetic waves that exist in the Earth�s �electromagnetic� cavity (the space between the surface of the Earth and the ionosphere).� (1) They are not caused by anything internally in the Earth, rather they are related to electrical activity in the atmosphere, particularly lightning storms. �In the normal mode descriptions of Schumann resonances, the fundamental mode is a standing wave (also known as a stationary wave because it is a wave that remains in constant position) in the Earth�ionosphere cavity with a wavelength equal to the circumference of the Earth. This lowest-frequency (and highest-intensity) mode of the Schumann resonance occurs at a frequency of approximately 7.83 Hz.� (2) There are variations in frequency, depending on the electrical activity in the Earth�s ionosphere, but what we do know is that the Schumann Resonances typically stay well below the 50 Hz � 60 Hz frequency most of our technology runs on.
The human race evolved in this frequency, this Schumann Resonance. It is very important to us. So important that NASA created a Schumann wave simulator (basically a magnetic-pulse generator that mimics the Earth�s frequency) because they noticed that without it the astronaut�s physical condition severely deteriorated while they were in space, away from Earth�s heartbeat. There are many people today who believe that all the manmade frequencies of our technology is �polluting� the Earth�s heartbeat, the Schumann Resonance, thereby causing us to feel more stressed, fatigued and out of balance. If astronauts� physical condition can deteriorate because of a lack of it, it stands to reason that the general population�s physical condition may also be affected by its distortion.
So, what to do? We can�t shut off all our power, that�s for sure. That is not a practical solution. However, we can get more connected to Earth and to nature by spending more time in it. I�ve often noticed how the energy changes when I vacation with my family at the Jersey shore. We cross that bridge into Ocean City and it�s as if all the troubles of normal, everyday life just disappear and I instantly feel more relaxed. I�m sure it is influenced by the collective energy of all the other people there who are also in �vacation mentality� so to speak, but I wonder if the fact that we spend a majority of our time there barefoot on the beach and in the ocean, connected to nature day after day for hours at a time, also plays a significant role in that collective, more relaxed energy. Maybe our increased connection to our collective heartbeat is what helps us all feel more relaxed.
Have you ever spent a day hiking in the woods, or just lounging at a park, and felt as if you lost time somehow? I think that feeling is due to being exposed to Nature�s rhythms, which are so different than our own manmade ones full of alarm clocks and artificial lighting and cell phones that never stop ringing. The astronauts have shown us how important it is for us to be connected to our Earth, and specifically its heartbeat. Being in touch with nature can ground us, and help us to feel more centered. It can take us back to our roots as human beings. Next time you are feeling stressed out, give it a try. (Better yet, use Nature as a way to prevent stress by visiting it regularly.) Take a trip to the nearest piece of nature � even if all you can do that day is simply stand barefoot in your own backyard � and just take in all that nature has to offer. Breathe deeply. Feel how Earth�s gravity roots you to the ground. Look up at the sky and watch the clouds roll by. Look around and watch the other forms of life sharing your piece of nature � the squirrels, the insects, the birds. Close your eyes and feel the wind as it moves around you, listening closely to all the sounds of nature that surround you. Reset your rhythm to Mother Nature�s rhythm. It may be just the medicine you need.
-------------------- Bob Posts: 2150 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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posted
Toppers, Thank you for bringing up Earthing! Like Forgetfulgirl123, I'd like to learn more.
Seems one easy thing to do is get natural skin moccasins instead of rubber-sole slippers.
Here are excerpts from an article found on the link Toppers provided:
* * * * * * Friday, June 18, 2010 Is There a Best Way to Get Grounded?
by Clinton Ober Co-author, Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever?
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.
[snip]
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 color 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.
[snip]
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 myself for 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. It�s like a sleeping bag, only much lighter. It�s made of cotton and poly.
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 then no ground�the body always equalizes with the Earth�s 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 Earth�s natural energy. * * * * * * * *
posted
Positive benefits can be achieved by sitting on grass, sand, unpainted cement, or pea gravel while wearing cotton clothing and/or upon a cotton towel or wool blanket.
I think wearing cotton socks (without any rubber-soled shoes) would be of similar benefit to going barefoot. Agreed?
Of course, thorough tick-check afterwards!
As for time at the ocean, the benefits are many. In addition to the joys of barefoot life, ions in the air are different near the ocean than inland. Those ions provide shore residents & vacationers with the relaxed, "whenever," casual, beach-bum attitude.
Along those lines, when it rains, we become more forgetful.
Flight attendants note that on dry days, deplaning passengers take all of their belongings. But when it rains, even with extra reminders & coaching, they struggle to get passengers to remove all personal items. It's due to ions in the air that are different on rainy days.
posted
For years I've enjoyed a book called, "To Be Healed by the Earth" by Warren Grossman, Ph.D......it has an inspiring story by the author, who was dying of a parasitic disease, and healed himself by lying on the ground in his backyard.
I haven't had as radical results as Warren Grossman had, but i do find it very healing to stand on the earth, even with shoes on it is helpful. And when weather allows, to lie down.....ahhh. I don't worry about ticks, as i cover the body with clothing and lie down on a light colored blanket. A shower afterwards is a choice as well.
"To be Healed by the Earth" has beautiful drawings and simple, easy-to read exercises to help feel the positive healing energies of the earth.
Grounding definitely has its benefits on all levels.
Peace, ease, riverspirit
Posts: 164 | From North America | Registered: Mar 2009
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posted
Alternative health care doctors often share the message of people who love nature. Nature lover Adolph Just (1859-1936) wrote the book Return to Nature that became a best seller, It went through many editions and eventually was translated into many languages worldwide bringing millions of people a message of health and happiness.
Just believed nature held the answer to happiness, health and the Jungborn (the fountain of youth.) Just's naturopathic retreat in the Hartz Mountains of Germany sold the following self help products to help get close to nature: o Porous clothing o Air Shoes o Clay Packs o Jungborn Bread
Just had suffered from repeated bouts of neurasthenia (fatigue, loss of memory, aches and pains) that allopathic medicine did not relieve. He tried several nature cures from various nature cure doctors that helped some, and then he added his own version that included: o A light and air hut o Long barefoot hikes into the mountains o Baths in a babbling brook
Just improved and his health was regained.
Condemned by Just were things not in accordance with a natural life as: o Polluting automobiles o Closed in modern housing o Deforming styles of dress o Modern chemical agriculture
Just believed that too much time was spent talking, disputing, writing, studying, meditating, and investigating, etc and those activities should be discontinued. He recommended that we should be a part of nature and devote ourselves to the pleasure nature offers, with brotherly love as the focus.
His greatest contempt was directed against medical science, especially vivisection and vaccination. His nature cure philosophy brought him fame. Adolph Just was a teacher, humanitarian, and living example to follow. His simplicity, sincerity, and love for his work are still remembered. His sun and air cure, advocacy of nude living, and natural raw food diet live into modern times.
� My biggest FEAR in life is becoming dependent. � The idea of depending on my boss, a medical doctor, expensive insurance or the government for my health care does not feel right. Are there Solutions? The answer is YES Bill Tallmon's http://www.beyourowndoc.comPosts: 654 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
That's the idea behind some products that put off the earth's frequencies, like my Philip Stein watch. Also the frequency I used with the Bionic 880 was close to the earth's frequency.
-------------------- sixgoofykids.blogspot.com Posts: 13449 | From Ohio | Registered: Feb 2007
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lymie_in_md
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 14197
posted
This is the perfect topic to ask the following question: I met man at a support group meeting who is very sick, you all know what I mean (even really looks sick). If this man is complaining about needle like pains and they seem to be the most severe when he relaxes or goes to sleep. Plus he is severely affected by electronic -- computers especially. Is this type of person who cannot address his symptoms due to electrical overload?
I have the feeling if you took 10 people and could factor them from 1 to 10 as to the affect of electronics. He might be the 10.
If he is a 10, he might get the most help from the earthing devices. I'm pretty sure I'll see him at the next meeting. I would love to give him some advice. How should I pursue this?
-------------------- Bob Posts: 2150 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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kidsgotlyme
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Member # 23691
posted
Thanks for bringing this subject up. It sounds promising as a good complimentary thing we can do.
I ordered the book yesterday and can't wait to get it.
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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GiGi
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 259
posted
Pull the fuses to the bedroom areas where you spend the longest time in one place. Get flashlights.
I did that for several years. As you lighten the toxic load you will gradually become less sensitive. I do not feel a thing today, yet lived vibrating day and night to where the blanket vibrated with me.
It is all possible. I just posted a complete treatment guide from Dr. K. - and don't think you will be getting away with a couple ofyears of abx. It simply will not work if you restrict yourself to that treatment. I had about 3 months of Roceph IV's - that was the end. The rest of my treatment consisted of almost everything that tested for me energetically as is contained in this Guide.
Nothing much will work to get one well completely unless you address toxic metals and allergies to these toxic metals as well as KPU. The majority of Lyme afflicted test positive for KPU.
Understand the connection between toxic metals in the body and EMF exposure. Viruses flourish like rabbits under EMF exposure. I am not a physicist - but that message rings clear. Add a bit of saliva to the mix and different types of metals and you become a physical wrack over time.
If a microwave tower transmits into your bedroom window, consider changing location.
Take care.
Posts: 9834 | From Washington State | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
On Electrical sensitivity Q I would suggest you tell him to buy the book on Earthing. There are a couple of chapters on this there which come from peer reviewed studies.
I am looking into buying a bed sheet!
Posts: 654 | Registered: Oct 2003
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posted
Toppers, I'm EMF sensitive...I can't even shop at the local Giant here due to all the fluorescent lighting and a cell phone mast across the street. You might want to sign the petitions in my signature.
As far as grounding goes, I've considered it. I will check the book out.
-------------------- Urge Congress on EMF Safety, FCC Must Change Exposure Guidelines for Microwave Radiation Exposure: http://tinyurl.com/2cjq54y Halt Universal Broadband, A Public Health Hazard: http://tinyurl.com/3x7xrmq Posts: 495 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2010
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posted
Im all about this earthing. why not the earth is so grounding. Either way you gain from it.
Posts: 106 | From Wales, RI usa | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
ITs so intresting i just came across that video the other day, a freind sent it to me. That girl in it survived lyme with changing her diet!!!!
Posts: 106 | From Wales, RI usa | Registered: Jun 2010
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posted
All the positive feedback is great, keep it coming.
I started earthing a week ago while the weather was still warm. It consisted of sitting out in the grass for an hour a day with my heels in the dirt, not moving. About 2 days into it I became so sick I was delirious, detached, rolling around outside with intense abdominal pain and loose stools that lasted 24 hours. Very, very old symptoms I had forgotten about. It cleared up and I felt fine after wards. (The fine that is the opposite of pain and misery we all know of as this set of symptoms).
There were no changes to my rife routine or anything else, it was pretty intense. I don't want to use the word HERX because it's just overused around here, but something fairly intense occured.
Not sure what to make of it since I haven't done it since due to the weather. I'm going to get an earthing pad sleep with it to see what else happens. I checked my outlet grounds so I am ready to rock when this thing arrives.
Posts: 501 | From Cleveland Ohio | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
Sounds good, but I do have a concern - ticks can be on the ground, in vegetation, and also we know about infected sand fleas present on the way to and at the beach.
I got bit by the tick when I was barefoot in Big Sur.
So it seems to me folks better have some good tick repellent on to be outside like this.
Posts: 13116 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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posted
I have been told that an earthed adaptor should work so have ordered a bed sheet.
Also impressed by soft star shoes which I may order recommended by marjorie
Posts: 654 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Brussels
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13480
posted
I heard dr. K. saying that in Japan, there's one institute curing cancer patients with basically 2 things (if my memory is good):
1- exposing cancer patients (skin uncovered) to the sunlight (but when it is dim, a bit after sunrise and before sunset)
2- AND making patients lie in what he called a tomb-like hole in the earth.
Yes. Like a dead corpse! Just lay INSIDE the hole (not only on the earth) makes you even MORE protected against EMRs. The patient needed, if my memory is good, about 15-20 minutes a day in that 'tomb'.
Apart from these 2 treatments (low sunlight and lay in the ground for 20 minutes), no other main treatment. Recovery rates from cancer were amazing acc. to dr. K.
So yes, grounding seems very important. ---- Wallace, in Switzerland, there was a university (Bern, if my memory is good) creating lots of devices to protect from , but the prices were high. ----
It's a miserable situation, to be sick with lyme, and need to go away from nature for fear of ticks or infected beasts.
In my opinion, being close to computers for hours and living in a building (not on ground floor) can harm someone so badly, possibly as badly as a new tick bite.
But the damage is done slowly and steadily, while a tick bite, the damage is felt fast! That's the only basic difference, in my view.
It's unfortunate that we find ticks mostly in nature. If it were malaria we were afraid of, we couldn't possible associate mosquitos with nature, as mosquitos are everywhere.
Somehow it would be healthier to think lyme can be transmitted by flies, flees, sexual intercourse and who knows what else and disconnect lyme from ticks ONLY. That's my feeling.
During the time I was sick, it was nature, trees, flowers, contact with the soil that made my life feel good and it made me feel it worthed to live. I had no friends, no work, no occupation, no will to meet people and then forget their names, faces, just moments after, get embarassed etc...
The best of my life during lyme was nature and I learned to love it more, respect it more, and get helped by it in many ways. Without it, my life would have been just miserable.
I know it is hard to disconnect lyme disease from nature, but if you feel what grounding does to your body, you will 'understand' how much you need it.
Just lay on a big white sheet on the earth and feel the pull downwards. I say white sheet just in case you want to watch crawling beasts easier. If you are able to relax, you'll feel that you need that like you need food or water. At least, that 's my case. ----
I'm writing to you guys from South Korea. We have just been bombed by North Korea. I wonder how can I still write in LN after having made my refugee suitcase!! No kidding.
I guess I loved to read about grounding and EMRs, so many more people now interested in it now. A couple of years ago, virtually, no one was interested or thought of this as having any importance at all here in LN!!
Dr. K. says even heavy metals and environmental toxins come AFTER EMRS for the chronic sick. EMR is a very BIG big issue, according to him.
Posts: 6199 | From Brussels | Registered: Oct 2007
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I have had the earthing pad for two days now and slept with it in some way or fashion attached to my body (had to tie the thing to my legs with shoestrings so it won't come off at night). There is an obvious effect is has on me late at night where I suddenly get tired and relaxed, it's a welcome feeling.
The first two nights I have had the deepest sleep I can remember since this ordeal, and upon waking have a clear memory of these vivid dreams.
I don't remember having anything other than nightmares with lyme and co, let alone remembering them. This is totally new, but I'm not eliminating a coincidence either.
Will report back after weeks/months to see what happened.
Posts: 501 | From Cleveland Ohio | Registered: Apr 2009
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I am looking into soft star shoes. They do shoes with rubber or non rubber soles. I am not sure how important that is........to be earthed properly.
Posts: 654 | Registered: Oct 2003
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daystar1952
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3255
posted
Hi Wallace.....just got your message on my blog. I have ordered both the suede soles on the Soft Star Shoes and the T Rex soles. The T Rex soles are a thin rubber layer meshed into the bottom of the suede sole.
This type of sole works well for when it is damp or wet outside but I don't think it would be good for earthing. However....this very thin layer still allows the moccasins to be soft and flexible so our feet and ankles can get the proper excercise.
I wear the TRex soles when it is wet out and the plain suede soles when it is dry. I became affiliated with Soft Star Shoes after I bought my first pair because I just loved them...they are soooo comfortable... and felt as tho it was one step back to nature. Every little bit helps unload the camel's back. I have four pairs.
This past summer I tried going barefoot as often as possible around the yard and would read outside with my bare feet on the ground. I don't know if it was all in my head but it was soooo relaxing...especially if I was wound up or upset about something....taking my shoes off outside was very soothing to body and soul
Posts: 1176 | Registered: Oct 2002
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daystar1952
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posted
Riverspirit...I just ordered the book you mentioned....To Be Healed By The Earth. Can't wait to get it. Thanks for mentioning it
Posts: 1176 | Registered: Oct 2002
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AY 9 ~ Clint Ober and Dr. Stephen Sinatra Posted on November 23, 2010 by adoley
TOPIC : EARTHING: Most Important Health Discovery ever??
WELL, IT IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT IN OUR LIFETIME. Renowned cardiologist and co- author, Dr. Stephen Sinatra says it is the most important in his 40 years of practicing medicine. For your health and that of those you love, listen to this call, read the book, get educated and get earthed.
Clint Ober who discovered Earthing and has dedicated his life to making Earthing common knowledge throughout the world within the next 25 years, is both a visionary and a pioneer. Clint only finished high school but his commitment to his mission led him to a breakthrough discovery and to become as knowledgeable about this subject as the most renowned scientist. This is the kind of work that results in Nobel prizes.
Clint is so humble � a truly inspiring individual who shows what happens when you commit to being of service and listen to your intuition. In an age where chronic disease is rampant, auto-immune illnesses are on the rise, cancers, heart disease and strokes are the #1 cause of death and medical costs continue to skyrocket, Earthing is literally a gigantic wellness pill that you cannot afford to not take. We are electrical beings. Simply by reconnecting to the Earth we fill our bodies with the negative electrons that counteract disease and inflammation in the body. You can earth yourself by simply by standing barefoot on the earth. It doesn�t have to cost you anything. But we live in a world where most of us are disconnected from the earth by our lifestyles. That disconnection is literally making us sick. Earthing is as essential to our health just as water, sunlight, fresh fruits, vegetables and exercise are. Just as sunlight gives us Vitamin D, Earthing gives us Vitamin G. We need them both for our health.
Here�s just a sampling of what we learned:
-> Why Earthing reduces inflammation � the #1 cause of disease and aging -> How it reduces stress levels in the body and regulates our stress hormones EMF�s, electrical pollution and how Earthing can improve this condition -> All the conditions Earthing helps including insomnia, stress, heart disease, lupus, fibromyalgia, arthritis, chronic pain, fatigue, recovery from surgery, injury, improving athletic performance, building muscle strength and much more -> Why you may not have results right away and sometimes get �negative� results from sleeping earthed -> How to get grounded at no cost -> How to get grounded if you live in environments or climates that make walking barefoot difficult -> How to create an environment that supports grounding -> How Earthing helps heart conditions and strokes -> Precautions you must take when you are on medication
Catch all this and more�. Go to REPLAY page
Check out the Special Offer
I am passionate about getting the word out about this life-saving information and urge you to please listen to the call and check out the site we have created for you with FAQs and other information. www.wellnessrevolutionsummit.com/earthing-faq.html
Buy the book, share the information and Get Earthed Now!!!!
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1. Berte says: November 23, 2010 at 1:08 pm
Very interesting, indeed. Now I wonder if lack of grounding is part of the reason why there�s loads more MS the further away from the poles you get. But, I�d really like to know before ordering � do they have these products for European 220V systems? Reply * adoley adoley says: November 23, 2010 at 6:18 pm
The voltage is irrelevant. Earthing products do not �run� on electricity. They only carry the energy from the Earth (called �Earth,� in Europe, and �ground� in the U.S.) through the cord that is either connected to a ground rod outside or through a properly grounded wall outlet.
If the house�s electrical system is not grounded you need to use an Earthing ground rod that has a cord attachment. The cord can be connected with any Earthing product used inside the house. If the house has a grounded electrical system, you will need to get a grounded adapter for North American appliances that fits into your wall outlets. You can likely find a grounded wall outlet adapter at some local electrical supply company. To determine if your outlets are grounded you would have to obtain an outlet checker for use in your country, also at a local electrical supply company. The easiest thing is to use the ground rod, if you have a stand alone house or live on the first two stories of an apartment building. The length of the Earthing ground rod cord is 13 meters. Reply o adoley adoley says: November 23, 2010 at 6:25 pm
You can get a grounded adapter through amazon.com that works in most European countries
I came across this website which sells various components for grounding/earthing in different countries around the world, including Europe: http://www.groundology.com Reply o Berte says: November 24, 2010 at 3:24 pm
Duh. *facepalm* Of course current is irrelevant. This house is very well grounded � a thick copper wire runs around the whole of it (I know � I did the job with my electrician brother). And since the current is irrelevant, I could of course just change the socket. I�m feeling very not-so-smart at the moment (or perhaps I should chalk it up to brain fog when I posted my question). Thanks, Adoley! Reply 2. Ayesha Grice says: November 23, 2010 at 2:02 pm
Dear Adoley, thank you for what you do. This series as well as the first one was, to use the kids expression �off the chain�. I�ve been involved in the healing work (energy healing) since the early 70′s and have experienced many different modalities of healing, met many healers through my teacher, the late Isabel M. Hickey. The Earthing audio was of particular interest to me because I always thought there was healing energy coming from the earth but had no scientific proof. Growing up I was called �the barefoot Contessa� because during the summer months I refused to wear shoes and would tell people �if God wanted us to wear shoes we would have been born wearing them�. Later in life when I was in my 30′s my teacher, Ms. Hickey would tell us to take off our shoes and put our feet on the earth. She would do that at our annual retreats in Rhode Island. She would say that if we felt disconnected, out of sorts or off balanced, �just go outside, take your shoes off and let the healing energy flow through your body�. In the 90′s I interned with an organic farmer who told me during my first interview with him �listen, there will be no shoes in my garden��� my garden is a sacred space and you need to feel the healing energy from the soil�. Needless to say, I was perfectly in sync with his message. Even today, when I have a client that complains of aches or pains I encourage them to come out side with me, take off their shoes and feel the earth�s healing energy. Now thanks to you, I have the proof that I�m not crazy and that there is a scientific explanation for what I�ve been doing almost all my life. At 70 years young, I�m still discovering new and exciting things to learn. This life is amazing and I�m so happy to have discovered your series that brings me good information and increased joy and happiness. Reply 3. Jennifer Rodriguez says: November 23, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I was really impressed by this information. To think that Mother Earth has all we could ever need to heal ourselves. This never ceases to amaze me! Reply * adoley adoley says: November 23, 2010 at 4:30 pm
Jennifer, you haven�t come forward to claim your gift for winning the blogger of the week! An email has been sent to you, please respond.
Love Adoley Reply 4. CJ says: November 23, 2010 at 6:18 pm
My Gosh. I used to wonder why my body felt sooo much better after spending several weeks at the beach each summer. I�d lay on the sand and watch the kids swim and think there must be something toxic at my house! I couldn�t believe how my symptoms of pain and spasm would dissipate over the summer. I didn�t run and jump and swim, I just took the opportunity to lie on the sand with a good book and man, I never realized until this moment what it was that soothed the constant pain I�d been having all year long!!!!! This is awesome! It�s impossible to thank you enough! Warmest regards, CJ Reply 5. Mirabelle says: November 24, 2010 at 12:39 pm
After the initial shock of the cold (a wintry spell here in the UK), it was quite refreshing to walk barefoot in the garden. I never would have thought of doing this at this time of year, but I think I will continue. There seems to be enough evidence to say that it is worth a try. Thank you, Adoley, for asking all the right questions. It is clear you want us all to get as much as possible from these sessions. Reply 6. Karen says: November 24, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Hi Adoley, This is fascinating. This explains to me why I naturally prefer to be barefoot and even now, in my 50′s, I walk barefoot outside and inside most of the time. The first thing to come off when I step in a house is my shoes. This has always been a big joke to my family members, but I�ve never understood why all of them wear shoes so much of the time! I live in a Northern State with cold winters preventing me from going outside barefoot for months, so this explains why I have so many more aches and pains in the winter.
I have a question about the eathing sheet. It comes in king size, but what if you have a smaller bed? Will this size work on any size bed? Do you tuck the sides under the mattress or does it just hang over the sides? I want to get this but holding off on my order until I know for sure this will work on a smaller bed (queen)..
This is another great teleseminar.. You are providing such a great service! Thank you so much.
Have a great Thanksgiving, Blessings, Karen Reply 7. Karen says: November 24, 2010 at 4:31 pm
Found the answer to my question! I was listening to the replay while posting to the blog.. If I had waited just a few minutes before posting, I would have heard you say it will fit any size bed! I have now placed my order and know this is going to make a huge difference in my body pain during the cold winter months! Reply 8. Carolyn says: November 24, 2010 at 5:59 pm
This was just what I needed at this time in my life. I consciously try to ground to mother earth daily but liklely with little success. I have a health problem stemming from a root chakra problem that has palgued me for 3o years. Now I know what to do. Thanks you so very much! Carolyn Reply 9. Terry Miller, EMT, RMA, Wholistic-Naturopathic practitioner says: November 25, 2010 at 2:44 am
Just a note to add to what Clint and Dr. Sinatra said about the lady who slept well for a time, then got restless again. In addition to EMF�s in the bedroom and stress or alcohol/caffeine issues, there are a host of other issues that need to be looked into. This is where a wholistic approach is very helpful. Diet and nutrition also play a key role. A diet that is acidifying to the body can bind up the oxygen and cause stress to the body. Dr. Robert O. Young, PhD wrote a book called �The Ph Miracle Diet� that explains what diet and nutrition can do for the body. A slightly alkaline solution can hold 100 times the oxygen than a slightly acidic one can. Your blood has to maintain a Ph of 7.365, which is slightly alkaline. If you dip into the acid range below 6.950, you will go into a coma and die because the acidity binds up oxygen and causes cellular death. Earthing allows more oxygen into the tissues to help the healing process. Meditation with breathing exercises also helps get more oxygen into the body which helps with stress and O2 levels at the same time. EFT or Meridian tapping can also prove usefull to help aleviate any underlying psychological issues that may be affecting sleep and health. So look at the whole picture. Are you going through stress at work? Are you going through stress with family? The holidays can be the most stressful time of the year for families who are having communication difficulties that may need to be addressed. For women, hormone levels also play a key role. There are many phyto- estrogens in the processed food we eat that throws off the estrogen/progesterone balance which can affect you greatly. Some of the soy products are also causing side affects such as this. Dr. Joseph Mercola�s website has many articles on this and more. Hope this helps some of you better understand grounding is not a silver bullet or cure-all. It is truly a very BIG development in health. But, you need to use common sense and look at the whole picture. Be well. Reply * adoley adoley says: November 25, 2010 at 4:41 pm
Hi Terry,
Thank you for this terrific post offering important distinctions that affect our health. It�s wonderful to have so many skilled practitioners as part of this conversation and I appreciate your generosity in sharing your knowledge. As you say there�s no one thing that is a silver bullet or cure-all, whether it�s Earthing, Theta Healing or Quantum Touch or EFT. They are all wonderful tools or modalities that help us heal but we are holistic beings � holy and whole � unless the whole system is addressed the body cannot truly get back into balance.
Blessings, Adoley Reply * viragini says: November 26, 2010 at 3:18 pm
posted
I have a PEMF 100 machine. It uses the same technology that NASA uses to keep the astronauts up in space longer. (Bob mentioned this earlier in the thread.) Basically it pulses at the same frequency as the earth's eltromagnetism. I love it. It definitely helps me sleep and helps with muscle/joint pain. It's similar to a rife machine except that it's a DC machine (rife uses AC). According to Rosner's Lyme and Rife book, DC machines kill cysts. So I'm hopeful it's lowering my cyst load as well. If anyone is in Colorado and wants to try it out, let me know.
Posts: 707 | From Colorado | Registered: Jul 2010
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dmc
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5102
posted
This "earthing" is just another name for "grounding" or being "grounded"...accupucturists, reiki and other type practictioners have understood this for years.
Clinton Ober is just cashing in on other alternatives work, just changing the name. People are always looking for another cash cow to bolster own purses.
Nothing new.
Posts: 2675 | From ct, usa | Registered: Jan 2004
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9O per cent of healing occurs while sleeping. An hour on the beach is not going get you anywhere. How many people sleep grounded anymore on this planet-hardly any!!!!
I believe this is really important
Posts: 654 | Registered: Oct 2003
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The Earth we live on is one gigantic treatment table � a humongous natural painkiller, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, stress-buster, blood thinner, blood pressure normalizer, hormonal regulator, sleeping aid, energizer, jet lag defuser, and healing accelerator. No pill on Earth can do what the Earth does.
Earthing, the most eye-opening book to appear in decades, introduces our very own planet�s powerful, amazing, and overlooked natural healing energy and how people anywhere can easily connect to it. The never-before-told story � filled with fascinating research and real-life testimonials � chronicles a discovery of the first magnitude with the potential to create a global health revolution.
Throughout evolution humans walked barefoot and slept on the ground, largely oblivious to the fact that the surface of the Earth contains limitless healing energy. Science has discovered that this energy promotes health, harmonizes and stabilizes the body�s basic biological rhythms, and neutralizes inflammation.
Modern lifestyle, including the widespread use of insulating rubber or plastic soled shoes, has disconnected us from this energy and, of course, we no longer sleep on the ground as we did in times past. Earthing describes how this physical disconnect from the Earth creates abnormal physiology and contributes to inflammation, pain, fatigue, stress, and poor sleep, and how by reconnecting to the Earth symptoms are rapidly relieved and even eliminated. Recovery from surgery, injury, and extreme athletic performance is accelerated. People sleep better. They are more energized.
The book unfolds striking scientific evidence of significant physiological shifts that should put a smile on any doctor�s face ― positive changes in the direction of a dynamically revitalized and healthier functioning body― generated simply by walking or sitting barefoot or sleeping on a conductive bed sheet connected to the Earth. For more than ten years, thousands of people around the world � men, women, children, and athletes�have incorporated Earthing into their daily routines. The results have been documented and they are extraordinary.
The evidence makes a powerful and intriguing case for lack of connection to the Earth as a cause of chronic inflammation, regarded as the basis of most common modern diseases. And the solution may be something right beneath our feet � the Earth itself!
In recent years, inflammation has been recognized as the leading trigger of chronic pain and most major health disorders, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer�s, and cancer. Bodies are on fire. Earthing puts the flames out, as is witnessed by doctors who have seen remarkable changes in patients and in themselves, and by the dramatic stories of people whose lives of pain, disability, and illness have been turned around. The book explains in easy-to-understand language how this happens through the transfer of negatively charged free electrons from the Earth into the body where they extinguish positively charged destructive free radicals involved in chronic inflammation.
The potential benefits on the brain, heart, muscles, immune and nervous systems � and in turn the whole body and the aging process � are massive. Just like sunlight provides us with vitamin D, the Earth provides us with another essential ingredient. Call it vitamin G ― G for ground.
Whoever reads this book will never look at the ground beneath their feet the same way. The mightiest anti-inflammatory on the planet has been discovered―and it is the planet itself!
Earthing details the fascinating odyssey of Clinton Ober, a pioneer in the cable television industry who discovered the healing power of Earth�s natural energy and who has spent years in pursuit of scientific validation. Ober�s co-authors are well-known cardiologist, author, and electromedicine expert Stephen Sinatra, and veteran health writer Martin Zucker.
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Clint Ober was raised on a Montana farm. At age 15, he dropped out of school when his father died, and, as the oldest of five children, he assumed the daily business of attending to crops and livestock. In his youth, he was exposed to the Native American culture and developed a love of Nature and the connection to the natural world.
As a young man in the 1960s, Mr. Ober entered the fledgling cable TV industry, going door-to-door to sell the concept and even climbing up telephone poles to hang cable lines. As cable TV caught on and expanded in the U.S., he formed his own company, Telecrafter Corporation, which eventually became the largest provider of cable marketing and installation services in the U.S. In the 1980s, he turned his attention to the infantile computer industry, and later to the Internet revolution. He partnered with McGraw Hill to acquire live feed distribution rights for the Internet from every wire service in the world.
In 1993, at the height of success, he developed an abscess that nearly destroyed his liver. It took a desperation experimental surgery to save his life. After recovering, he sold his company, shed his possessions, and set off on a personal journey looking for a higher purpose in life. In 1998, during his travels, he discovered Earthing and has been single-mindedly focused since then to promote the scientific exploration and practical applications for the concept. Mr. Ober has documented his amazing discovery and pursuit of scientific validation in the book, Earthing:The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? (Basic Health Publications, 2010), co-authored with cardiologist Stephen Sinatra and health writer Martin Zucker.
EARTHING - FAQs
Click here to go to questions on Earthing Basics
Click here to go to questions on Earthing and Health
Click here to go to questions on Earthing Products
Earthing Basics
Q In an age when there are so many discoveries and health-related technologies
emerging every day, why do you think the concept of Earthing is so profound?
A What is most profound about Earthing is that it is so natural and simple, and that it affects every aspect of human physiology. When you ground yourself, the entire body readjusts to a new level of functioning, the level, in fact, it seems to have been designed for throughout evolution. Many people who have lived Earthed for some years say that they do not want to go back to living ungrounded. They feel the difference. Living Earthed broadly elevates your quality of life to a level that seems not otherwise possible.
James Oschman, Ph.D., an internationally-renowned expert on energy medicine and a member of our board of advisors, describes the phenomenon thusly: �Recently I attended a meeting on the East coast. One of my colleagues came in from the West coast. She had a bad case of jet lag. I told her to take her shoes and socks off and step outside on the grass for 15 minutes. When she came back in, she was completely transformed. Her jet lag was gone. That is how fast Earthing works. Anyone can try this. If you don�t feel well, for whatever reason, just make barefoot contact with the Earth for a few minutes and see what happens. Of course, if you have a medical problem, you should see a doctor. There is nothing that comes close to Earthing for quick relief. You can literally feel pain draining from your body the instant you touch the Earth.�
Q Can you wear any type of footwear and still be earthed?
A No. Standard plastic/rubber or composite soles do not conduct the Earth�s electric energy. Most shoes today are made from those materials. You need leather or hide soles, which used to be the primary footwear materials in the past. The foot perspires and the moisture conducts the energy from the Earth through the leather and up into the body. Leather isn�t quite as good as bare feet on the ground but certainly much, much better than standard soles that are insulating. Hopefully soon shoe companies will begin making grounded shoes.
Q 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 your ankle or wrist?
A 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 authorized Earthing products are specifically designed for safe, biological grounding of people. They have built-in resistors that limit the flow of current in order to prevent the unlikely possibility that electricity would flow through the connecting wire and possibly hurt someone. They allow 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. Earthing products for personal grounding have built-in protection similar to the systems utilized in industry throughout the world to prevent electricity and static from damaging sensitive electronic parts.
Q Does Earthing occur if you work, stand, or walk on a ceramic tile floor?
A It depends on whether the tile floor sits on a concrete slab or on the ground. If so, the energy could come through. If the tile sits on plywood or some other kind of wood, plastic, or vinyl understructure, you are not likely to get any conductivity. Also depends on what kind of tile. Ceramic tile with a glazed finish on the surface will, like glass, probably prevent the Earth�s energy from coming through.
Q Why does the Earth�s electric field transfer so easily to the body?
A The body is mostly water and minerals. It is an excellent conductor of electricity (electrons). The free electrons on the surface of the Earth are easily transferred to the human body as long as there is direct contact. Unfortunately, synthetically-soled shoes act as insulators so that even when we are outside we do not connect with the Earth�s electric field. When we are in homes and office buildings, we are also insulated and unable to receive the Earth�s balancing energies.
Q What is the difference between the Earth�s electric field and the electric field used to conduct electricity in our homes?
A The Earth�s electric field is mainly a continuous direct current (DC) producing field. Throughout history, life on the planet has attuned our biology to this subtle field. By comparison, home wiring systems in the U.S. use 60-cycle per second alternating current (AC). Unless at very low frequency (less that 10 cycles per second) and/or low power, alternating current is foreign to our biology. This, and other forms of man-made environmental electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are being researched as factors in a variety of stress-related responses. Many people are sensitive to EMFs. Studies show an �association,� but not cause and effect, between living near power lines (or exposure to EMFs on the job) and higher rates of health problems, such as childhood leukemia, brain tumors, certain cancers, birth defects and miscarriages.
Q What is the difference between the Earthing technology and the use of magnets?
A Although the use of magnets produce some therapeutic effects when properly applied, magnets cannot provide free electrons, nor can they connect the body with the naturally balancing electric frequencies of the Earth. The patented Earthing Connection technology is the only way, without standing directly on the Earth, to connect with the Earth�s electrons.
Q Can Earthing protect me from cell phone frequencies?
A The protective potential of Earthing has not been tested yet on cell phone exposure. There is no research indicating that Earthing will or will not protect a person from exposure to cell phones signals, microwave radiation, or radio frequencies. What we know is that Earthing reduces significantly the induced body voltages generated by simple exposure to common household 60 Hz EMFs continuously emitted by all plugged-in electrical cords (even if the appliance is off), internal wiring, and all ungrounded electrical devices in the home or office. Based in the cases we have seen of people extremely sensitive to such EMFs it is prudent to be grounded as much as possible in the home or office.
Q Can Earthing products be used in UK and other European countries where the voltage is different from US?
A The voltage is irrelevant. Earthing products do not �run� on electricity. They only carry the energy from the Earth (called �Earth,� in Europe, and �ground� in the U.S.) through the cord that is either connected to a ground rod outside or through a properly grounded wall outlet.
If the house�s electrical system is not grounded you need to use an Earthing ground rod that has a cord attachment. The cord can be connected with any Earthing product used inside the house. If the house has a grounded electrical system, you will need to get a grounded adapter for North American appliances that fits into your wall outlets. You can likely find a grounded wall outlet adapter at some local electrical supply company. To determine if your outlets are grounded you would have to obtain an outlet checker for use in your country, also at a local electrical supply company. The easiest thing is to use the ground rod, if you have a stand alone house or live on the first two stories of an apartment building. The length of the Earthing ground rod cord is 13 meters.
Earthing and Health
Please note that none of the statements made here constitute medical advice in any way or any claim for cure or treatment of any medical condition. Always consult with your personal physician regarding any personal health care issues.
Q How does Earthing affect the body�s ability to heal?
A The simplest explanation is that aches and pains and other disturbances in our bodies are often caused by inflammation. Electrons from the Earth have natural anti-inflammatory effects and are conducted relatively fast throughout the body, which is a good conductor. One of the most profound discoveries in modern biomedicine is that many of the chronic and debilitating diseases of our time have the same cause: chronic inflammation. Scientists now realize that many of our aches and pains arise from small regions in the body 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. Many scientists believe that the human immune system evolved over a long span of time during which we were in virtually constant barefoot contact with the Earth. We believe that the immune system began functioning less efficiently as humans increasingly separated themselves from the Earth. One recent example is the advent of shoes with insulating soles about 50 years ago. Chronic disease, inflammation, and insomnia have skyrocketed ever since and the loss of connection with the Earth may be one totally overlooked cause.
Q In your clinical studies, the physiological effects of Earthing have been almost immediate. Can you explain this?
A The body is a good conductor of free electrons. It is a repeated observation that Earthing produces beneficial effects very rapidly. When people are grounded through the feet (either by standing barefoot on the Earth or via grounded EKG patches in experiments), they sometimes feel a tingling sensation moving up the legs. We associate this with the apparent movement of electrons up into the body. In our research, we have �clocked� the speed of this activity. We figure it takes about 20 to 30 minutes to reach sites of pain and inflammation and then begin neutralizing the inflammation. When a study participant says that pain has started to ease we regard this as a sign that the electrons have arrived at the pain site and have started to �go to work.�
Electrons may even be attracted to those sites because of they have a negative charge and free radicals, involved in the inflammatory process, have a positive charge. Once the free radicals are neutralized, we hypothesize that they stop their destructive actions on healthy tissues, leading to an abatement of pain, sometimes quite fast.
We also think that as soon as a person comes in direct contact with the Earth the electrons inside the body �feel� the effect of the ground potential through the Earth�s electric field. We discuss this�the so-called �straw-bead� effect�in Appendix B of our �Earthing� book. The body settles and equalizes electrically to the ground potential almost instantaneously. The information that a new potential has been established in the body is transmitted, also almost instantaneously, to the autonomic nervous system which then responds by �adjusting� electrical activities throughout the body. Muscle tension and skin conductance, and maybe also brain waves, are adjusted in a few seconds at the most.
Q Earthing can improve quality of life, but what about aging? If stress causes premature aging, do you think we can add years to our lives by reconnecting with the Earth?
A We don't know the answer to that question, however Earthing looks promising as a powerful anti-aging strategy. Many researchers have documented the deterioration of the immune system as we age. The name for this is immunosenescence. A prominent medical theory states that one of the causes of general deterioration during aging is free radical damage, technically known as oxidative stress, and resulting in injury to cells. Since Earthing greatly reduces oxidative stress it is expected to increase life expectancy and improve health. There is no question that maintaining a functionally �young� immune system is an excellent strategy for preserving the quality of life and slowing senescence.
Q How many minutes or hours a day do I need to be grounded in order to feel results?
A When you come in direct contact with the Earth there is an immediate and natural shift in your body. We have measured these in the laboratory and the changes point to the body functioning better. People with pain often feel relief in varying degrees�from a little to a lot, and to even disappearance of the pain�just by planting their bare feet on the ground outside for a half hour or so twice a day. Sleeping grounded through the night produces many beneficial results, such as better and deeper sleep, more energy during the day, and less pain. Again, the degree of benefits run from slight to dramatic, from immediate to gradual. Some chronically ill people benefit from additional grounding hours during the day, such as by being barefoot or using an Earthing mat or body band.
Q How long does it take to relieve my symptoms?
A Everybody is different and symptoms are different with different causes. Earthing does not cure anything. Contact with the Earth helps restores the body�s natural electrical balance and reduce stress and inflammation. By doing these things, Earthing can have both short-term and long-term effects, and sometimes quite dramatic and quick. We have had many reports of improved sleep and decreased stress after only one or two nights of sleeping grounded. If the cause of sleep difficulties is long-term insomnia with underlying health issues, improvement often takes more time.
Medical thermal imaging has shown decreased inflammation in minutes. In a study conducted by the California Institute for Human Science instantaneous changes in brain waves and muscle tension were documented when the Earth connection was introduced.
Clearly, lasting changes in stress, sleep, pain and body rhythms occur when we are connected to the Earth for longer segments of time on a repeated basis. Nighttime sleep, when the body is most receptive to healing, is the most beneficial time.
In a general sense, just as you can�t direct healthy food, air, or water to create specific desired results in one function or part of your body, the body takes in the natural energy of the Earth and uses it as needed. You may experience benefits for certain issues you were not even expecting improvements in and there may be no change in other areas. Generally, the longer you use Earthing, the more benefits and vitality that become apparent.
Q I feel better when I sleep grounded. What happens if I stop sleeping grounded?
A We have heard from many people over the years who experienced relief and improvements and then stopped Earthing. Their gains began eroding. We advise people to make Earthing part of a healthy lifestyle routine and keep grounding themselves. Don�t stop. We all evolved connected to the Earth. Staying connected may be the difference between feeling good and feeling bad. Earthing is not just for regaining well-being, but also for maintaining it.
Q I just started sleeping grounded and feel a bit strange. What could that be from?
A Initially, some people may feel some temporary discomfort or even flu-like signs, pain or achiness. In practically all cases, this experience is fleeting. This effect stems from a normalization of the body�s �electrical system.� As that 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, those individuals start feeling better and more energized. The feeling might last a few days at the most but it will go away. If you are uncomfortable, stop using the device for several days and then begin again. In the majority of cases, no discomfort is felt at the beginning.
Q Are there people who sleep grounded and don�t feel anything, or for whom grounding doesn�t work?
A Everybody benefits in some way, but we are all different. The benefits can come quickly and dramatically, such as less pain and better sleep, or subtly and gradually over time. Often people who are very ill feel the difference more dramatically. Someone with radiant health and who sleeps well may not feel any difference, however, connecting to the Earth is helping to preserve and perpetuate the precious commodity of good health. We regard Earthing as a natural form of anti-aging medicine, whether you feel it or not.
Q I purchased a bed sheet and noticed tingling in my feet for the first few nights. Should I be concerned?
A Many people feel tingling in the beginning. It�s a sign that the circulation is improving.
Q I�ve got pain. How can this help me?
A Go outside and stand, sit, or walk on the ground barefoot for at least a half hour or so. In that time you may notice that your pain is less. We believe this effect comes from the electrons that flow into your body from the Earth. Inside the body they act to reduce inflammation. There are also �barefoot substitutes,� Earthing products you can sleep on, work on, and sit on inside your home or place of work. Think of them as extension cords connecting you in your house or office to the Earth outside.
Q Do the products need to go where my pain is?
A Because our bodies are highly conductive, if any part of your body is in contact with the earth, or an Earthing device, all of your body is grounded. However, we have noticed that having the Earth connection near the location of an injury or pain may speed the decrease in inflammation that causes pain.
Q I have two stents. Could sleeping grounded do any damage to the stents?
A Not any more than sleeping or walking barefoot on the Earth would cause damage. Earthing devices simply deliver the subtle energy of the Earth inside to where you live and work. The energy helps restore the natural electrical balance in your body.
Q Can Earthing products be used by somebody who has a pacemaker?
A There is no evidence that Earthing interferes with the function of a pacemaker. Earthing is the same as walking barefoot on the Earth. Many people with pacemakers sleep grounded and experience the benefits of their medical device and Earthing. To our knowledge, no one with a pacemaker was advised not to walk barefoot outdoors. Just check with your doctor initially and monitor yourself for any symptoms.
Q Can you use the Earthing products if you have knee and hip replacements?
A No problem.
Q I live in a warm climate where we are reluctant to go out barefoot due to parasites in the soil like hookworm and roundworm). The soil never gets cold enough for the parasites to die off.
A If being barefoot outside is risky, use the Earthing products inside. The best opportunity to gain the many benefits of Earthing is to sleep grounded.
Q Can I get too much of the Earth�s energy by sleeping grounded every night?
A Throughout most of history we walked barefoot and slept on the ground. We were directly connected to the Earth almost 24/7. That�s what our bodies are used to. The combination of insulative shoes and elevated beds has separated us from the natural electric frequencies of the Earth. We believe this separation has contributed to the great increase in chronic diseases and inflammation.
Our body knows exactly what to do with what the Earth provides for us. When we connect to the Earth the amount of the electrons we absorb is driven by the amount our body needs to balance the electrical charge of our body. It is always the perfect amount.
Earthing Products
Q How do I know if I need a ground rod or a plug in connection for my Earthing device?
A Most modern homes have a functional electrical ground system that interfaces with the Earthing plug in device. If your home was built before the 1960s and has not been electrically re-wired, you may require a ground rod or professional installation of a dedicated grounding connection to the Earth. If you are unsure, have an electrician check your home for the presence of a functional ground system or use a commercially available outlet checker.
Q If I place a ground rod in the earth outdoors is it OK if it gets rained on?
A Totally OK. The presence of moisture increases the flow of electrons from the Earth. That�s why it�s great to stand or walk barefoot in damp grass or in the surf or wet sand at the beach. If you live in a very dry climate and are using a ground rod, you will want to place it in the earth where there is some moisture. You can even water the ground rod every week or so.
Q I live in an old apartment building that does not have grounded electrical outlets and I can not put a wire outside to the Earth. What can I do?
A As the benefits of Earthing become more widely recognized, solutions such as retrofitting older buildings with dedicated grounding systems, and adding them to plans for new buildings will come about. Meanwhile, try to spend some barefoot time in nature if possible, and consider using an Earthing device at the office and when you travel.
Q Is it OK to use the United States style Earthing plug in countries with 220 volt electrical systems if I use an adaptor, converter or transformer?
A No! Ground rods and dedicated grounding systems can be used safely internationally. Electrical systems vary greatly worldwide. Earthing plugs designed especially for specific countries outside the US and Canada are gradually being developed.
Q Do Earthing products run on electricity?
A No. They simply pick up the Earth�s energy through the ground port of a properly grounded outlet or from a ground rod placed directly in the Earth and deliver it via a cord to the conductive Earthing pad, mat, sheet, or band specially designed for human grounding. When your body comes in contact with the Earthing product you absorb the Earth�s energy. Earthing products are like �barefoot substitutes,� enabling you to receive inside your home or office the outside energy of the Earth.
Q Can I become electrocuted by an Earthing product?
A No. Earthing yourself by sleeping, working, or sitting grounded indoors has no relationship with electrocution. When you plug in the cord of an Earthing sheet or mat into an electrical outlet, the plug, cord, and product are designed to only conduct the ground energy, from the ground port in the outlet, to your device. It does not conduct the electrical power that operates your lights and appliances in the house.
Q Do I have to be concerned about being hit by lightning during a thunderstorm if I am grounded in my home?
A Lightning is a massive natural phenomenon that is unpredictable and challenging to totally protect against. It is poorly understood. Homes are rarely hit by lightning. When this does occur, the lightning usually takes the path of least resistance to the ground, such as large conductive systems like the plumbing pipes, electrical wiring network, or telephone and cable TV lines, all of which are directly grounded to the Earth.
The National Safety Council reports that the odds of dying from a lightning strike in one year are 1 in 6 million (www.nsc.org/research/odds.aspx). To put this in perspective, the chance of being hit and killed by an automobile as a pedestrian in the same period is 1 in fifty thousand�a risk 120 times greater. What these statistics suggest is that being hit by lightning is rather unlikely. However, follow standard lightning safety guidelines
as directed by National Weather Service (www.lightningsafety.noaa.gov) if you live in a lightning-prone area. Disconnect your Earthing device and don�t use it during lightning and thunderstorms.
Q I started sleeping on an Earthing sheet and noticed that I feel warmer. What�s going on?
A In our research, contact with the Earth contributes to good circulation and relaxation of the body, including blood vessels. One byproduct is more heat in the extremities and throughout the body. We have seen people quickly develop a rosier color in their skin. Many people have also reported feeling some initial tingling in the extremities.
Q My Earthing device has a white plug that fits in a three prong outlet. How do I know if the outlet is grounded?
A The two lights on the white plug must be green to indicate a grounded outlet. Some Earthing products do not have the white plug. They have a prong that simply inserts into the ground port of the outlet. These products come with a commercial outlet checker that you can use first to determine if the outlet is grounded. Two orange lights on the commercial outlet checker indicate a correct ground is present.
Q Once the Earthing product is plugged into a grounded outlet should I always leave it plugged in?
A Yes. For cleaning and washing purposes, you simply unsnap the cord from the product. There is no need to remove the plug-in end of the cord from the outlet unless you want to use the product elsewhere.
Q There are three pins on the white plug that came with my Earthing product. What are they for?
A The two standard pins plug into the regular electrical slots only to light the LED to show that the outlet is grounded. The round pin (prong) fits into the ground port to conduct the Earth�s energy.
Q What if the lights burn out on my white plug? Do I need a new plug?
A When the two green lights are lit that means you have a proper ground. If the plug lights were to burn out, the ground component of the plug would still continue to function, however it is best to replace devices with burnt out lights so that you know for sure that your outlet is indeed grounded. You can either purchase a new plug or a simple commercial outlet checker. You can buy a checker at any store that sells electrical products such as a hardware store, Home Depot, RadioShack, or Fry�s.
Q The lights on the plug are too bright when I am going to sleep. What can I do?
A Place a piece of non-transparent tape over the lights.
Q Are all the outlets in my home grounded if one of them is grounded?
A No. All kitchens and bathrooms must have grounded outlets but the bedrooms and other rooms in the house do not necessarily have a grounded outlet even if they have a three prong outlet. You must test any individual outlet for a proper ground if you plan to use it for an Earthing device.
Q Can I wear clothing or put a bed sheet over the Earthing device?
A If your body is not in direct contact with the device, it will require some moisture for the direct current of the earth to flow through the fabric into your body. For some people this occurs naturally during the night when moisture from the body creates the necessary conductivity. It is best, however, to have some bare skin in contact with the device if possible.
Q Can I wear socks when using an Earthing mat on the floor?
A Yes, but direct skin contact is best. Feet naturally sweat and will hydrate socks, making the socks somewhat conductive.
Q I like to wear socks to bed. Do my bare feet have to touch the Earthing bed sheet?
A Since our feet are the most electrically conductive part of our body it is best to have your bare feet in contact with the grounded sheet. However, if you must wear socks, try to have some skin�bare legs or any other body part�touch the Earthing mat or sheet. You can place the Earthing product in your bed wherever it is most comfortable and effective for you. If you wear socks to bed because of cold feet, you will often find that your feet warm up naturally from improved circulation when you sleep grounded.
Q Is it okay to use an Earthing sleeping product along with an electric blanket or on an electrically heated mattress pad or waterbed?
A There is nothing wrong with using an Earthing sleep product with any electrical devices as long as those devices are in good working order.
Q How are the Earthing sheets different from an electric blanket?
A Earthing sheets do not heat up as does an electric blanket. They only conduct the subtle energy from the ground. They do not conduct the electrical energy that flows in the electrical system of your house and powers your lights and appliances. If you want to know about safety issues related to the use of electric blankets, visit the following website: http://www.electricblanketinstitute.com/safety.html There are no additional safety issues regarding the use of an electric blanket when sleeping grounded. The Earthing device cords contain a current limiting resistor that prevent any harmful effect should an electrical event such as a short develop in an electric blanket.
Q Can I plug the Earthing product into a surge protector or extension cord?
A Yes, as long as they have an existing ground port (for the third prong) which will connect with the grounding system in the home or office.
Q How long will an Earthing sheet last before it wears out?
A Sheets made with cotton, polyester, and conductive silver fiber have withstood rigorous testing conducted by an independent testing lab. After 100 wash/dry cycles, the conductive silver fibers show virtually no breakage or wear. When cared for properly, your sheet should last as long as any good quality bed sheet.
Q Are the sheet threads really silver? Why?
A Any metallic material will conduct the flow of electrons. Earthing devices typically use carbon or silver as the conductive agent. Silver is highly conductive and very strong, allowing it to hold up well with frequent use and washings. Moreover, it is inherently anti-microbial.
Q Is the Earthing sheet washable? What about care and cleaning?
A Your sheet may be laundered just as you would wash other bedding, using a gentle wash cycle and a mild detergent. Low heat drying is recommended. However, NO chlorine bleach or fabric softener should be used. When necessary, use a hydrogen peroxide-based non-bleach to remove stains and/or to whiten your sheet.
Q How do you clean an Earthing mat?
A Mats can be cleaned with ordinary dish soap and water.
Q I have used various devices that simulate the frequencies of the Earth. How is this different?
A There are many effective therapeutic devices available that use a variety of frequencies. Earthing products simply conduct the actual frequencies of the Earth to your body without any simulation and serve as extension cords from the Earth to you. The signal they carry includes all of the subtleties inherent in nature that our bodies have attuned to over millions of years. Earthing is totally natural.
Q Can you use an Earthing sleep system over a mattress pad that has magnets embedded in it?
A There is no problem with using an Earthing sheet over a magnetic mattress pad. The magnets in the magnetic mattress pad produce a static magnetic field that would naturally go through and extend beyond the surface of the Earthing sheet similar to the way it passes through a regular sheet.
Q My dog sleeps in my bed with me and sits at my feet when I am at my desk. Is it safe for him to touch the Earthing product?
A Yes. Animals naturally want to spend time in contact with the Earth. Most indoor pets share our lifestyle causing them to be separated from direct contact with the Earth. People report that pets indoors are attracted to grounding sheets and mats.
Q Can I ground myself while driving the car?
A Yes. The car is two tons of metal. It is a ground plane by itself. Sitting on a conductive auto pad connected by a wire to the metal frame of the car helps eliminate static electricity that builds up on the body. Such static electricity can contribute to fatigue and tension.
THE EARTHING CHRONICLES�WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
Since the release of the Earthing book, we have received a steady stream of testimonials from folks all over the world. Most commonly, we see reports of better sleep and less pain. We�d like to share some of the feedback, in abbreviated form, showing the many ways that Earthing benefits quality of life. We will post similar reports from time to time.
Relief for 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 skepticism. 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 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 color, 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 body�s 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.�
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 behavioral 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 behavioral 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 behavioral 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 have been 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 individuals on 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 put it back on the bed, and woke up the next morning, and the next and the next, with absolutely NO stiffness in my knees, back, or any place else.�
CPAP Machine Sidelined, Less Bowel Irritability ● �I�m not sleeping with the CPAP machine anymore (Note: CPAP stands for Continuour Positive Airway Pressure, and is a bedside medical device widely used for conditions associated with disturbed breathing, such as sleep apnea, heart failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.) I was diagnosed with sleep hypoxia, rather than apnea per se�shallow breathing. The Earthing sheet has improved that as well as lessening the severity of irritable bowel flare-ups.�
Barefoot Benefits ● �I have had the very best �experiment� going this summer. I read a book called �Earthing� and I would say it has changed my life significantly. As suggested in the book, I have made a conscious effort to make more direct contact with the EARTH�either by barefooting it or sitting on the ground. I am sleeping so well it is downright scary! Last night�7 1/2 hours without even going to the bathroom! I haven�t had one of those little sleep-aids in a month now. Besides that, the inflammation in my body in the form of aches and pains in the arthritic areas has been greatly reduced. I have become a true believer in this theory.� ● �I spent my childhood barefoot, healthy and happy. So I was very interested in the concept that something so natural could be so beneficial for the human body. I have been working as a dental hygienist for most of my adult life. For the past few years, I have had a great deal of pain in my back because of the unnatural position I have to be in while working. I tried chiropractic treatments and yoga, but nothing seemed to work until I began Earthing. The first day that I spent barefoot outside in my yard for a few hours, I slept very soundly that night and did not have my usual aches and pain. I have kept going barefoot as much as possible during the summer and as long as I got my Earthing in every day, I was pain free. I am so happy to have such simple and natural solution. I�m planning to start sleeping grounded soon as well.�
Multiple Benefits ● �I am 58 years old and using my Earthing sheet for a little over one month. In that time, my sleep patterns have improved dramatically. I sleep at least 8 hours without waking up, something I have not experienced in a number of years. In addition, I feel much calmer, my blood pressure has come down, and I no longer need sleep aids of any kind. I fractured my ankle several months ago, and there was still a lot of stiffness, pain, and swelling. One week after starting to sleep grounded, the ankle felt good enough so I could return to the gym. Now it seems to be 100 percent. I can ride a bike, use the elliptical, and jog without any discomfort.� ● �I have been consistently barefoot everyday for over six weeks (at least 30 minutes a day.) I find it helps ease PMS symptoms and I feel more rested after a shorter amount of sleep (average 6 hours). The most incredible bonus has been brain power, clarity of mind, specially with problem solving and productivity at work.�
Benefits for an 86-year-old ● �I have seen great results with my 86-year-old mother who has memory loss and has been on four meds for high blood pressures for many years. Her blood pressure went down to a point where we had to take her off her medication and she is now taking one new medication which is not as strong. She has a long way to go with her memory, but we do notice more mental clarity; she remembers more things, and is not constantly repeating herself. She seems more focused and has more energy.�
More Sleep, Less Snoring ● �I thought you would enjoy knowing that I slept VERY soundly last night for the first time in a very, very long time. My husband says that I did not snore, either, which seems to be another milestone. It was the second night that the grounding contraption has been on our bed. Could it possibly work that fast? I don�t know whether my husband snored last night because I slept so soundly without waking up at all.�
Improvement of Psoriatic Arthritis Symptoms ● �I have suffered with psoriatic arthritis (inflammatory type, like rheumatoid) for about eight years. I stopped using some of the stronger drugs because of the side effects, and have been trying to control the symptoms with NSAIDs (Naproxen). The pain and swelling in my hands, feet, and knees were severely limiting, and to the point of not being able to pick up anything with my left hand, or rising from a chair without help. I began Earthing myself at night and using Earthing patches on the most painful areas during the day. In two weeks, the benefits have been profound. The pain in my knees is almost gone, and my hands are much less swollen and painful. Yesterday I picked up a full cup of coffee with my left hand!! It�s been over a year since I was able to do that. I put Earthing patches on my 89-year-old mother, and it helps the pain in her back. Because of all this, I�m jumping for joy and I�m really jumping!!�
Help for Hashimoto-related Fatigue, Husband�s Car Accident Pain ● �After sleeping grounded for little more than a month I can report that I have never slept more soundly. I now enjoy vivid, colorful, logical dreams. I don�t wake up stiff in the morning. I have more energy. This is a very big deal because I have Hashimoto�s Disease and that can really sap your strength! I honestly don�t have anymore issues with fatigue at all, and I used to collapse almost every afternoon! (Note: Hashimoto�s disease, an automimmune condition affecting the thyroid gland, is a common cause of hypothyroidism). �Most incredibly, my husband, who has experienced severe chronic pain since a 1992 car accident, immediately experienced relief. He no longer contends with neck and/or back pain on a daily basis. He is in a much better mood, can concentrate better, and is happy!�
Asthma Flare-Up Abbreviated ● �My 6-year-old old son just encountered his first asthma flare-up since I read your book. I then wrapped him in a grounded sheet for a good 24 hours at the first signs. Amazing. I used his steroids once, begrudgingly, and as usual they make him feel lousy. His entire body reacts poorly to the steroids, and while his breathing may improve, we wind up with unpleasant side effects. I decided to discontinue the steroids and let the sheet take over. In most cases we settle in for a week of illness, but now he was back at school the next day! I�ve been working hard to find ways to deal with his asthma without the use of steroids. Earthing was easy and it made perfect sense to me.�
Very Happy Marathon Runner ● �I fall asleep so much faster now, get much more restful sleep, and have tons of energy during the day. Sleeping grounded also helped me reset my clock and now I go to sleep earlier, wake up earlier, and feel way more rested. I recently ran a 100k (66-mile) ultramarathon called the Chimera 100, one of the toughest 100k races. Though I suffered some stomach issues out on the course that really beat me up, I slept grounded and, once I stopped running, stayed barefoot the rest of the day. I was barely sore the next day and two days out I was fine.�
Swelling, Posture, Headaches, and Sugar ● �When I woke up in the morning after my first night using the Earthing sheet, I noticed that my ankles were not swollen as normal. They looked like they did when I was 18 years old, and I will be 70 tomorrow. My posture has been horrible, despite doing Pilates and yoga. The first day after sleeping grounded, I noticed something I was not prepared for� and had not read about in the Earthing book. About six times that day, my body told me I was slumping. My body spoke to me through pain. It hurt to slump and my body began to correct itself without my brain having to tell my body to work hard and stand erect. I�ve used the Earthing sheet for about two months and I�m amazed at how I automatically check my posture without thinking about it. I�ve had other benefits as well. I love sugar and no longer crave it. My face is not puffy. I sleep deep. Occasionally I feel an early morning headache coming on, and I wrap the sheet around my upper body and wake up without any sign of a headache. I no longer need an afternoon nap and am fully alert at 10 pm. I wake up after 8 hours ready to enjoy the day.�
Salt Reduction Method? ● �Since sleeping grounded, I�ve found prepared foods to be way over-salted. Strange, because normally I love salt and can�t get enough of the stuff.� Fast Hip Replacement Recovery at Age 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. He�s 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.
Posts: 654 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Dr Sinartra video The Most Important Healing Modality in the World - with Dr. Stephen Sinatra, M.D.
Posts: 654 | Registered: Oct 2003
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I ordered the sheet for my husband (and me by default ) . I think it will come today. I will let you know how it goes. He has neuropathy (from newly diagnosed diabetes...or maybe lyme).
Posts: 236 | From Illinois | Registered: Feb 2009
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kidsgotlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23691
posted
I have GOT to get this product for my bed!! Dang, I wish I was rich instead of beautiful!!
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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Surface area doesn't seem to matter, at least when I tested it with a voltmeter. Maybe it has different affects on things that can't be tested.
Meaning, the bracelet (or earthing pad touching your body somewhere, in my case) will provide the same flow of electrons. So if you can only afford the bracelet, just go with that.
Also, if you get the pad, don't use the "conductive" cover sheet, I tested it and it does not ground properly. The conductive rubber pad grounds like a champ though, well made.
Posts: 501 | From Cleveland Ohio | Registered: Apr 2009
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kidsgotlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 23691
posted
I'm still looking at them on Amazon. I want that stuff bad!
We don't really "do" the holidays so I guess I can't really ask for a gift. But if we did participate in all of the hoopla, this is what I'd ask for.
So Toppers, you think it would be worth my money to go ahead and get the mat that's like $60 instead of holding out for the sheets?? I think I could swing that right now.
I almost went ahead and ordered it, but I didn't want to waste my money. I guess I could even use that at night, right?
-------------------- symptoms since 1993 that I can remember. 9/2018 diagnosed with Borellia, Babesia Duncani, and Bartonella Hensalae thru DNA Connections. Posts: 1470 | From Tennessee | Registered: Dec 2009
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'Kete-tracker
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17189
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Quote: "They [Earthing products] allow the Earth�s natural energy to come through but not any potentially harmful electricity."
Huh? Wha?? Just what does this natural energy consist of... if not some type of electron flow?
M.S. CET Sr.
Posts: 1233 | From Dover, NH | Registered: Sep 2008
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daystar1952
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3255
posted
Yesterday I recieved the book "To Be Healed By The Earth...mentioned above somewhere in this thread. I am halfway through it so far and love the book. It is very simply written and contains much wisdom.
Basically the book is sharing the idea that if we renew ourselves consistently with energy from the earth....I like to think of it as God's energy too.....that this enables us to renew our stores of love, patience, kindness and gentleness and that these qualities...along with the healing energy....is what heals ourselves and others. ...AND the world!
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With chronic lyme/cfs etc the key problem in inflammation. According to Dr Sinartra the best anti inflammatory is grounding. But it is dose dependent so an hour a day wont be enough.
My view is that it will pay for itself because we wont need all those expensive supplements to calm our inflammation!
At some point I will buy the star shoes Daystar!
Nice to hear some positive vibes!
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On healing I have ordered this book as I love this author:
Healing the Mind through the Power of Story: The Promise of Narrative Psychiatry [Paperback] Lewis Mehl-Madrona M.D. Ph.D. (Author) 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews) 2 Reviews
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daystar1952
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3255
posted
I have been using the bedsheet for about 2 months now. While it seems to have made a little bit of difference, I noticed more of a difference being barefoot outside. Everyone is different tho.
I have just ordered an EMF detector so I can measure stuff and do some FUN experimenting. I want to make sure I have the bedsheet grounded correctly. It was interesting...the first few nights I used the bedsheet, I felt a slight tingling in my legs.
It felt good. I don't feel it anymore though. I think the book mentioned this phenomonon and that the tingling does go away after a bit. So...I thought that was interesting
I don't know if its all in my head but I love wearing the soft star shoes and walking around our yard or on trails in the woods. When I do this I wear the shoes with the all natural suede soles. It feels really good to me to feel the uneven lumps and bumps of the natural ground through the minimal soles.
Don't overdo walking in them the first few times because you may have sore foot and leg muscles. Walking in these shoes developes muscles and tendons...etc....that have been stifled in regular rubbersoled shoes.
It's almost like having reflexology done on your feet...which also feels good and heals. It will be interesting to see if I am free of positive electrons when wearing these shoes outside and holding the EMF meter. At least I think that is how you would tell if the shoes are allowing any conductivity from the earth.
I also wonder if wearing synthetic socks blocks the flow of electrons at all. So....there are possibly several benefits from these shoes....excercising the foot and ankle muscles, reflexology benefits on the soles of the feet, just the feel of natural materials and possible negative electron conduction.
I also wear the soft star shoes when walking on the road but it is not quite as comfortable walking on asphalt as it is on natural ground
Let us know Wallace....how you like the book you just mentioned
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Hoot With regards to groundology products I would only order products approved by clint obers organisation.
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Wallace-- I guess your *new shoes* and the Earth will be your best option for now. Maybe you could contact the people at http://earthing.com to see if they have any suggestions. Posts: 236 | From Illinois | Registered: Feb 2009
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Went for a 4km with my #magic shoes#; I would normally be totally exhausted but feel ok!
Those hippies were right along......
Hippie Roots & The Perennial Subculture (Views: 343,200)Topic: Hippiedom Contributed by Skip on May 13th, 2003 Hippie Roots & The Perennial Subculture
By Gordon Kennedy & Kody Ryan
"Wandervogels Abschied" by Fidus, 1900
According to Webster�s dictionary (2003) a "hippie" or "hippy" is: "a young person of the 1960�s who rejected established social mores, advocated spontaneity, free expression of love and the expansion of consciousness, often wore long hair and unconventional clothes, and used psychedelic drugs".
This mass-media definition of the 1960�s dropouts has eclipsed all pre-1960�s uses of the actual word such as that mentioned by Malcolm X in his famous autobiography. As a 17 year-old hustler living in Harlem in 1939 Malcolm noticed, "A few of the white men around Harlem, younger ones whom we called "hippies", acted more Negro than Negroes. This particular one talked more "hip" than we did. He would have fought anyone who suggested he felt any race difference".
This echoes the familiar sentiments of Jack Kerouac from "On The Road" (1955): "I walked with every muscle aching among the lights of 27th and Welton in the Denver colored section, wishing I were a Negro, feeling that the best the white world had offered was not enough ecstasy for me, not enough life, joy, kicks, darkness, music, not enough night".
Clearly the actual word "hippie" was a form of Ebonics (black slang) from Harlem that passed it�s way through the beat era into the 1960�s, until Herb Caen of the San Francisco Chronicle used it enough times by late 1965 to describe the young arrivals in their city�that the national media soon swallowed it whole and patented it.
But apart from the slick zoot suit clad "white Negroes" of 1930�s Harlem there actually were long-haired bearded individuals during this same era who wore sandals or bare feet and usually tended to favor mild subtropical places like southern California and Florida where they could forage their meals from the fruit trees that were so plentiful then.
Wandervogel print from the local group in Darmstadt, 1911
"Nature Boys" as they were later called were without exception either German immigrants or American youths whose lives were influenced by transplanted Germans that spread their Lebensreform (life-reform) message to anyone ready for a radical departure from the accepted boundaries of 20th century civilization.
Modern primitives, naturmensch, wandervogel, bohemians, reformers, wayfarers, and vagabonds are all expressions that evoke a tone of something wholly apart from the orthodox.
So why Germany? What was happening there in the 19th century that caused a phenomenon like this to erupt so big?
Germany had always made a virtue of their late submission to Latin civilization and had glorified the natural man and woman with all of their virtues and vices. Over 2000 years ago (about 51 B.C.) Julius Caesar noted of the Germans: "The only beings they recognize as gods are things that they can see, and by which they are obviously benefited, such as sun, moon and fire; the other gods they have never even heard of."
"Vegetarisches Speisehaus", 1900
The word "God" was neuter in gender in the Teutonic language (Das Gott, or in old Nordic "gud") and the Roman historian Cornelius Tacitus (98 A.D.) wrote: "According to German outlook, pronouncements of destiny seem to acquire a greater sacredness in the mouth of women. Prophecy and magic in a good as well as an evil sense is by choice the gift of women. If it is inherent in the nature of men to show the female sex a great consideration and respect, then this was particularly shaped on the German people from of old. Men earn deification through their deeds, women through their wisdom."
Thus the religiosity of the Indo-Germanic people, whenever their nature can unfold itself freely, emerges only in that form which religious science has described as "nature religion" or "earth religions". To remove the German soul from the natural landscape is to kill it. The Romans knew this so once Christianity had become the state religion of the Roman Empire their missionaries were eager to chop down the German forests and set their temples on fire.
Whenever the church encountered Pagan elements that it could not suppress, it gave them a Christian dimension and assimilated them. These ancestral traditions were reinterpreted and revised, but the church never succeeded in effacing the German Pagan heritage.
Hermann�s victory (9 A.D.) had forestalled Roman colonization, thus Germany had thereby retained its ancient language and avoided early Christianization.
Meister Eckhart (c1260-c1328) possibly represented most strongly the development of the mysticism as a result of the revolt of the Teutonic Indo-European spirit against Roman Christianity.
During the Middle-Ages a group called "Brothers and Sisters of the Free Spirit" existed in Germany and Holland. Also known as the Adamites, they were spiritual descendants of an earlier group, the Adamiani. They held nude gatherings in womb like caverns to achieve rebirth into a state of paradisiacal innocence.
In 1796 Christoph Wilhelm Hufeland of Weimar published his landmark study of aging "The Art Of Prolonging Life" using the word "macrobiotic" in the preface of the book, while the second edition used the word in it�s title. His emphasis on exercise and fresh air, sunbathing, cleanliness, regular scheduling, temperate diet, stimulating travel and meditation were all far ahead of their time.
"Lichtgebet" ("Prayer To The Sun") by Fidus, 1913
Goethe�s (1749-1832) perspective erased the boundary between man and Nature altogether. The poet of Nature religiosity he believed "God can be worshipped in no more beautiful way than by the spontaneous welling up from one�s breast of mutual converse with Nature".
Another prophetic quote from Goethe (1832) "Man in his misguidance has powerfully interfered with nature. He has devastated the forests, and thereby even changed the atmospheric conditions and the climate. Some species of plants and animals have become entirely extinct through man, although they were essential in the economy of Nature. Everywhere the purity of the air is affected by smoke and the like, and the rivers are defiled. These and other things are serious encroachments upon Nature, which men nowadays entirely overlook but which are of the greatest importance, and at once show their evil effect not only upon plants but upon animals as well, the latter not having the endurance and power of resistance of man".
In 1866 Ernst Haeckel of Jena University first employed the term "ecology", thereby establishing it as a permanent scientific discipline for all future generations. Ecology as a concept had more in common with Buddhism and its recognition of the oneness of all life.
Also in the 1860�s an ex-Protestant minister named Eduard Baltzer published his four-volume book about naturliche lebensweise or "natural life style". He organized some vegetarians and founded a Free Religious Community, then later published a book on Pythagoras as the ancestor of his movement.
Diefenbach and Fidus at Hollriegelskreuth, Germany, 1887
Baltzer�s writings had a strong influence upon a young painter named Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach (1851-1913) who also went on to form several communities and workshops for religion, art and science. Diefenbach spent the last portion of his life on the Mediterranean isle of Capri, which was a retreat for other life-reformers. Two of his pupils, Fidus and Gusto Graser were to make a tremendous impact with their art and reform messages.
Fidus (1868-1949) was recognized as perhaps the greatest psychedelic artist ever, pre-dating the 1960�s multi-colored posters and albums by over a half century.
Gusto Graser later went on to become a close friend and teacher of the writer Hermann Hesse. Hesse�s report "Among The Rocks- Notes of a Nature Man" (1908) described how he, along with Graser lived the lives of natural men and hermits, sleeping in caves in the Swiss Alps and fasting for days and weeks. The guru-disciple relationship within Hesse�s novel "Siddhartha" (1922) was a mirror of his own association with Graser his teacher. Graser�s poetry appeared in some of the Wandervogel magazines.
In 1870 the population of Germany was 2/3 rural, but by 1900 it had become 2/3 urban. Near the end of the 19th century the German middle class had become superficial, coarse, complacent, gluttonous, materialistic, industrialized, technocratic and pathetic. As a response to this phenomenon many natural healing modalities came into existence and even more youth movements were organized.
In 1883 Louis Kuhne of Leipsic Germany published a book titled "The New Science Of Healing", and this work laid the foundation for what was later to become known as Naturopathy. Translated into 50 languages it was the inspiration for a whole generation of health practitioners and was also highly praised by Mahatma Gandhi who said it was very popular in India.
In 1896 Adolf Just opened his Jungborn retreat in the Hartz Mountains near Isenburg Germany, which was a model institution for the true natural life, and was meant to show how the most intimate communion with Nature could be re-established.
"Gnadennacht" by Fidus, 1912
In his best selling book "Return To Nature" (1896) Mr. Just spoke out against air and water pollution, meat, vivisection, vaccination, coffee, alcohol, smoking and so-called education in schools. Gandhi again was so moved by Adolf Just�s rebellion against scientific medical treatments that it helped him to formulate his ideology for the future. When he was released from prison is 1944 he opened a Nature Cure sanitarium in India based on Just�s model
In 1904 German author Richard Ungewitter wrote a book titled "Die Nacktheit" (nakedness) wherein he advocated nudism, abstention from meat, tobacco and alcohol. He had to publish it himself, but it quickly became a bestseller. The vegetarian aspect focused on the purity of the body and soul, with adherence to a regular program of fitness. The German attitude towards nudity has not changed too much in 100 years because even now on a warm summer day people along lakes and rivers can be found enjoying themselves in the sunshine without clothing.
Nude Bathing has been popular in Germany a long time. (1916)
In the 19th century hiking societies proliferated in Germany. One group "Friends Of Nature" were into social hiking and used the slogan "Free Mountains, Free World, Free People".
Another group, called the "Wandervogel", was founded in 1895 by Hermann Hoffmann and Karl Fischer in Steglitz, a suburb of Berlin. They began to take some high school students on nature walks, then later on longer hikes. Soon a huge youth movement that was both anti-bourgeois and Teutonic Pagan in character, composed mostly of middle class German children, organized into autonomous bands.
Wandervogel, 1926
Wandervogel members, aged mainly between 14-18 years and spread to all parts of Germany eventually numbering 50,000. Part hobo and part medieval, they pooled their money, wore woolen capes, shorts and Tyrolean hats and took long hikes in the country where they sang their own versions of Goliardic songs and camped under primitive conditions. Both sexes swam nude together in the lakes and rivers and in their hometowns they established "nests" and "anti-homes", sometimes in ruined castles where they met to plan trips and play mandolins and guitars.
Their short weekend trips became 3 to 4 weeks long journeys of hundreds of miles. Soon they were establishing permanent camps in the wild that were open to all. With no thought of pay, the bands worked at improving their campsites and building cabins for which they made the furniture-in all forming a complex of precedents underlying the youth-hostel movement which began in 1907 when Richard Schirmann opened the first hostel in Altena Germany.
Mostly the Wandervogel sought communion with nature, with the ancient folk-spirit as embodied in the traditional peasant culture, and with one another. They developed a harmonious mystic resonance with their environment.
The expression "Lebensreform" (life-reform) was first used in 1896, and comprised various German social trends of the 19th and first half of the 20th century.
Elizabeth Dorr with some of her daughters at Ascona, 1905 (Note the headbands!)
Particularly: # 1. vegetarianism # 2. nudism # 3. natural medicine # 4. abstinence from alcohol # 5. clothing reform # 6. settlement movements # 7. garden towns # 8. soil reform # 9. sexual reform # 10. health food and economic reform # 11. social reform # 12. liberation for women, children and animals # 13. communitarianism # 14. cultural and religious reform: i.e. a religion or view of the world that gives weight to the feminine, maternal and natural traits of existence
Further south in Switzerland, Ascona was a little fishing village on the shore of Lake Maggiore, on the Swiss side of the border with Italy. In the year 1900 a counter-culture renaissance began and lasted until about 1920. Ascona became the focal point for all of Europe�s spiritual rebels.
Life experiments were in vogue: surrealism, modern dance, dada, Paganism, feminism, pacifism, psychoanalysis and nature cure. A few of the participants were Hermann Hesse, Carl Jung, Isadora Duncan, D.H. Lawrence, Arnold Ehret and Franz Kafka.
At the turn of the century Germany had 56 million people, and had as many large cities as all of the rest of Europe combined. Industrialism, technology, pollution and "affluenza" began a crisis amongst the over-privileged German-speaking of that period. The disenchanted began to arrive in Ascona by the hundreds.
The beautiful natural setting inspired urban people to sunbathe in the nude, sleep outdoors, hike, swim and fast. This village quickly developed a universal reputation as a health center.
Hermann Hesse was excited when he saw four longhaired men with sandals walk through his village on their way to Ascona. He followed them, settled in and then took a nature cure for his alcoholism. The year was 1907.
Born July 2, 1877, at the northern edge of the Black Forest in Calw, Germany, Hermann Hesse knew at age 13 that he wanted to be a poet or nothing. Beginning in the 1950's with the Beat generation, his novels became immensely popular in the English-speaking world, where their criticism of bourgeois values and interest in Eastern spirituality and Jungian psychology echoed the emerging revolt against the unreflected life. In the 1960's Hermann became the novelist of the decade, with "Siddhartha" (1922) and "Steppenwolf" (1927) selling in the millions, and capturing and shaping an American Audience. Legitimate history will always recount Hesse as the most important link between the European counter-culture of his youth and their latter-day descendants in America. (Photo from 1908.)
The people of Ascona refused eggs, milk, meat, salt and alcohol. Nature cure was a powerful idea in the German mind, and was a widespread and profound rebellion against science and professionalism.
On August 20, 1903, an anarchist newspaper in San Francisco, California published a large article about Ascona, describing the people and their philosophies. This was certainly one of the first times that detailed news of the European counter-culture had reached the California coast.
Nudists worshipping the Sun, 1926
Perhaps the most central Neo-Pagan element in the German folk movements was sun-worship, believed to be the ancient Teutonic religion. From at least the Romantic era, sun-worship was offered by prominent Germans as the most rational alternative to Christianity. The solar images were at the center of a desire to return to natural Paganism and a natural lifestyle in harmony with the earth.
Eugene Diedrichs Publishing was the highly respected voice of Neo-Paganism and the religious-not the political-arm of the great Volkische movement. Diedrichs envisioned an "organic peoples state" (organischer Volksstaat) and like Carl Jung preferred a return to the nature religion of the ancient Teutons.
"Satana" by Fidus, 1896
No one described solarism better than Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919) the prominent scientist who first coined the word "ecology": "The sun, the deity of light and warmth, on whose influence all organic life insensibly and directly depends, was taken to be such a phenomenon [of naturalistic monotheism] many thousands of years ago. Sun-worship seems to the modern scientist to be the best of all forms of theism, and the one which may be most easily reconciled with modern Monism. For modern astrophysics and geogeny have taught us that the earth is a fragment detached from the sun, and that it will eventually return to the bosom of its parent. Modern physiology teaches us that the first source of organic life on the earth is the formation of protoplasm, and that this synthesis of simple inorganic substances, water, carbonic acid, and ammonia only takes place under the influence of sunlight�.indeed the whole of our bodily and mental life depends, in the last resort, like all other organic life, on the light and heat rays of the sun. Hence in the light of pure reason, sun-worship as a form of naturalistic monotheism, seems to have a much better foundation than the anthropistic worship of Christians and other monotheists who conceive of their god in human form. As a matter of fact the sun-worshippers attained, thousands of years ago, a higher intellectual and moral standard than most of the other theists. When I was in Bombay in 1881, I watched with the greatest sympathy the elevating rites of the pious Parsees, who, standing on the sea-shore, or kneeling on their prayer rugs offered their devotion to the sun at its rise and setting."
As the 20th century dawned many Germans began to feel the weight of oppressive political forces, powers that would later lead their nation into 2 world wars and change the course of European history.
Between 1895 and 1914, tens of thousands of Germans left their homes and families and immigrated to America. After all America was the country of the future, and they saw themselves as pioneers helping to lead a new society by transplanting and nurturing the most valuable ideas from their homeland into their new dreams for the United States.
There were several key individuals who made a substantial contribution, but probably none more than Dr. Benedict Lust.
Born in Michelbach near Baden Germany February 3, 1872 Lust first came to America in 1892, became ill with tuberculosis, then returned to Germany and took a nature cure treatment from the famed Father Sebastian Kneipp. He regained his health and found his true purpose in life, then returned to America in 1896 to become a Kneipp representative in America.
Rightfully called "The Father Of Naturopathy" in America, Lust introduced all of the great naturist movements that were in vogue in Europe; hydrotherapy, herbal remedies, air and light baths, various plant-based diets and he also translated and distributed the German classic health works of Father Kneipp, Louis Kuhne, Adolf Just, Arnold Ehret and August Englehardt.
Near the turn of the century in New York City he founded a school of massage and the Naturopathic Society, then in 1918 he published Universal Naturopathic Encyclopedia for drugless therapy. Nature�s Path Magazine and a radio show devoted to natural healing were also some of his notable achievements.
Dr. Benedict Lust enjoys a sun-bath at "Sonnenbichel" sun and air park in Kneipp-Bad Worishofen, Bavaria, Germany on a return to the Fatherland in the summer of 1926. The "Father of Naturopathy" in America, no single individual contributed more to natural healing and lifestyle in the world than Dr. Lust did through his many schools and publications. Everything from massage, herbology, raw foods, anti-vivisection and hydro-therapy to Eastern influences like Ayurveda and Yoga found their way to an American audience through Lust. Though he was repeatedly harassed by Medical authorities and Federal agents, his devotion to promoting Nature's methods of healing finaly gained wide acceptance. Like so many others from his generation, he was a tough man. (Photo from Naturopath, February, 1927)
eden ahbez, 1948. Part-time yogi and full-time mystic, this 1940s "hippie" always spelled his name with small letters because he believed that only God and Infinity should be capitalized. (Photo courtesy of Gypsy Boots)
Dr. Lust�s school of Naturopathy was the starting point for hundreds of America�s natural health practitioners, while his magazines introduced the West not only to German Nature Cure, but also ancient East Indian concepts like Ayurveda and Yoga. Paramahansa Yogananda was one of several Indians who wrote articles for "Nature�s Path" magazine in the 1920�s gaining wide exposure to a large American audience.
Dr. Lust was "busted" repeatedly by American authorities and medical associations, for promoting natural methods of healing, massage and nude sun bathing at his Jungborn sanitarium. He was arrested 16 times by New York authorities and 3 times by Feds. One news headline read simply "They Have Lust Again".
As many as 30-40% of the graduates of Dr. Lusts school of Naturopathy were women, and his magazines were full of enthusiastic letters and praise from practicing Naturopaths in India, Jamaica and all over Latin America. No one was more devoted to introducing nature cure to the Spanish-speaking world than Dr. Lust.
Another influential Nature Doctor, Dr. Carl Schultz, arrived in Los Angeles California in 1885 and became the Benedict Lust of the west. In 1905 he created the Naturopathic Institute and Sanitarium and also opened the Naturopathic College on Hope Street. Most of the practicing nature doctors in the west were graduates of this college.
Bill Pester at this palm log cabin in Palm Canyon, California, 1917. With his "lebensreform" philosophy, nudism and raw foods diet, he was one of the many German immigrants, who "invented" the hippie lifestyle more than half a century before the 1960s. He left Germany to avoid military service in 1906 at age 19, for a new life in America. (Photo Courtesy of Palm Springs Art Museum, Palm Springs, California)
In 1906 Bill Pester first set foot on American soil having left Saxony, Germany that same year at age 19 to avoid military service. With his long hair, beard and lebensreform background he wasted no time in heading to California to begin his new life.
He settled in majestic Palm Canyon in the San Jacinto Mountains near Palm Springs California and built himself a palm hut by the flowing stream and palm grove.
Bill spent his time exploring the desert canyons, caves and waterfalls, but was also an avid reader and writer. He earned some of his living making walking sticks from palm blossom stalks, selling postcards with lebensreform health tips, and charging people 10 cents to look through his telescope while he gave lectures on astronomy.
He made his own sandals, had a wonderful collection of Indian pottery and artifacts, played slide guitar, lived on raw fruits and vegetables and managed to spend most of his time naked under the California sunshine.
During the time when Bill lived near Palm Springs he was on Cahuilla Indian land, with permission from the local tribe who had great admiration for him. His name even appeared on the 1920 census with the Indians, and in 1995 An American Indian woman Millie Fischer published a small booklet about Palm Canyon that included a chapter on Pester.
The many photos of Pester clearly reveal the strong link between the 19th century German reformers and the flower children of the 1960�s�long hair and beards, bare feet or sandals, guitars, love of nature, draft dodger, living simple and an aversion to rigid political structure. Undoubtedly Bill Pester introduced a new human type to California and was a mentor for many of the American Nature Boys.
Professor Arnold Ehret, taken shortly after his 49 day fast in Cologne, Germany, circa 1905. Ehret later migrated to southern California and helped to spawn a new sub-culture in America, based upon his natural philosophy and lifestyle. His books have never been out of print in over 70 years. (Photo courtesy of Fred Hirsch)
In 1914 another German immigrant, Professor Arnold Ehret arrived in California. The philosophy he preached had a powerful influence on various aspects of American culture. Ehret advocated fasting, raw foods, nude sun bathing and letting your hair and beard grow un-trimmed. His "Rational Fasting" (1914) and "Mucus-less Diet"(1922) were literary standbys within hippie circles in San Francisco and Los Angeles in the 1960�s.
The husband and wife team of John and Vera Richter first opened their Raw-Foods cafeteria the "Eutropheon" in 1917, and during it�s lifetime it hosted thousands of customers and taught many people how to prepare such raw treats as sun-dried bread, salads, dressings, soups, beverages and many other healthy alternatives to the typical Los Angeles cuisine of the 1920�s-1940�s.
John�s powerful lectures were attended by many young health enthusiasts, who later went on to become well known health teachers and authors, and Vera�s recipe book was the precursor to many of the modern Live-Food recipe books.
Some of the young employees of the Eutropheon were Americans who had adopted the German Naturmensch and Lebensreform image and philosophy, wearing their hair and beards long and feeding exclusively on raw fruits and vegetables. The "Nature Boys" came from all over America but usually ended up in southern California. Some of the familiar ones were Gypsy Jean, eden ahbez, Maximilian Sikinger, Bob Wallace, Emile Zimmerman, Gypsy Boots, Buddy Rose, Fred Bushnoff and Conrad. This was decades before the Beats or Hippies and their influence was very substantial. In "On The Road" Kerouac noted that while passing through Los Angeles in the summer of 1947 he saw "an occasional Nature Boy saint in beard and sandals".
Seven of California's "Nature Boys" in Topanga Canyon, August 1948. They were the first generation of americans to adopt the "naturmensch" philosophy and image, living in the mountains and sleeping in caves and trees, sometimes as many as 15 of them at a time. All had visited and some were employed at "The Eutropheon" where John Richter gave his inspiring lectures about raw foods and natural living. The boys would sometimes travel up the California coast some 500 miles just to pick and eat some fresh figs. (Back row: Gypsy Boots, Bob Wallace, Emile Zimmerman. Front row: Fred Bushnoff, eden ahbez, Buddy Rose, ?) - (Photo courtesy of Gypsy Boots.)
Cover of "Nature Boy" songbook, eden ahbez, 1948. Born into a poor Jewish family with 13 hungry children, the orphan from Brooklyn never had to worry about where the money would come from after the success of his #1 hit tune, made famous by Nat King Cole.
But in the spring of 1948 eden ahbez became an internationally recognized personality when his song "Nature Boy" was recorded by Nat King Cole. Photos and story of eden and his wife Anna appeared in Life, Time and Newsweek magazines that year.
Born in Brooklyn New York, April 15, 1908 "ahbez" had walked across America 4 times, hopped freight trains and lived in a cave in Tahquitz Canyon before he penned his #1 hit tune, which was on the hit parade for 15 weeks.
The song itself was part autobiographical but was also a nod to his German mentor Bill Pester who was 23 years his senior and had been a Nature Boy for decades when eden encountered him in the Coachella Valley of southern California.
Another one of the Nature Boys, Maximillian Sikinger was born in Augsberg Germany in 1913 and spent most of his childhood and youth living wild in the environs of various European cities. Through his wanderings, personal contacts and outdoor living he developed a keen interest in various aspects of natural healing; nutrition, water cure, fasting, sitz baths, deep breathing and sunshine.
Nature Boy, Maximillian Sikinger, at home in the Santa Monica Mountains, 1946. Max left Germany in 1935 then made his way to Southern California where he inspired many American kids to become "Nature Boys". By the 1960s, he was a regular fixture at pop festivals and concerts and was considered a guru to many Topanga hippies.
Max left Europe in 1935 at age 22, arrived in America then eventually made his way west to California where he traveled with the Nature Boys who valued his introspective and philosophical ideas very highly. Maximillian�s world travels and rugged background had given him deep insight into many of life�s puzzles.
But the one Nature Boy to pass the torch from the old era (circa 1930�s-40�s)�into the 1960�s hippie generation was Gypsy Boots.
Born in San Francisco in 1916 to Russian Jewish parents "Boots" grew up in the San Francisco area where he quit school at an early age to travel and live a life close to nature. He met Maximillian on the beach at Kelley�s Cove in 1935 and it was then that his life began to change. Boots noted in his autobiography: " It was with Max that I first experimented with fasting and special diets, and also learned much about yoga".
In the 1940�s Boots lived wild in Tahquitz Canyon with all of the Nature Boys, bathing in the cool mountain water, eating fruits and vegetables, sleeping on rocks or in caves, hiking and selling produce in Palm Springs.
In 1953 he married Lois Bloemker, settled near Griffith Park in Los Angeles and had 3 sons. In 1958 he opened his "Health Hut" in Hollywood, which was a big hit, and shortly thereafter began his career as a serious health teacher and example of optimum living.
In the early 1960�s he appeared on the Steve Allen show over 25 times to an audience of some 25 million households. Steve Allen had originally started the "Tonight" show, then began his own show featuring guests like Elvis Presley, Jack Kerouac, Frank Zappa and the psychedelic band Blue Cheer.
When the Beatles and Rolling Stones arrived in Los Angeles in the mid 1960�s their "pudding basin" hairstyles seemed tame when compared to a local rock band "The Seeds" who wore shoulder length hair, thanks to the influence of Gypsy Boots and his ilk. "Seeds" singer Sky Saxon, a vegetarian, had invented a new type of music�."Flower Punk". Even Jimi Hendrix had a front row seat to a Seeds concert, and the Doors played second bill on a Seeds tour.
When the Love-In�s began in Griffith Park in 1966 some of the Flower Children who were stoned on Owsley acid looked up in the big trees to see Gypsy Boots swinging and climbing from branch to limb, then exclaiming "what�s that guy on�. I�d sure like to have a hit of that!" But Boots "high" was always induced from his sun-charged foods like figs and grapes, as well as his fitness regime.
At the Monterey and Newport Pop festivals in 1967 and 1968 Boots was a paid performer along with acts like the Grateful Dead, Ravi Shankar, The Jefferson Airplane and The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Two of Boots greatest admirers were Mama Cass Elliot of "The Mamas And Papas" and Carolyn ("Mountain Girl") Garcia, Jerry Garcia�s wife.
German-issue of a rare Capitol 45 picture sleeve single from 1968, "We're Having A Lovin-In", recorded by California Nature Boy Gypsy Boots.
Those best informed also agree that Boots� influence helped inspire members of several Los Angeles rock bands to become vegetarian, notably Randy California of "Spirit" and Arthur Lee of "Love", as well as Sky Saxon of the "Seeds." Mickey Dolenz, the zaniest member of the TV pop foursome "The Monkeys" was also a Boots fan, while Frank Zappa appeared in the cult movie "Mondo Hollywood" (1968) with Boots, and they must have been the only 2 bearded long-haired guys in L.A. preaching a "no dope" philosophy in the late 60�s.
The surf scene foreshadowed the hippie period by at least a decade with many common features. This surf-sedan was painted psychedelic in 1962 on Oahu, Hawaii, a half-decade before the infamous "Summer of Love" in San Francisco.
"Surf Bohemians" with shaggy hair, goatees and vegetarian lifestyle, rode their redwood boards on un-crowded waves in the early 1950's in the Malibu area. The surf scene of the late 1950�s in California and Hawaii was a precursor to the counter-culture that began in 1964, including components like long hair, natural foods, trips to Mexico, psychedelic music, living outdoors, unique vocabulary, anti-authoritarian posture and global travel destinations. A surf band called "The Gamblers" had a hit song titled "Moon Dawg" in 1960, and the B-side was the song "LSD 25. Dick Dale, the undisputed King of the surf guitar had a hit with "Let�s Go Trippin" in 1961, which was later recorded by the Beach Boys (1964). Noted surf artist Rick Griffin later became a respected hippie artist as well.
On the east coast of America professors Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert (Ram Dass) and Ralph Metzner were busy in the early 1960�s with their psychedelic research, first at Harvard University then later at the Millbrook estate in New York. They were quick to recognize the strong correlation between L.S.D. induced archetypes and their many Germanic antecedents available from 20th century scientists, artists and writers.
L.S.D. was first synthesized in 1938 by Dr. Albert Hoffmann in Switzerland. In the fall of 1963 Dr. Leary and his colleague German born Dr. Metzner, published an article in their quarterly magazine "The Psychedelic Review" titled: "Hermann Hesse: Poet of the Interior Journey". Although Hesse�s novels "Siddhartha"(1922) and "Steppenwolf"(1927) were published in Germany many decades before the 1960�s, they considered them the most important psychedelic literature available. Partly through the influence of this article these two novels sold millions in the 60�s and rode in the backpacks of a whole generation. Nearly all hippies read Hesse!
In 1964 Leary, Alpert and Metzner published their landmark book "The Psychedelic Experience" which was quickly labeled the "bible" of the hippie movement. In the introduction they included a tribute to Swiss psychologist Dr. Carl Jung who had committed himself to the inner vision of internal perception. Dr. Jung, a one time resident of the commune at Ascona (1900) had witnessed first hand many spiritual purifying rituals involving fasting, diet and excessive hiking, that could sometimes induce a psychedelic-type high.
"Herbst" (Autumn), mural sketch by Fidus, 1934 (Note "peace" symbol on top)
As the 1960�s flowered the "peace" symbol (used by Fidus as early as 1934) became a familiar icon in artwork and graffiti�while the Volkswagen bus became the most quintessential symbol for hippie transportation and even lifestyle. The bus was created and engineered in 1949 by technicians of the Wandervogel generation.
Nature Boy eden ahbez sat in on the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" recordings in 1966. And while the Beatles popularity reached it�s absolute zenith by 1968�.most of their fans never knew that the once scruffy bar band from Liverpool received their first big break playing in clubs in Hamburg Germany in 1960. The four English lads with greasy slicked-back 50�s style hair radically changed their image and hairstyles after meeting Klaus Voorman and several of the other German art students who wore shaggy long hair with bangs. George Harrison said that German photographer Astrid Kirchherr "invented" the Beatles with her camera giving them tips on dress and posing, and capturing their images in some priceless early photo shoots.
As a deep heartfelt thanks to their faithful German fans the Beatles later recorded "Komm gib Mir Deine Hand" (I Want To Hold Your Hand) and "Sie Liebt Dich" (She Loves You) singing in German.
Klaus Voorman designed the cover and drew the artwork for the Beatles landmark "Revolver" (1966) album. The Beatles German period can be viewed in the video "Backbeat" (1994). Psychedelic music exploded from a ferocious British band called The Yardbirds (1963-1968) whose lead guitarists included Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Virtually every heavy band from Jimi Hendrix and Cream to Black Sabbath and Van Halen used the formula invented by The Yardbirds.
Nature Boy Gypsy Boots getting ready for the Newport Pop Festival in August 1968. Born in San Francisco in 1916 he was the most important living link between the old Naturmensch and the Flower Children of the 1960s. He was a paid performer at many concerts along with acts like the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, but he had been living the hippie lifestyle wild in Nature since the 1930s. (Photo courtesy of Gypsy Boots)
After the 60�s ended the 70�s became the decade when more people went back to the land than any other period in the 20th century.
This California surfer and his girlfriend were some of the young folks who went to live wild in nature during the late 1960s and early '70s, mostly in California, Hawaii and parts of Europe. This most radical form of communalism was a replay of the Wandervogel and Naturmensch period some 60 years before in Germany and Switzerland (Taylor Park, Kauai, Hawaii, 1971)
The first Earth Day was celebrated on April 22, 1970, later, July of 1972 saw the first "Rainbow Gathering" near Granby Lake in Colorado. It began as a healing gathering with spiritual nature-loving participants, and according to long time Rainbow focalizer Michael John: " Our roots are in the Pagan festivals of the Middle Ages, and the time after Christ when the way we celebrate the summer and our union was here, something has called us to that memory, to give us the chance to re-experience that. I think that the Rainbow Gathering is just the resurfacing of the ancient Festivals". (From: "People Of The Rainbow" Michael Niman-1997)
Also in the early 1970�s many hippies in California and Hawaii embraced the most radical form of earth habitation�living in caves (and sometimes tree-houses) in the wilderness, native style. Most of the larger watercourses in southern California like Tahquitz, Deep Creek, Sespe and The Big Sur River had young cave dwellers in their canyons.
This was an echo of the Naturmensch and Wandervogel with their wild seasonal forays in the Alps and farther south into Italy, some 50 years before�and of Bill Pester who came to California in 1906 to live in Nature.
The "Ferals" of eastern Australia are yet another present day link in the chain of youths who have abandoned urbanism and returned into forested areas where they live mostly in nomadic tipis in the Nimbin/Byron region of New South Wales, sometimes numbering as many as 10,000.
By the mid 1990's there were as many as 10,000 "Ferals" living in the forests of eastern Australia, many of them in the region surrounding Nimbin and Byron Bay in New South Wales. Small nomadic tipis are the preferred habitation and nearly all of these Gen-X kids come from the big cities like Sydney and Melbourne, and are a modern-day echo of the German Naturmensch and the American youth movements in the 1960s.
After the high times of the 1960�s were over many people began searching for new ways to maintain clarity and health, "graduating" to things like yoga, pure diet, meditation, hiking, environmental activism, etc.
Fred Hirsch, the man who published Professor Arnold Ehret�s books for over 50 years in his office in Beaumont California was host to many "acid heads" who had shifted to "sun-foods" during the 1970�s to maintain their high as well as a strong connection with the plant kingdom.
The Green political Party began in Germany in the late 1970�s as an outgrowth of the 1950�s anti-nuclear movements in Europe, later spread to other parts of the world including America.
"Fruhlingsodem" by Fidus, 1893
For a brief period in the 1980�s the Hippie lifestyle seemed pass� and years out of style, but it re-charged itself vigorously in the 1990�s. Even though the media tends to anachronize young hippies, Rainbows and environmentalists as remnants of the 1960�s, anyone can see by looking at the photos that accompany this article that Hippiedom is really just a perennial sub-culture�as old as the first humans that ever walked upright, and as new as the 30,000 plus members on the Hip-Planet site.
That�s why hippies will never go away�because they�ve always been here anyway. click here to buy book
Gordon Kennedy is the author of "Children of the Sun", a book about the origins of the Hippie Movement in Germany and the ideas they introduced to the US in the early 1900s.
Copyright 2003-Kennedy/Ryan Nivaria Press; All rights reserved including the right of reproduction of text or images.[Excerpts taken from �Children of the Sun; A Pictorial Anthology From Germany To California, 1883-1949�-By Gordon Kennedy 1998 ISBN 0-9668898-0-0]
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Got my half bedsheet today from earthing .com. With my grounded adaptor I get a definite tingling sensation. Apparently this will last a few days. Very impressed!
Today I went for a barefoot walk on concrete. Not nearly as cold as I thought I would be!!! Will definitely make this part of my routine. I intuitively feel this will be very beneficial for me.
How are people doing?
WATUROPATHY FOR YOU Walk barefoot for health and happiness
Walk 15 minutes a day without footwear and you will let the earth seep into your being. In a month, you will start feeling a new strength, says Manjushree Abhinav. By Manjushree Abhinav summary 01 Dec 2008, Citizen Matters bookmark email print
�Because the wind wants to feel your hair, and the earth wants to touch your feet.' - Kahlil Gibran
We live in nature, but we don�t live naturally. We live on the earth, but we don�t touch it. Ninety per cent of the time, we hide from the sun. We use hot water to bathe, which is a fast, functional affair. Most of the time we condition the air we breathe. In winter, we keep warm and in summers, we protect ourselves from the heat. We burn most of the vitamin in food before we eat it. In fact, we protect ourselves from all that is natural. And yet, many of us fall ill from time of time, worry about our general health.
Walking with barefoot on the uneven path
Walking barefoot on an uneven path. Pic: Manjushree Abhinav.
This is where naturopathy comes in. Naturopathy is an alternative healing system. Like the name suggests, naturopathy attempts to re-link us with the five elements of nature, namely fire, water, earth, air and space, and thereby heal us.
Let us talk about an important element of nature: mother earth. There is one simple, quick way to get back in touch with the earth: walk barefoot.
Nature has made our feet sensitive. We have a lot of acupressure points on our feet which love to be massaged every now and then. But we deprive our poor feet the right to feel different surfaces by continuously covering them in thick chappals, or walking on flat tiled floor.
Then there is the obsession with clean, soft feet. The choice is simple. Do you want to be pretty and sick or tough and healthy? Health is the wealth that can give you the smile that no beauty parlor can produce.
Let�s go back to the first step. No baby ever wore shoes while learning to walk. And the first step was such joy. The baby was trying out the strength of his leg muscles, and suddenly discovered balance by becoming aware of the muscles in his feet. Most children hate wearing shoes, they prefer sandals. Shoes and socks, worn the whole day, render our feet numb. The more comfortable our shoes, the lesser aware we are of our feet.
Walking with barefoot
On stones. (Pic: Manjushree Abhinav)
Walking barefoot on mother earth is like hugging your mother. You might remember the experiment with two groups of baby monkeys. The one who were allowed to hug their mothers lived as compared to the ones who got the milk from plastic bottles.
Nature nourishes and cherishes us in more ways than we are aware. Soil has healing properties. It draws out toxins from the body. Minerals that get lost on their way to us otherwise seep in directly from the touch of mother earth.
Try this experiment. Twice in a day, walk on bare earth for fifteen minutes. If you can�t find bare earth, walk on a footpath. Make sure it is not a very smooth footpath though; we want some mud and pebbles. Walk slowly, letting the earth seep into your being. It might be painful at first, but soon the feet will start relishing the massage. Most of your bodily aches and pains will diminish within a week.
If you continue for more than a month, you will start feeling a new strength in your body, feet up. The feet will actually radiate a palpable sense of well �being.
Walking with barefoot on the stones
Even closer. (Pic: Manjushree Abhinav)
Walking barefoot is especially good for knee pain, stiffness in the joints, and back pain. A study showed that the incidence of arthritis and varicose veins are much lower in villages, probably because they walk barefoot. Digestion also improves drastically by the acupressure effect of barefoot walking.
But yes, care for the feet that walk bare can include a warm footbath at night, followed by a quick massage with oil. Soaking the feet in warm water for five to ten minutes will, as it is, refresh your entire being. And the massage will soothe the creases and seal in the energy.
Celebrities who walk barefoot
Although he is a little eccentric, M F Hussain is a sprightly old man who radiates energy. Famous for his paintings, the media doesn�t tire of musing over his bare feet.
It is written that Jesus Christ walked bare foot, and made his disciples do the same.
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after barefoot walking one day i will try this!!!!!
Barefoot Running [Perfect Paperback] Michael Sandler Michael Sandler (Author) � Visit Amazon's Michael Sandler Page Find all the books, read about the author, and more. See search results for this author Are you an author? Learn about Author Central (Author), Jessica Lee (Author), Sandra Wendel (Editor) 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews) 21 Reviews 5 star: (20) 4 star: (0) 3 star: (0) 2 star: (1) 1 star: (0)
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5 new from $19.95 Page 2 Feedback | Help | Expanded View | Close Go to "Barefoot Running" page Barefoot Running (Perfect Paperback) by Michael Sandler, Jessica Lee 4.9 out of 5 stars (21) 5 used & new from $19.95 Book sections Front Cover Copyright Table of Contents First Pages Index Back Cover Surprise Me! Search Inside This Book Just so you know...
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Next Editorial Reviews Product Description Running barefoot may be good for your health. It will help you with your posture, balance and spinal and hip alignments.
Barefoot running is low impact, toe-centric, enhance stability and balance.
Give it a try and it just might change your life to the best, and at the least will save you about $150 not spent on a new pair of shoes. About the Author Michael Sandler is a best selling author, barefoot running and walking coach. He has coached professionally for nearly 20 years. After a nearl-fatal accident he was told that he would be lucky to keep functioning legs and that he would not run again. With an implanted titanium femur and hip, it was only through barefoot running, and lessons learned on the trails that he was able to heal and run again.
With coauthor Jessica Lee, they travel around the world, teaching people how to discover the joy of running. Product Details
* Perfect Paperback: 298 pages * Publisher: Run Bare Publishing; 1 edition (May 2010) * Language: English * ISBN-10: 0984382208 * ISBN-13: 978-0984382200 * Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.8 inches * Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds * Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews) 21 Reviews 5 star: (20) 4 star: (0) 3 star: (0) 2 star: (1) 1 star: (0)
� See all 21 customer reviews... * Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #14,819 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) o #41 in Books > Health, Mind & Body > Exercise & Fitness > Running & Jogging
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34 of 36 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive guide to barefoot running and running in general, May 11, 2010 By Zachary D. Bergen "Colorado Runner" (Boulder, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME) This review is from: Barefoot Running (Perfect Paperback) I love this book! I have been running since high school and as I approach 50, I want to continue running. I am convinced that my switch from "shod" running in high tech running shoes with orthotics to a barefoot stride will insure running for years to come. This book is an exhaustive treatment of the subject in a great format. I found out many things I did not know that have helped me as I transitioned out of traditional shoes. Now I look at runners who are heel striking knowing for certain they could have a better running experience. The authors state that you should start slow. I could not emphasize this enough and by going slow it will pay off. Your feet have been trapped in shoes and need to learn how to be feet again and have the feedback with the brain and your kinesthetic awareness heightened. Since running barefoot and with the help of this book, I have gone through many phases of "healing" and have completely changed my attitude about feet and how tough they are.
I think even if you still buy the myth of running shoes, you should improve your stride by using this book and translate that new brain learned response back to your traditional running shoe regimen. Although I think you'll find your old running shoes to feel unnatural and clunky like I did. I can't go back. The neat thing is that there are plenty of minimalist shoes to choose from for all seasons and conditions.
This book will also serve as a reference. I often flip through the pages to learn more about something like their advice for difference surface types. It is a good companion for people who want to know if their experience of barefoot running is normal since there are not a lot of people out there to share experiences with (yet). I also joined the barefoot running group. It is an easy way to share experiences.
I know there is a lot of interest in barefoot running. I often get stopped and hit with questions about my experience. They have all been positive. It is not necessarily easy to transition and it is more than worth it. It has completely redefined my running game and brought more fun and another dimensions to my runs. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse | Permalink Comment Comment
23 of 26 people found the following review helpful: 2.0 out of 5 stars Not sure what to think about this..., October 28, 2010 By Neil Gunton (Eureka, CA) - See all my reviews This review is from: Barefoot Running (Perfect Paperback) I found this book by accident in one of my local outdoor stores. I had been interested in running barefoot for some time, ever since reading "Born to run". I had tried the Vibram Five Fingers, but had problems with a seam rubbing my arches, so that had put a damper on that experiment. When I saw this book, a little light went off in my head - hang on, maybe I can just ditch the VFF altogether and go completely barefoot! This book seemed to light the way. The apparent endorsement by Barefoot Ted, who was featured heavily in Born to Run, clinched the deal in terms of apparent legitimacy.
The outdoor store has quite inflated prices, so I decided to look for the book on Amazon. I was a little mystified to find that Amazon doesn't sell it, even though it is a very recent publication. And when I called my local Borders, they couldn't even find it in their system by the ISBN. So I went back to the little store and bought the copy they had. I noticed that it seemed to be kind of self-published, so maybe that explains it.
The book has the usual fluff at the beginning - you know where they take 30 pages with lots of positive, vague, rah-rah motivational stuff. They do admit right up front that you don't even get to the running part until chapter 5. Ok, that's par for the course.
My first doubts surfaced when they started going on about being connected with the Earth, and how everything has a frequency, and how important it is to be "grounded". All of this is part of a justification, it seems, for why barefoot running is a Good Thing. Ok, I thought, fair enough - it's a bit much, but whatever.
Serious doubts began on page 19, when they started talking about something called the Schumann Resonance, which is apparently the frequency of the Earth's "heartbeat" (7.83 Hz). According to the book, "this number is important because it's the same frequency our brains use to survive and thrive. In other words, our vibrations are matched or we vibrate at the same frequency of the earth. Put another way, we evolved in sync with the frequency or heartbeat of the earth". Ok, again, whatever. But then there's this little gem: "NASA scientists have known this for years. In early space missions, astronauts became surprisingly weak and ill when they went into space and left the resonance of the earth behind. They now alleviate this process by having a vibrational device attached to the ships that resonates at the Schumann Resonance - by matching to the frequency of the earth, spacecraft help astronauts stay in sync".
Hmm. This was news to me, I was quite interested in space and NASA when I was younger, but I had never heard of this. As far as I know, astronauts become weak after periods in space because of the lack of gravity, which weakens their bones and muscles unless they take care to do resistance exercise. A quick search on a well known search engine pulled up as a top result for "Schumann frequency NASA" a thread that says this is bunk. I can find no official references to this at all. And what about airline pilots? They do long haul flights all the time where they are out of touch with the earth. Do they have these devices on airplanes? Why can't I find any reference to it anywhere, except on websites dedicated to debunking bad science?
Then, on page 20, referring to why people don't get hurt when lightning strikes their car, the authors call this the "Farridy Cage" effect. I laughed when I saw this (apparently) phonetic spelling of Michael Faraday's name.
They then go on a bit about things called "grounding pads", and how these keep us in touch with the earth, and how (surprise, surprise) they sell them at their website.
At this point I was having some serious doubts about the book. I mean, the authors are giving out some quite detailed advice on how to get into running barefoot, and if you do this wrong then you could end up with some quite serious injuries to your feet. If they are spouting nonsense about Schumann Frequency, "Farridy" cages and grounding sheets, then how can I take anything else they say seriously? Why couldn't they just stick to the barefoot running, without going off into cloud cuckoo land and thus throwing their entire credibility into doubt?
The book overall has the air of a somewhat breathlessly enthusiastic amateur. The biggest lesson to be taken away from it, really, is "take it slow, listen to your body". This can be conveyed in one single sentence, I don't really know why it needs to be fleshed out to a couple hundred pages, but I guess that's how people sell books.
I tried contacting the authors via their website contact form, telling them about the misspelling of Mr Faraday's name and asking for sources for their claims on the Schumann Frequency stuff, but I did not get any reply. Hmmm.
I thought this would be a straightforward book about barefoot running. However, given the ludicrous claims in the earlier parts of the book, I have to say it throws the whole idea into a cloud of doubt and uncertainty. When they talk about how Lance Armstrong's team uses these "grounding pads", how do I know I can believe it? How do I know I can believe one of the authors really cycled 5,000 miles across America in 2004 in 40 days, solo? It's a wonderful achievement (I've done this myself, but I took a lot longer, and trust me - averaging 125 miles a day for 40 days is quite a feat). The point is about credibility, and as far as I'm concerned, with the early parts of this book the authors really shoot themselves in the foot (sorry). My podiatrist says that running barefoot on concrete is a bad idea. This book says it's not. Who to believe? Help other customers find the most helpful reviews Was this review helpful to you? Yes No Report abuse | Permalink Comment Comments (3)
14 of 15 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book - 5 Toes Up!, May 16, 2010 By Tom Anderson (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Barefoot Running (Perfect Paperback) What a fantastic book!
Barefoot Running by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee was much more than I expected. It covers everything I wanted to know about getting into barefoot running. It's step by step approach is super-easy to follow, and the pictures make it incredibly easy to get started. They also covered timely topics I never thought much about...such as why kids should be barefoot (there's a whole section devoted to kids) and why seniors can recover balance and health by going barefoot (I've gotta share this with my parents).
However, they're not barefoot evangelists. They strike a great balance between going barefoot or in a shoe, stating straight out that barefoot running won't be for everyone, but that it will help strengthen your feet or legs whether you choose to run in our out of a shoe. On that note, they cover transitioning into Vibram Five-Fingers in great detail, shoes I've always wanted to try (waiting for my local store to get them in stock!). They cover do's and don'ts of footwear, overcoming injuries (primarily from running in shoes) how to get into barefoot running when you've got plantar fasciitis (as I did), and how to strengthen your feet, legs and core. When they say help you run "light and free" it's no exaggeration. They share tips on running in all types of terrain, from ice and snow (not that I'll try that!) to summer's melting asphalt, along with racing and even ultras.
There's a healthy dose of science throughout the book, sharing the latest science and backing things up with studies. They even cover the science of getting "grounded" or why it feels so good to get in touch with the earth. Last, they cover the more meditative side of things, or why barefoot running helps quiet your mind (something I could definitely use more of in this hectic world, and a big reason why I run). I wish they included a review of different minimalist shoes in this book. However, they still share a wealth of information about different shoes and categories of shoes.
I'll be referring to this book for years to come as I progress from a newbie to an experienced barefoot runner.
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posted
I think I felt a little tingling, too but not much. I feel more warmth in my hands and feet while on the sheets. I don't suffer from lyme or have any other chronic health issues.
Posts: 236 | From Illinois | Registered: Feb 2009
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posted
Ok killing this thread with the copy and pasting of entire books into here, some of you sound like you're working for the earthing companies....chill
Posts: 501 | From Cleveland Ohio | Registered: Apr 2009
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posted
Some people might appreciate the info but maybe a link would be a better idea???
The thread is not really dead, is it????
I would like to hear about what other people are experiencing.
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momlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 27775
posted
Hoot... do you have any experiences to share?
I am very interested in this.
I would like to try plugging into ground... haven't invested the $59 in a grounding mat or $169 in a bed mat... just because I haven't dished out the dough yet.
I want the benefits of this!
I watched the youtube videos for longevity now conference with David Wolfe. I loved the blood test example.
Any less expensive sources for getting grounded other than walking barefoot outside... not an option with all the snow on the ground.
-------------------- May health be with you!
Toxic mold was suppressing our immune systems, causing extreme pain, brain fog and magnifying symptoms. Four days after moving out, the healing began. Posts: 2007 | From NY/VT Border | Registered: Aug 2010
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posted
Momlyme-- no experience to share since we just received ours. I want my hubby to use it to see if it helps with neuropathy. I also want my son with autism to use it to see if it helps him with *anything*. I will post when we get some results.
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momlyme
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 27775
posted
Oooooh, I am jealous. Did you get the pad? Where did you get it? Is the price I put in above about what you paid? Can you post a link to where you bought it?
Looking forward to hearing your positive results. Don't forget to try it yourself!
-------------------- May health be with you!
Toxic mold was suppressing our immune systems, causing extreme pain, brain fog and magnifying symptoms. Four days after moving out, the healing began. Posts: 2007 | From NY/VT Border | Registered: Aug 2010
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We have a king bed and I ordered the king fitted sheet. I did not realize they have bed pads (basically 1/2 sheets). I would have ordered two queen bed pads instead now that I understand this better. The 1/2 sheets would be easier to move around from place to place and for the same amount of $$$ I could have 2-4 people family members trying them at once.
Also, for the protective effect from EMFs, it would be easier to take the 1/2 sheet off the bed and bring it into the family room so that it could be used while working on the computer or watching TV, etc.
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) . I think it will come today. I will let you know how it goes. He has neuropathy (from newly diagnosed diabetes...or maybe lyme).
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