Ground And Sun Your Way To Better Health

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Grounding (also known as rooting) is an important part of any spiritual exercise. Prolonged meditation can lead to expansion of consciousness and feelings of bliss. While it's tempting to remain in this state, it can also leave the practitioner metaphorically floating and spaced out. In effect, one may be unable to effectively deal with the more practical side of life. Symptoms may include the inability to focus during work, impractical ideas or a constant dreamy, faraway look even when talking to other people. So make sure you ground yourself well after every spiritual exercise that you do.

In addition to its place in spiritual practice, it turns out grounding also has some scientific basis. It has to do with good old-fashioned electromagnetism. The Earth has a negative electric charge on its surface, so when one walks or stands barefoot on the ground, these electrons transfer into the body and bring positive physical effects.

Some studies indicate that the electrons that one absorbs from the Earth result in anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on the body. Improved circulation, immune responses, heart function and lessened stress responses are among the other noted effects of grounding. Since chronic inflammation is a condition associated with diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, the positive effects of grounding take on even more significance. The Earth is literally the best source of antioxidants and nothing beats the fact that it's all free and relatively easy to access.

Footwear and any type of flooring will block the transfer of electrons so in order to derive any benefits from grounding, you need to be in direct contact with the Earth. You can get a better idea of the science behind grounding through this article in Dr. Mercola's website. While you're at it, you may as well take into consideration the etheric cleanliness of the surrounding area where you plan to do your rooting. Areas in or around septic tanks, garbage dumps or cemeteries, for example, are not ideal places to do grounding. Look instead for peaceful gardens, parks or better yet, areas of natural vegetation such as mountains or farmland.

I like to combine grounding with one other activity: sunning myself. Vitamin D has many benefits such as anti-inflammatory properties, improved immune function and anti-depressant properties. The best (and cheapest) way to get Vitamin D is through sun exposure, which is why it's a perfect combo with grounding because both activities need to be done outdoors.

The length of time that one needs to remain under the sun is dependent on one's geographical location, skin pigmentation, season, ground elevation and time of day. It's all quite complicated, but you can get by with these general guidelines:

1. Sun exposure between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. is considered optimal because you can get the most Vitamin D production for the shortest amount of time.

2. You can stay under the sun until your skin turns the lightest shade of pink. After that point, your body is not producing any more Vitamin D so further sun exposure is not needed.

For those concerned about getting skin cancer, the important thing is not to overexpose yourself. Some studies published in The Lancet and Medical Hypotheses indicate that proper sun exposure actually decreases your risk of skin cancer. Again, balance is the key.

Personally, I set a timer for 10 minutes so that I don't overexpose myself. If the day is particularly hot, drink a glass of water before and/or after sunning yourself to minimize the risk of heat stroke.

This daily grounding exercise has become a mini-meditation for me, sort of like a merging of Heaven and Earth meditation. I give thanks to God for the solar prana and sustenance, usually by silently chanting the Gayatri mantra, and I also give thanks to Mother Earth for the grounding and nurturing. It's certainly a great way to charge up your day.

These components of grounding and sun exposure have been part and parcel of various spiritual disciplines throughout the ages. It's good to know that these spiritual practices are also grounded (pardon the pun) in science and health.