5th August 2025

Grounded: Why Reconnecting with the Earth Is the Wellness Reset You’ve Been Missing

We are nature. Yet most of us move through life disconnected from it.

We sit in air-conditioned rooms, walk on concrete, sleep under artificial light, and rarely—if ever—touch the Earth with our bare skin. But what if the missing link in our wellness journey isn’t another supplement or habit tracker, but something much older and simpler?

Welcome to the science (and art) of grounding.

Also known as earthing, grounding is the practice of physically connecting your body to the Earth’s surface. Think walking barefoot on grass, lying on the sand, or resting your palms on a tree. It sounds simple—and it is—but the impact on your body and mind can be surprisingly profound.

As someone who has guided thousands of people through wild spaces across Western Australia, I’ve seen firsthand how grounding brings people something special. The tension drops. The breath slows. Something shifts. And now, science is catching up with what many of us have intuitively known for years.

Let’s explore what grounding is, why it matters, and how you can start practicing it—today.

What Is Grounding?

Grounding is the act of making direct skin contact with the Earth’s surface—soil, grass, sand, water, rock—or any conductive natural material that carries the Earth’s electrical charge.

The Earth’s surface has a subtle negative charge. When our skin touches it, free electrons are absorbed through the body, which may help neutralise inflammation and oxidative stress (both of which are at the core of many chronic conditions).

In essence, grounding rebalances our biology using nature’s original design.

The Science of Grounding: What the Research Says

1. Reduced Inflammation and Chronic Pain

A 2012 study in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health found that grounding led to measurable reductions in pain and inflammation. Participants also reported improved sleep and shifts in immune function, including white blood cell activity.

2. Improved Sleep and Stress Regulation

A 2004 study in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine showed that grounding helped normalise daily cortisol patterns—your body’s primary stress hormone. Balanced cortisol is linked to better sleep, more energy, and a calmer nervous system.

3. Immune Support and Healing

A 2020 scientific review published in Explore found that grounding may improve immune response, accelerate wound healing, and reduce oxidative stress by neutralising reactive oxygen species—those highly reactive molecules that contribute to aging and disease.

This research is still emerging, but the early findings are promising: grounding offers a natural, accessible way to regulate the body’s most fundamental systems—from stress to immunity to sleep.

Why We Need Grounding Now More Than Ever

Modern life has pulled us away from our roots—literally. We wear rubber-soled shoes, live in high-rise buildings, spend our days under LED lights, and are surrounded by screens and signals. As a result, we’ve lost one of our most essential biological relationships: the one between our body and the Earth.

Grounding reminds us that wellness doesn’t always need to be complicated. Sometimes, it’s as simple as standing barefoot in the grass.

How to Practice Grounding Today

If you’re curious about grounding, don’t overthink it. You don’t need a special mat or device to get started. All you need is a patch of Earth—and a moment of presence.

Here are five grounding practices you can try right now:

1. Walk Barefoot for 10 Minutes

Head outside and find a safe, clean patch of grass, sand, or soil. Take your shoes off and walk slowly, mindfully. Feel each step. Notice the sensations—temperature, texture, energy.

Why it works: Barefoot contact allows the body to absorb the Earth’s electrons, which may help reduce inflammation and restore nervous system balance.

2. Sit With Your Back Against a Tree

Find a quiet spot in a park or forest. Sit with your spine aligned to the trunk of a tree, palms resting on the ground beside you. Close your eyes. Breathe.

Why it works: Trees are natural conduits of Earth energy, and this full-body grounding experience also activates a parasympathetic (rest-and-digest) response.

3. Lie Down in Nature

Bring a towel or lie directly on the grass. Stretch out fully. Let your body sink into the Earth. Stay for at least 15 minutes, breathing deeply and slowly.

Why it works: This full-body connection allows for a stronger charge transfer. It also shifts your perspective—literally and emotionally.

4. Take a Barefoot Shower Outside or at the Beach

Stand barefoot under under rainfall, or in the shallows at the beach. Let water run down your body as your feet stay grounded to Earth.

Why it works: Water is a powerful conductor and enhances the effects of grounding. Ocean water, in particular, is full of minerals that support wellbeing.

5. Add Grounding to Your Daily Rituals

Start or end your day with a grounding moment: barefoot tea in the backyard, walking the dog barefoot on grass, or pausing at a trailhead to feel the Earth beneath you before a hike.

Why it works: Making grounding part of your daily rhythm amplifies the cumulative benefits over time—like a nervous system tune-up, one moment at a time.

A Grounding Practice for You to Try Now

Here’s a 3-minute grounding ritual you can do anywhere:

1. Stand barefoot on soil, sand, or grass.

2. Close your eyes and take five slow breaths.

3. With each inhale, imagine drawing energy from the Earth through your feet.

4. With each exhale, imagine releasing tension, worry, or overstimulation into the ground.

5. Stay here for three minutes, breathing and noticing.

This is nervous system regulation in real time. No tech, no noise—just you and the Earth, reconnecting.

My Experience with Grounding

As the founder of The Hike Collective, I’ve led thousands of guided experiences designed to reconnect people with nature—and themselves. Whether we’re hiking through the ancient gorges of Karijini or pausing on the white sands of Rottnest Island, I’ve seen the effects of grounding firsthand.

People arrive stressed, overstimulated, and tense. Then we pause. Shoes come off. Feet touch the Earth. The shift is almost immediate.

Grounding isn’t a trend for me—it’s a foundational part of what I believe wellness should look like: accessible, inclusive, and rooted in nature. It’s also become a daily practice in my own life, especially when I feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or in need of clarity.

You don’t have to hike through a National Park to feel this shift. You just have to stop. Breathe. Connect.

Why Grounding Belongs in Every Wellness Routine

Grounding is not a magic fix—but it is one of the most overlooked and underutilised tools in our personal wellbeing toolkit.

It’s free.
It’s accessible.
It’s evidence-based.
And it reconnects us to something we’ve lost in the speed and noise of modern life: the steady pulse of the Earth beneath us.

Whether you’re battling chronic stress, navigating burnout, or just seeking a deeper sense of calm, grounding offers a quiet but powerful invitation—to slow down, breathe deeply, and return to what’s always been there.

We often speak about “being grounded” as an emotional state—steady, calm, anchored. But increasingly, science is showing that the metaphor is also biological.

By reconnecting to the Earth beneath our feet, we give our bodies a chance to recharge—not just metaphorically, but electrically.

So start today. Step outside. Take off your shoes. Feel the ground. Because sometimes, the greatest act of self-care isn’t found in what you buy—but in where you stand.