GoingWell's Introduction to Grounding

GoingWell's Introduction to Grounding

What is “grounding” or “earthing”?

  • Historically, “grounding” is the practice of making direct contact with the earth’s surface, usually by walking barefoot outside. 
  • Earthing is an ancient healing practice, performed by Native Americans and many historical cultures. 
  • From a scientific perspective, we now know that connection to the Earth’s surface provides a negative electrical charge, which helps rid the body of excess electricity and lower inflammation. This has been shown in high-quality studies to have a significant anti-inflammatory effect and provides benefit to all aspects of human health. 
  • In 2005, an engineer named Clint Ober discovered that we could obtain the benefits of grounding in our homes by utilizing the ground portion of our home’s electrical system. From an electromagnetic perspective, when we use our grounding products (such as the pillowcase), it is as if we are standing barefoot outside and we are able to obtain the benefits of grounding.

What are the health benefits?

  • Principally, grounding works by lowering our inflammation levels. Studies have shown significant decreases in inflammation levels after 1 hour of grounding. There have been over 24 peer-reviewed studies outlining the benefits of grounding.
  • Lower inflammation levels have cascading benefits throughout the body and touch virtually all aspects of human health. 
  • Even though grounding helps with nearly every health condition, it is not a specific treatment - it is better thought of as a wellness practice.

Why the pillowcase?

  • GoingWell has both fitted sheets and pillowcases. We prefer these products for a few reasons, mostly because sleep is a significant portion of the day where we are stationary and it is therefore easier to implement grounding consistently and thoughtlessly. It is also the time of day the body gets to recharge.
  • Relative to the fitted sheets, the pillowcase is a bit more economical, travels better, and tends to be a better introductory product. We’ve found many people will start with a pillow case and upgrade to fitted sheets once they’ve come to love grounding.
  • It’s important to note that the benefit is coming from your connection to the earth. In this sense, pillowcase, sheets, standing barefoot outside, or any other grounding product you use provide the same health benefits. Which product you use is a function of personal preference and convenience.

How do I use my pillowcase or sheets?

  • Simply connect the female end of the cord to the pillowcase, and male end of the cord to any outlet. It is inserted into the third-prong of a three-prong outlet as shown:

grounding outlet imagery

  • That’s it! You won’t be able to tell a difference initially; only after 1-2 weeks of use will you notice the health benefits, especially deeper sleep.

How do I know it’s working?

  • As mentioned above, you won’t notice a difference when you plug in your pillowcase or sheets initially – only after 1-2 weeks should you expect to notice the health benefits
  • If you’d really like to test it, you can order a digital multimeter (~$10) from Amazon. This will allow you to test your body’s voltage while grounded or not. Doing this allows you to see for yourself your body voltage plummet from, say, 600-1,000 millivolts down to <10 millivolts. Demonstrations are available on YouTube if interested.

Are there any risks?

  • Simply put, no, there are no risks you should be aware of.
  • If you were to use a complex setup of using a ground rod outside your window in addition to a grounding product using your home’s electrical system, you would run the risk of electric shock during a lightning storm. 
  • This is a side-effect-free healing strategy and wellness practice with enormous health potential without the associated risks of traditional medicine and medications.

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