Earthing

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Rapid Benefits: An Earthing 1-Hour “Time Trial”

A 2012 women’s wellness conference in Southern California was the setting for an informal experiment to measure how fast Earthing could influence the experience of vitality. 

About 100 women in attendance filled out questionnaires before and after a one-hour talk on Earthing. The questionnaire covered individual assessments of about energy, pain, stress/irritability, mood, circulation, and flexibility.  About half the audience was familiar with Earthing.

Here’s how the experiment was set up. When the women entered the hotel conference room, they received a “goody bag” containing the questionnaire, a pen, an Earthing patch and cord, and a pocket mirror that lights up. Why the mirror?  So they could easily view themselves before and after the talk, and see how they looked.  Once seated, they filled out the “before” section of the questionnaire asking for their subjective impressions on how they felt, using a 1-10 scale.

Prior to the presentation, an Earthing wiring system had been laid out throughout the room that allowed each seated attendee to place the patch on the bottom of one foot, and then connect the cord to the room-wide system.  The system was connected to grounded wall outlets. At the end of the talk, everyone filled out the “after” section of the questionnaire. 

The results were “phenomenal,” demonstrating just how rapidly Earthing can enhance a woman’s vitality, and “likely a man’s as well, although guys being guys they might be more reluctant to admit it,”   
said Christy Westen, D.C., who gave the talk on Earthing.

Here are the questions that were asked and the results:

● Question # 1 Energy
Before (or after) Earthing, my energy levels are:  a numerical range from Horrible, to OK, to Magnificent.
78% reported more energy, on average an increase of about 40%.

● Question # 2 Pain
The level of pain in my body before (or after) Earthing is:  a numerical range from Extremely painful, to OK, to I am pain-free.
60% of those with pain said they had less pain at the end, and an average decrease of about 30%

● Question # 3 Stress
My level of stress and irritability before (or after) Earthing is:  a numerical range from Terrible, I am extremely stressed, to OK, to I feel calm/centered.
77% reported less stress, on average about 50% better.

● Question # 4 Mood
My overall mood before (or after) Earthing is: a numerical range from Terrible, I feel extremely low, to OK, to My mood is wonderful.
82% said their mood had improved, with an average of 40%.

● Question # 5 Complexion
Before (or after) Earthing, when I look into the mirror, my face looks: a numerical range from Dull & Pale, to OK, to Vibrant & full of color.
73% thought they looked better, with an average improvement of 38 percent. We attributed the change to improved circulation and more calmness, even from just an hour of Earthing. 

● Question # 6 Circulation
Before (or after) Earthing, the temperature of my hands/feet are: a numerical range from Poor – my hands/feet are ice, to OK, to Great – my hands/feet are warm.
65% stated that their circulation had improved , and on average by 32%.

● Question # 7 Flexibility
Before (or after) Earthing, if I reach down to touch my toes, my flexibility is: a numerical range from Poor, I am extremely stiff, to OK, to Excellent, I feel very flexible.
62% reported improvement, with about a 23 percent improvement.

Keep in mind that these changes occurred within an hour of being seated on typically hard, uncomfortable conference chairs next to people you don’t know.
 
Dr. Westen summed up the experience thusly: “Most people think that creating more vitality in life requires a ton of time, effort, and sacrifice. We have to sweat it out in the gym, strenuously try to eat the perfect diet, and offload as much stress as possible.  To be sure, these are essential ingredients in a healthy lifestyle recipe, but often not so easy to accomplish. Earthing, on the other hand, requires no strain whatsoever and is, in fact, one of the easiest things you can do for your health. Until now it’s been the missing ingredient in the recipe.  But now, it’s here, and scientific research is confirming its effectiveness.  Just reconnect to the Earth, and even in one single hour you can feel a difference, sometimes profoundly so, and without any side effects!  Make it a routine part of your life, and wow, you really put yourself on a direct path to becoming simply vibrant!”

How to Optimize the Lifespan of Your Earthing Sheet

We frequently receive inquiries from people fretting about the longevity and condition of their Earthing sheets. They may have had the sheet for a year or two and are concerned that it may be losing conductivity and no longer carrying the Earth’s healing energy through the silver fibers embedded in the fabric.  Some people say that they haven’t washed their sheet at all, or only seldom, out of fear of ruining the conductivity.

We can’t give you a precise lifespan for your sheet. Every situation is different. What we can say is that that no sheet lasts forever. When a sheet does lose its conductivity, it needs to be replaced.  We have heard from folks describing the “sudden death” of sheets and from others saying their sheet gradually lost conductivity over time. By comparison, we have some Earthing sheets in use for over five years and they are still going strong. However, there is no guarantee that any particular sheet will last as long.

So what can you do to protect your sheet?  Here are some “anti-aging” tips to enhance its longevity:

● If you use your sheet routinely, wash it routinely – every week or two. If you don’t wash the sheet regularly, sweat, wastes, and a variety of organic compounds excreted through your skin can build up and create a film on the sheet that can impair conductivity.  Such substances could oxidize and permanently damage the silver fibers as well.

● Wash your sheet in warm water. Set wash cycle to ‘gentle.’ Do not pour detergent directly on the sheet. Let the detergent dissolve in water first, or put the detergent in the designated machine dispenser, and then place your sheet in machine. Tumble dry on ‘low’ or ‘no heat’ setting. Remove sheet from dryer promptly. Fold to minimize wrinkles.

● Never use bleach. Bleach instantly destroys the conductivity of the silver fibers, and is typically what has happened when somebody reports “sudden sheet death.” 

● We have tested many commercial detergents, even soaked sheets in them for a week, and they do not harm the conductivity.  Make sure the detergent contains no bleach or fabric softener. 

● Don’t use any fabric softener or any drying sheets. They won’t kill the silver in one stroke, but over time they might contribute to loss of conductivity because of their chemical content.

● Do not dry clean your sheet.

● Some people like to iron their sheets. If you do it, set the iron to low heat. 

● Avoid applying creams, lotions, and essential oils before bedtime to any areas of your skin that will be in contact with the sheet. The oils contained in these products become absorbed into the fabric of the sheets and can reduce or damage conductivity. Please use such body products at an earlier time.

The Bottom Line

Periodically test your connected sheet with the conductivity tester. If you use the tester very often, the battery will wear out more rapidly.  The green light will become dim. When that happens, screw open the tester, remove the battery, and replace it. Replacements are available in most stores selling electronics and phones.

If you suddenly realize – like from one day to the next – that the sheet isn’t giving the benefits it had been giving all along, the cause could be bleach…or the cord got disconnected from the ground source (the outlet or a ground rod cord)…or maybe an animal chewed up the cord.