Grounded in nature

Renee Lehman

(8/2020) Over the past several articles, I wrote about Natural Laws like: Everything happens for a Reason. The reason is for good. While it may be difficult to "see" beyond the anxiety and fear surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to stay grounded in Nature.

Nature moves through many changes each year. Winter is winter, yes; however, we don’t experience the same winter each year. Just think of summer this year. We have been experiencing many 90-degree days with high humidity. As I am writing this article, we are experiencing a slight drought. Whereas in the summer of 2019, we only had a short span of 90-degree day, and we had more rain.

During this summer of 2020 nature is getting to express its splendor. We are the benefactors of this splendor. The world has been given the opportunity to experience the brilliance and wonder of the natural world. For example, Delhi, India, the world’s most polluted city, has experienced some of the freshest/cleanest air quality in decades. Cities like Bangkok, Beijing, Sno Paulo and Bogotá, all reported significant improvements in air pollution. Thus, allowing us to see with clarity what was shrouded in yellowish-orange haze. The Himalayas, which had not been visible from northern India for over 30 years, were seen for all their majesty. NASA satellites saw air pollution drop over the northeastern United States.Thus, we got to observe blue skies during the day and bright starry skies at night.

Nature is always showing us how we to can show our brilliance when we ground ourselves in Natural Law and take the opportunity to shake the dust off ourselves (aka, get rid of our ‘pollution’). It is possible to do this even during this time of the constantly moving target called COVID-19. How, you may ask?

Trees are firmly rooted in the Earth. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), it is often stated that we are to be like bamboo. Bamboo reminds us to stay grounded while remaining flexible in our body/mind/spirit. Yes, bamboo requires water, rich soil and sunshine in order to reach its potential. However, did you know that for four years after a bamboo seed is planted nothing is visible above the ground? All its growth is occurring underground. A substantial root structure forms and expands deep and wide in the earth. Then, in the fifth year, the bamboo shoots out of the ground growing up to 80 feet tall. All that time working and growing on the invisible level produces tremendous potential.

As John Muir said:

"I never saw a discontented tree.
They grip the ground as though they liked it,
and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do."

By staying ‘grounded’ and deeply rooted like a tree, you can withstand any strong winds or storminess of life. AND, who has not felt like COVID-19 has been like ‘unsettled weather’ in our lives? Our current-day culture which promotes fast pace living, also has us processing overwhelming amounts of information daily. For example, search for a topic on the internet – there could be thousands of websites listed with information relevant to the topic. Walk into the grocery store – how many variations of a product are there? Watch the news on TV, and while you are listening and watching the story, read the continuous scrolling of news across the bottom of the screen.

Plus, many of us spend countless hours using our electronic devices. We spend so much time ‘in our heads’ – thinking and processing information faster and faster, and at a much more superficial level. Are you aware of your posture, your breathing, your surrounding while absorbed in these activities? We get ‘pulled’ out of the wholeness of our body when we do these activities. Then once you are done using these devices at the end of the day, how much of a challenge is it to ‘turn off’ your mind to fall asleep at night? In general, how long does it take for you to quiet yourself? Where is balance in the examples above of constant mental activity and processing (especially with recent events and the COVID-19 pandemic)? Have you experienced being pulled into the tornado of drama that is swirling around us? It is easy for this to happen, especially if we are not ‘grounded’ and ‘rooted’ in our daily lives.

Science behind the Importance of Grounding to the Earth

Do you remember hearing about how the physical condition of early astronauts deteriorated severely while in outer space? These astronauts became weak, sick, and lost bone density. When they returned from the moon, they could not stand up. This happened because they were away from the electromagnetic field that is formed between the ground and the lower part of the ionosphere located about 62 miles above us. This field has a vibration or resonance (called the Schumann Resonance – named for the German physicist, W.O. Schumann who observed this in 1952) of approximately 7.83 pulses per second (hertz).

It has been proven that all vertebrates and our human brain vibrate at this same frequency. The problem was solved by introducing the ‘Schumann Simulator’ into all space shuttles, a magnetic pulse generator mimicking the Earth's frequency. When the astronauts used this simulator, they recovered their equilibrium and health. Electromagnetic emissions from computer monitors, cell phones, and other electrical devices also cover up the Schumann Resonance, thus leading to stress and fatigue. This demonstrates the simple fact that we cannot be healthy if disconnected from the ‘natural biological frequency’ (www.SchumannWaves.com).

How can you stay grounded?

• Take a walk outside and notice the trees around you. Trees are a wonderful example to us - their roots firmly planted and branches reaching high.
• Do a Grounding Meditation. Imagine roots coming from the bottom of your feet into the ground to firmly tie you to the core of the earth. As you breathe in feel the energy coming up from the earth into your body and as you breathe out, let any excess flow back down into the earth.
• Observe your thoughts. Yes, just stop and notice what you were thinking. Are you off in the ozone or present to your current experience?
• Try yoga, qi gong, or tai chi. These ancient practices get us into our bodies and slow us down to become aware of our movements.
• When the weather is nice, go outside and garden. There is nothing like getting your hands in dirt to get you grounded.
• Stand without your shoes and feel your feet touching the ground. Grounding or Earthing is defined as placing one’s bare feet on the ground whether it be dirt, grass, sand or concrete (especially when humid or wet). Regular grounding restores the body’s natural electrical state, calms the nervous system, reduces inflammation, and improves circulation. "No pill on Earth can do what Mother Earth does!" (Cardiologist, Stephen Sinatra, M.D).

Now is the time to go outside into nature and witness its magnificence and beauty. Nature is calling you. Now is the time for us to focus on being rooted and staying grounded. Then you know that you have a firm foundation, a firm foothold in the Earth. You will be prepared for whatever life brings your way (or throws at you).

"And into the forest I go to lose my mind and find my soul." - John Muir

"Look deep into nature, and then
you will understand everything better." - Albert Einstein

"I have always argued that change becomes stressful and overwhelming only when you've lost any sense of the constancy of your life. You need firm ground to stand on. From there, you can deal with that change." - Richard Nelson Bolles

Renee Lehman is a licensed acupuncturist and physical therapist with over 30 years of health care experience. Her office is located at 249B York Street in Gettysburg. She can be reached at 717-752-5728.