This week, we celebrated Earth Day, and my friend Ridhima invited me to share something in her budding WhatsApp community. That small post inspired me to write a little more and share it here.

Spending April in Taipei, I’ve been reflecting on how cities and modern lifestyles, by design, keep us separated—very literally—from the Earth.

We walk on paved paths and roads.
We sit in buses, cars, and subways.
We live in high-rise apartments, work in offices, meet in restaurants and cafes.
For many people, this is simply a regular week.

And here’s the real kicker:
Even when we make conscious efforts to spend time closer to the earth—going for a walk in a park or hiking in nature—we’re usually still wearing shoes. Our bodies don’t actually touch the earth.

We miss out on a powerful electromagnetic field coming from the Earth's core that can have profound healing effects on our body and help us feel emotionally better, and living with more vitalit too.

And the best part?
It’s effortless.
You don’t need to know how to meditate.
You don’t need to be an "energy-sensitive" person.
You just have to touch the Earth. Grass, soil, sand—it’s there for you, always.

A Small Story:

Last Saturday, I was feeling lethargic and unenthusiastic about doing anything.
There was resistance even to the idea of going to the park.
"I’m tired, I should just stay at home and do nothing," my mind told me.

Still, I pushed through. I made it to my favorite spot at Da’an Forest Park in Taipei.
I took off my shoes, lay against a tree, and planted my feet into the grass.

Within minutes, something shifted.
The fog in my mind started to clear.
There was more energy in the system, a quiet alertness.
The busy thoughts softened.
In just ten minutes, I felt alive again.

Not in a hyper, excited way.
But in a grounded, peaceful way—like a gentle strength flowing through me.

Yes, I'm sure our amazing trees friends helped too—but for now, let's stay with the Earth.

Science x Sacred: Grounding

Grounding, also known as earthing, is the practice of physically connecting your body to the Earth—like walking barefoot on grass, soil, or sand.

The Earth’s surface carries a subtle, natural negative electric charge, and connecting to it helps balance the body’s electrical system.
This can reduce inflammation by neutralizing free radicals, which are unstable molecules released by healing process of White Blood Cells, which then harm healthy cells. Effectively this charge acts like a natural antioxidant. Our bodies all tend to have silent inflammation that can sit for years before flaring up.

Modern research into grounding is still relatively new.
It’s one of many areas where science is slowly catching up to what indigenous and sacred traditions have known for thousands of years.

Grounding or earthing part of relatively new area of study known as biofield Science. A paper by a prominent group of scientists:

Such an integrated network, emerging from current research findings, appears comprised of what are currently being termed biofields, fields of energy and information that may help guide the physiological regulation of living systems. Biofields, including the electromagnetic patterns from the brain (EEG) and heart (ECG), are generated at all levels of living systems, from whole organism to tissues and organs, cells, molecules, atoms, and subatomic particles.

This scientific lens brings us back to what many ancient traditions have always known:
We are energy.
We are connected.

Anyone practising Qigong or Yoga for instance will be aware of ‘qi’ or ‘prana’ that fundamentally makes up the entire universe, including our bodies, is energy. Biofield science is revealing how our bodies are made up of electric currents and magnetic fields, and the earth is one large, massive magnetic field.

Speaking on the Gateway to Awakening Podcast, Dr. Shamini Jain, a pioneering researcher in biofield science, when asked what the first thing someone can do when feeling sluggish and want to clear their energy: stick your feet in the earth.

“There's a real ionic charge connection that happens with the earth. And from an embodiment point of view, grounding is, of course, connecting bioenergetically with the earth, but it's also about coming into our bodies.”

How to Start Cleaning your Biofield with Grounding

Ideally, spend 5–10 minutes a day with your bare feet touching the Earth. Grass, soil, sand.

If you live in a city where that's hard, there’s good news: technology can help.

Grounding mats and sheets are simple devices you can place under your feet or on your bed.They connect to the ground port of your electrical outlet—giving you access to the Earth's energy without carrying electrical current. A perfect example of “technology guided by the Dao” product.

I first learned about grounding from my teacher GD.
At the time, my mind was particularly busy, and I struggled to find quiet.
GD asked me, "When was the last time you touched the Earth?"
At that point, even when walking in my garden, I was wearing slippers.

I instinctively leave my shoes behind whenever I’m in natural spaces. But its easy to forget sometimes, especially when everyone around you is wearing shoes.

I’ve made it a practice.
And for over two years, I’ve also used a grounding sheet on my bed.
The effects are subtle but real—a steadier nervous system, deeper sleep.

Everyday we’re dealing with dozens of energy draining distractions. The way I see it is we take what we can get to make things just that little bit easier, so that we can bring more vitality into our daily lives and start to make the larger sometimes more difficult changes in our life that our bodies are calling for.

For those curious for a deeper dive, I highly recommend watching the documentary The Earthing Movie (you can find it free online).

So, when was the last time your feet touched the earth?

My partner Chia Chi getting her recharge at once volcanic Qixing Mountain in the north of Taipei.

I invite you to respond in the comments below. Tell us when and where.