In August 2021 I shared a documentary that had caught my attention: The Earthing Movie, also called Down to Earth, by Josh and Rebecca Tickell. It features the grounding advocate Clint Ober, Deepak Chopra and others, and it argues that contact between bare skin and the earth can reduce inflammation and help the body heal.
The idea is simple: take off your shoes and stand on the ground. I tried it, it worked for me, and I still recommend it, especially together with meditation and time in nature. I reviewed this note in September 2026, as I did my sleep reading notes.
Why I recommend it with meditation and nature
Standing barefoot outside goes naturally with slowing down and spending time in nature, and those two have stronger evidence behind them:
- In a survey of almost 20,000 people in England, those who spent at least 120 minutes a week in nature were more likely to report good health and high wellbeing. That is an association, not proof of cause.
- A review of 47 trials found moderate evidence that mindfulness meditation programmes reduce anxiety, depression and pain.
I can’t separate what earthing itself adds from what the quiet and the outdoors do. That is why I recommend the combination.
What the evidence on earthing itself shows
- The studies are small. A 2015 review by leading earthing researchers describes pilot studies with relatively few participants; one of the key experiments involved eight people.
- Much of the research has commercial ties. The authors of that review disclose that they work as contractors for EarthFx, the company sponsoring earthing research, and two of them own shares in it. The film’s own website links to a shop for earthing products.
- Independent assessments are cautious. Cleveland Clinic describes most earthing research as being of questionable quality and says earthing cannot cure diseases or replace modern medicine.
So I recommend earthing as a practice I value, not as a treatment. If you watch the film, keep in mind that it was made by people who believe in earthing, some of whom also sell products for it.
Safety
- Cleveland Clinic warns never to use grounding products during a thunderstorm, and faulty wiring can cause an electric shock. In March 2025 the UK Office for Product Safety and Standards rejected an earthing bed sheet at the border because its plug posed a high risk of electric shock.
- If you have diabetes or reduced feeling in your feet, walking barefoot outdoors can lead to injuries you do not notice.
What I take from it
Be the One, for me, means being honest about both: what does me good, and what the evidence can and cannot show. If time outside with the ground under your feet and a few minutes of meditation do you good, enjoy them. Just don’t let a film, or a post of mine, take the place of a doctor.
This is my personal recommendation and experience, not medical advice.
