Winter Flow 10: Why earth connection matters
In our last blog, you discovered that your gut has light sensors and how seasonal eating aligns your metabolism with winter.
Today, I'm going to tell you about something I noticed on the farm that changed everything.
Something so simple I almost missed it.
The Thing the Chickens Knew
It's February 2019, my second winter on the farm.
I'm standing outside at sunrise, watching the chickens.
The ones living on the ground: scratching in the snow, foraging, sleeping directly on the earth at night… they are thriving.
Glossy feathers. Bright eyes. Moving with energy even in -15°C.
Then I look over at the neighbor's farm. Chickens in elevated coops, never touching the ground.
And they looked sick, weak, and dull.
When I first noticed this and mentioned it in Blog 1, back then, I thought it was about light and darkness.
Then I learned about cold exposure.
Then seasonal food.
But standing there that morning, I realized:
The ground-dwelling chickens are touching the Earth. Constantly. All day. All night.
The elevated ones?
Never.
And suddenly a question hit me:
What if that matters?
The Discovery in Poland
I'd actually experienced this two years earlier—I just didn't understand what was happening.
Poland, November 2016.
Day 3 of the Wim Hof retreat.
We'd been doing cold exposure for days: ice plunges, breathing exercises, walks in shorts through the snow.
But that afternoon, I do something different…..Something I haven't done since childhood.
I take off my boots and I step barefoot into the snow.
My first thought: "This is going to be miserable."
But to my surprise… it's not.
Yes, I feel the cold. But I also feel something else.
Alive. Grounded. Connected.
Like a circuit completing.
Like I've been running on battery mode and suddenly I'm plugged into the wall.
I walk outside for about 30 minutes.
When I come back inside, I notice something:
My cold exposure walk felt relatively easier compared to when I was going out with shoes on.
What was going on?
At the time, I didn't know.
I thought maybe it was just the cold on my feet creating more stimulus.
But standing on the farm three years later, watching those chickens, it finally clicked:
It wasn't just the cold.
It was the Earth connection. Grounding amplified the mitochondria and thermogenesis. It also increased blood circulation and created more warmth
GOLDEN NUGGET: Your body is an electrical system. The Earth is a massive electron reservoir. When you touch the ground, electrons flow into you: charging your mitochondria, reducing inflammation, and restoring your body's natural electrical balance. This is grounding. And most modern humans are starving for it.
Kaya's Question
Later that year,I meet Hunt on the farm
During the winter time, Hunt's daughter Kaya comes to visit.
You remember Kaya from Blog 4.
She's the one who moved to Toronto, got sick from artificial lights and disconnection, and came home to heal with her grandmother Nokomis during the winter solstice.
By following the darkness, protecting her light, and living with nature's rhythm, she transformed.
Now she's standing in the farmhouse kitchen, looking healthier than I'd ever seen her.
But something's still off.
"Roudy, I need your help," she says.
"I'm doing everything. Morning light. Evening Lenses before bed. Cold showers. Eating seasonal food."
"And I feel so much better than I did in Toronto."
"But I still feel... half-connected. Like something's missing."
I watch her standing there.
Thick boots. Never taken off since she arrived this morning.
"Kaya, when's the last time you touched the Earth?"
She looks at me, confused.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean your bare skin. On the ground. On grass. On soil. On snow."
She thinks.
"I... I don't know. Years? Maybe when I was a kid?"
There it is.
The Experiment
"Come outside with me," I say.
We walk to the edge of the forest.
Snow covering the ground. Temperature around -10°C.
"Take off your boots," I tell her.
She looks at me like I'm crazy.
"Trust me. Just for two minutes. If you hate it, we go back inside."
She hesitates.
Then slowly unlaces her boots.
Pulls off her socks.
Her feet touch the snow.
She gasps.
"It's... cold. Obviously. But..."
She stands there.
Breathing.
"It's like I can feel the Earth through the cold."
"Not just temperature. Something else. Like... a current?"
Exactly.
We stand there for three minutes.
When we come back inside, her cheeks are flushed.
Her eyes are bright.
"I feel more awake than I have in weeks," she says.
"What just happened?"
What I Told Kaya
I explain what I've been learning.
"Your body is electrical. Every heartbeat, every thought, every muscle contraction—all electrical signals."
"And to run properly, you need electrons."
"You get them from food. From sunlight. But there's another source most people have completely forgotten."
"The Earth itself."
Kaya's listening closely now.
"The Earth is like a giant battery. Lightning strikes, solar radiation, the molten core beneath our feet—they're constantly charging it with electrons."
"When you touch the Earth with your bare skin, those electrons flow into you."
"Not metaphorically. Literally."
"Free electrons. Straight into your mitochondria."
She looks down at her feet, still tingling from the cold and the connection.
"So I've been... electrically starving?"
"Most people are."
GOLDEN NUGGET: Modern life builds up positive charge in your body from stress, artificial light, and electromagnetic noise. The Earth is negatively charged. When you connect, electrons flow from the Earth into you—neutralizing inflammation, supporting your mitochondria, and restoring electrical balance. This is why touching the Earth feels so good.
What Hunt's Ancestors Always Knew
Back on the farm, I ask Hunt about it.
"Why do you think the ground-dwelling chickens are so much healthier?"
He smiles.
"My grandmother Nokomis used to say: 'The Earth feeds us in ways we've forgotten.'"
"She wasn't talking about food from the soil. She meant the Earth itself. Direct contact."
Remember Kaya from Blog 4? Hunt's daughter who moved to Toronto, got sick, and came home to heal with Nokomis during the winter solstice?
When Nokomis guided her back to health, it wasn't just about protecting darkness with firelight.
She had Kaya work in the garden daily, hands in the soil, even in winter.
She had her walk barefoot to the well every morning.
Hunt continues: "Grandmother told Kaya: 'Touch the Earth every day. Let it feed you.'"
"At the time, Kaya thought she was being symbolic."
"But Nokomis meant it literally."
The Earth feeds us. Electrically.
The Science Behind It
After that conversation, I dove into the research.
What I found blew my mind.
Your body is electrical.
Every heartbeat. Every thought. Every muscle contraction: electrical signals.
And to run properly, you need electrons.
You get them from food. From sunlight.
But there's another source most people have completely forgotten:
The Earth itself.
The Earth is like a giant battery.
Lightning strikes, solar radiation, the molten core beneath our feet: they're constantly charging it with electrons.
When you touch the Earth with your bare skin, electrons flow into you.
Not metaphorically…..Literally.
It's basic physics.
Electrons move from high potential to low potential.
The Earth carries negative electrons. Your body (from modern life) is positively charged.
So electrons flow in from the earth to your body to equalize the excess of positive electricity caused by over exposure to modern life technology like dirty electricity, wifis, processed food, artificial blue light ect
✨ GOLDEN NUGGET: Modern life builds up positive charge in your body from stress, artificial light, and electromagnetic noise. The Earth carries negative electrons. When you connect, electrons flow from the Earth into you—neutralizing inflammation, supporting your mitochondria, and restoring electrical balance.
What 20+ Years of Research Shows
Scientists have been studying grounding for over two decades.
The results are consistent.
Blood flow improves:
One study found that just one hour of grounding improved circulation and reduced inflammation markers. Another showed grounding makes your blood less viscous= less thick and sticky. Better oxygen delivery. Better nutrient delivery. Less strain on your heart. This also explains why cold exposure feels easier when the feet are connected to the ground. Improved blood circulation enhances thermogenesis and heat.
Inflammation drops:
Dr. James Oschman, one of the leading researchers, calls grounding "perhaps the most effective and easiest way to reduce inflammation."
Sleep deepens:
Grounding normalizes cortisol rhythm—rising in the morning to wake you up, falling at night to let you rest. Here's something fascinating: the Earth's electromagnetic environment changes from day to night. During the day, sunlight charges the ionosphere. At night, the sun sets and the whole environment gets quieter. When you ground at night, you're connecting to the Earth during its most peaceful state. Your body senses that calm. Your nervous system relaxes. Cortisol settles. One study even found grounding improved sleep quality in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Energy increases:
When electrons flow into your body, they go straight to your mitochondria. Direct fuel. No digestion required. This is why people feel energized after walking barefoot. It's not psychological. It's electrical.
✨ GOLDEN NUGGET: Grounding delivers electrons directly to your mitochondria: the same mitochondria you learned about in Blog 5 that generate heat in winter. This is why grounding and cold exposure work so powerfully together: cold activates thermogenesis, grounding fuels it with electrons.
Signs of Earth Starvation
Most people don't realize they're electrically starving.
Here's what it looks like:
- Cold hands and feet (poor circulation)
- Low energy and chronic fatigue
- Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep
- Slow healing (cuts, bruises that linger)
- Brain fog and difficulty concentrating
- Mood swings and irritability
- Chronic inflammation
- Weight gain tied to inflammation
- Feeling older than your years
Sound familiar?
Most people blame aging. Or stress. Or genetics.
But what if a big part of it is simply... disconnection?
Disconnection from the Earth.
Disconnection from the electrical nutrition your body needs.
5 Actions to Reconnect
You don't need complicated protocols.
You just need to touch the Earth.
Action #1: Walk Barefoot for 5 Minutes
Grass. Soil. Sand. Snow. Even concrete (it conducts).
Just not asphalt, rubber, or wood (these insulate).
Start with 5 minutes. Build from there.
Even in winter. Even in the cold.
In fact, especially in winter.
For longer grounded walks: If you want to extend your grounding time beyond those first few barefoot minutes, consider Earthrunners grounded sandals. They have a copper plug that connects your feet to the Earth while protecting you from sharp rocks, rough terrain, or icy surfaces. You can walk for miles and stay grounded the entire time.
For winter, they make special socks designed to work with the sandals, so you can stay warm while maintaining that Earth connection. This is how you can ground for 30 minutes, an hour, or even longer without your feet getting too cold.
But always start with at least a few minutes of direct barefoot contact. Skin to Earth. That's the most powerful connection.
Action #2: Touch a Tree
When you step outside—for morning light, for cold exposure, for anything—place your hand on a tree.
Bark conducts electrons.
Even 30 seconds makes a difference.
Action #3: Get Your Hands Dirty
Gardening isn't just about growing food.
It's about touching the soil.
Hands in the earth = direct electron transfer.
Even in winter, you can move soil, prepare beds, plan for spring.
Your hands in the dirt. Your body absorbing electrons.
Action #4: Ground While You Sleep
If you can't get outside daily, consider a grounding sheet.
It connects to the Earth port in your electrical outlet and conducts electrons to your body while you sleep.
8 hours of grounding. Every night.
(We'll cover this more in Blog 11.)
Start with one.
Maybe it's barefoot in the snow for two minutes.
Maybe it's touching a tree when you go outside for morning light.
One action. One connection.
Your body will respond.
What's Next
In Blog 11, we'll bring everything together.
The five forces:
- Light
- Darkness
- Cold
- Food
- Earth
How they work together as one integrated system.
How modern life disrupts all five simultaneously.
And how to restore all five—practically, simply, sustainably.
We'll also cover:
- How EMFs drain your electrical system (and what to do about it)
- The complete grounding protocol for winter
- How to layer all five forces into your daily rhythm
- Why winter is actually the easiest time to align with nature
But for now, let this settle:
You are not just a chemical being.
You are an electrical being.
And the Earth beneath your feet?
It's not just ground.
It's your power source.
The chickens know this.
Nokomis knew this.
Hunt's family has always known this.
And now, so do you.
✨ GOLDEN NUGGET: You're not just biochemistry. You're bioelectricity. Every signal in your body: heartbeat, brainwave, muscle contraction—is electrical. The Earth provides the electrons that keep those signals clear, strong, and balanced. Without that connection, you're running on a dying battery.
The Science Behind This Blog
Key Research Citations:
Oschman, J.L., et al. (2015). "The effects of grounding on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases." Journal of Inflammation Research, 8, 83-96.
Chevalier, G., et al. (2015). "One-Hour Contact with the Earth's Surface (Grounding) Improves Inflammation and Blood Flow—A Randomized, Double-Blind, Pilot Study." Health, 7(8), 1022-1059.
Chevalier, G., et al. (2013). "Earthing (Grounding) the Human Body Reduces Blood Viscosity—a Major Factor in Cardiovascular Disease." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 19(2), 102-110.
Ghaly, M. & Teplitz, D. (2004). "The biological effects of grounding the human body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress." Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 10(5), 767-776.
Lin, C.H., et al. (2022). "Grounding the Body Improves Sleep Quality in Patients with Mild Alzheimer's Disease: A Pilot Study." Healthcare, 10(3), 581.
Sinatra, S.T., et al. (2023). "Grounding—The universal anti-inflammatory remedy." Biomedical Journal, 46(1), 11-18.
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