Commentary
We live in a world bathed in artificial light. Children spend hours on screens, often learning more from pixels than from teachers in a classroom. Adults spend their days under LED glare, scrolling late into the night, and sleeping with phones within arm’s reach. The constant brightness tricks our bodies into believing the day never ends. It scrambles the rhythms that are supposed to help us rest, repair, and think clearly. Watching this unfold in my own home pushed me back toward two very old practices that require no technology at all: standing barefoot on the earth and watching the sun rise.
Most mornings now my family gathers on the edge of our porch with our feet in the grass. We wait quietly for the first light to crest the hills. The two-year-old reminds me if we are running late. The ten year old shouts when the first golden line appears. Even our animals participate. The dogs will stop wherever they are and face the sun as soon as it clears the horizon. They do it every single morning. The cats do the same. Dogs, of course, are always grounding. They spend their lives with bare paws on soil and grass. They never forget the contact we humans so often avoid with shoes and concrete. Watching them, I cannot help but believe that they know, on a level deeper than words, that this ritual matters.
There is joy in this ordinary habit, but there is also measurable science behind it. Grounding, sometimes called earthing, means direct contact with the surface of the earth. A growing body of research suggests that this contact changes physiology in ways that matter for health. A multidisciplinary review reported that grounding can reduce inflammation, support immune responses, speed wound healing, and ease chronic inflammatory conditions.
Other studies have found that grounding alters the electrical charge on red blood cells, reducing blood thickness, which is an important factor in cardiovascular health. A pilot study of people who slept on grounded mats showed improved cortisol rhythms, less nighttime stress, and better sleep. Researchers have also reported faster wound healing and lower markers of inflammation, though larger trials are needed to confirm the extent of these effects.
Sunrise plays a different but equally powerful role. The first light of day is the signal that resets the brain’s master clock, which governs sleep, hormones, and metabolism. Morning light, particularly the blue spectrum abundant at dawn, suppresses melatonin, raises morning alertness, and stabilizes cortisol. This helps create steady energy during the day and deeper sleep at night.
On a cellular level, red and near infrared light, present at sunrise and sunset, interact with mitochondria, the power plants of our cells. These wavelengths activate enzymes that improve energy production and reduce oxidative stress. This process has been studied for its ability to enhance cellular resilience and even support brain function.
The modern problem is that screens and indoor light are stealing these natural cues. Research shows that children exposed to more screen time in the evening suffer poorer sleep quality and weaker concentration the next day. When we swap the sun for devices, our bodies lose the signals they were designed to follow.
For me the difference since starting this morning ritual has been profound. My anxiety has quieted. My sleep is deeper and more refreshing. The swelling in my hands and feet when I wake has eased. I experimented with grounding sheets woven with conductive silver threads that plug into the ground of an outlet. They helped a little, but they did not compare to the impact of bare feet on soil and first light on skin. Most importantly, this practice has become something my whole family looks forward to. The children rush me outside if the sun is about to break the horizon. It feels like we are reclaiming something humanity has always known.
I also watch how the animals respond. The dogs always turn toward the sun at dawn. They do it without being told, without being taught. It seems written into their very design. That tells me something important. If even animals know to seek out the morning sun, maybe our own instincts are not wrong when we feel drawn to it. Maybe we have just forgotten.
What the science allows us to say is this. Grounding shows promise for lowering inflammation, improving sleep, reducing stress hormones, supporting circulation, and aiding recovery. Morning light has strong evidence for resetting circadian rhythms, improving mood, and enhancing sleep. Red and infrared wavelengths support mitochondrial health and energy production. More research is needed, but these simple practices are low risk and already part of the natural order.
But beyond the studies and the data, there is something older and deeper at work. Standing barefoot on God’s green earth and watching the sun rise is one of the simplest human experiences. It reminds us that we are not separate from creation but part of it. We are designed to be in relationship with the ground beneath us and the light above us.
For my family, this daily practice has become more than a health routine. It is a reminder of rhythm, of gratitude, and of connection. In a culture that often feels fractured and anxious, these quiet mornings give us peace.
I do not believe we were made to fear the sun or to live cut off from the earth. We were made to wake with the light, to feel the pulse of the soil, and to carry that groundedness into the rest of our day. My encouragement to anyone reading is simple. Step outside tomorrow morning. Put your bare feet on the ground. Watch the sun rise. Feel what happens. You may find, as I have, that something in you begins to heal.
