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On Lying on the Floor as a Spiritual Practice
I’ve been spending a lot of time on the ground recently
I’ve been spending a lot of time on the ground recently. Not resting, or meditating, or sleeping—but rather, sealing the gaps between Victorian floorboards in my flat with a caulk gun.
As DIY goes, it’s painstaking, fiddly, and repetitive work. But down there, squatting and kneeling on the floor, I notice a lot of things—dust being a main one. But also, how the quality of one’s day is a little different when you spend a considerable amount of time close to the ground. Less frenetic, heady, and harried, and more humble, grounded, and yes, filthy.
I’ve long been a believer in the physical, psychological, and restorative benefits of literally getting grounded. Whether it’s a deep passive squat — an “archetypal posture” that much of the world does every day as part of daily ablutions, just not in the west—or the touted wellness practice of “earthing,” getting close to the ground is deeply, profoundly human. And yet, it seems the more successful and ambitious a person gets in life, the harder it is to imagine them on the floor. Can you imagine a powerful politician or public figure in Europe or the U.S. squatting down or sitting cross legged on a patch of grass? My point exactly.
