Originally published in July 2014.
The practice of sitting on the floor is an age-old tradition in India. And, with changes in lifestyle and modernization, we have somehow lost this practice which is responsible for so many benefits for our body. What used to be a part of life earlier is now a special practice for which we have to make time.
Due to Scleroderma, floor sitting was actually a difficult task for me. Thankfully, with medicines and regular habits, I am now able to sit comfortably. Getting up still becomes an issue sometimes though.
Let me add a disclaimer here. Floor Sitting is not recommended for people with arthritis or knee problems and if you have any such medical condition, please refrain from doing so or get medical advise at once.
Table of Contents
Sitting on the floor cross-legged with straight spine ( half padmasana or sukhasana, depending on which posture you hold ) provides a lot of benefits for our posture and overall health. Lets check out what are those.
Sitting on the Floor helps with Posture Improvement
The long sitting hours these days with necks craned to stare at the screens, either mobile, laptop pr television, is wreaking havoc on our neck and spine. A proper sitting session with stretched spine helps engage all the muscles and the core.
It is preferable to sit against a wall to support your spine. This helps relax your lower back as well.
In fact, I have to add that since I brought Sky home, I have been sitting down more often. Either to play with her, to be on level with her or to feed her or clean her.
Floor Sitting helps with Neck and Shoulder Pains
As I mentioned, sitting in one posture everyday affects not only the spine but also your neck, shoulders and your arms. Sitting on the floor helps relax all the muscles around your neck and shoulders. If you are suffering from neck and shoulder pain, it is advisable to sit on the floor.
Sitting on the Floor makes you Flexible
The act of sitting on the floor involves the coordinated usage of all the leg and some abdominal muscles. Over time when you are constantly sitting up and getting up from the floor, these muscles get stretched and relax.
Floor Sitting may help Lose Weight
Since you are actively stretching and using your muscles, over time there is a chance that you lose the extra flab around your abdomen, hips and legs.
Aids Digestion and Improves Appetite
The practice of sitting on the floor for meals helps in mindful eating and aids digestion. The movement involved in bending forward to eat the food and coming back to the original position helps secrete digestive juices aiding in better digestion.
Helps Improve Family Bonding
If you are sitting down as a family to spend time, the act of sitting on the floor close to each other helps improve the bonding and at the same time, helps to ground you. You are accessing the Earth element at this moment which is improving your connection with the Earth.
According to Ayurveda, our body is made of five elements – air, water, space, earth and fire and every single day, we should follow practices which maintain our connection and balance with these elements. Having balance among these elements in our body leads to more fulfilled life and imbalance creates diseases.
Word of Caution
You should not sit on the floor in incorrect position which puts pressure on your spine. This will lead to further issues.
Also, sitting too long in the cross-legged position stops or reduces the blood flow to the legs so it is important to relax your leg muscles frequently or change positions accordingly.
Do not sit on a hard floor. Always use a mat. Sitting on hard floor increases pressure on the spine.
Do you practice sitting on the floor daily? How easy or difficult it is for you? Do share your experience in the comments.
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no not yet. but i never thought sitting on the floor can be good for health
hey Sam…sorry for the delay in reply. yup, its very useful to sit on the floor!!
yes i have tried sleeping on the floor many times which helps me in my back pain.i noticed its quite healthy and relaxing to me.speaking about eating on floor , i have read somewhere that it helps to flow maximum amount of blood to liver (written in ayurveda as that article says) but thanx for reminding…and pls keep posting on health… its rear to find such useful posts…
Hey Kritika. not only the blood flow but also the posture is perfect for ideal digestion of the food. i think we can also control how much we eat when we sit on the floor because of the pressure on the stomach. and, thanks a lot for your encouragement 🙂
I really read your article with thorough interest. I can imagine how hard it must have been to move to a non furnished place. But truly it’s a blessing later on as you get to buy the furniture you require according to need. IN that way, minimal furnishing is always the best. I also like having one Indian toilet at home. There is a new mall in our locality and some of the mall goers were complaining about why some of the toilets in there were the Indian closets. I thought that was a boon, though, since its more hygienic considering how clean they keep public toilets here in india. It is also easier to go in them.
I like sitting on the floor.
hey Coral. thanks a lot for reading 🙂
yup, i do like that way. in fact even while buying a house, i am preferring one which is under construction so that we can customize it accordingly!!
yup, these days malls are coming with indian toilets. at least it is useful for ones who are either not used to american toilets or find it inconvenient. in fact my mom prefers indian just because it helps keeps knees in use!!