You’ve probably heard that sleeping on a hard surface can be good for your back, but did you know it could also be great for your spirit? That’s right – ditching your plush, cushiony mattress for a night on the floorboards can provide some unexpected spiritual perks.
The History of Sleeping On The Floor
Sleeping on hard surfaces has been practiced for centuries and spans many cultures. Before the advent of modern mattresses, people typically slept on straw-stuffed mats, wooden boards, or even the bare ground.
Ancient Traditions
Ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine recommended sleeping on firm surfaces for health and longevity. Yogis have long espoused the benefits of sleeping on simple mats. Likewise, traditional Chinese medicine advocates sleeping on hard surfaces to allow energy or “qi” (pronounced “chee”) to flow freely through the body.
A Spartan Practice
The ancient Spartans believed sleeping on hard beds of wood with straw padding made them tough and less susceptible to comfort and weakness. Spartan children were trained at an early age to sleep on hard beds as part of their military education.
A Religious Ritual
Some Christian monks and ascetics sleep on wooden boards or stone slabs as a symbolic act of penance, sacrifice, and denial of earthly pleasures. This austere practice is seen as a way to strengthen faith, discipline the body and mind, and achieve greater closeness to God.
Spiritual Benefits
Sleeping on the floor rather than a mattress can be a thought-provoking experience. On the one hand, a bed is certainly comfortable! There’s something to be said for cozying up after a long day and getting a good night’s rest. At the same time, the floor does strip things back to the basics.
A Sense of Humility And Simplicity
Waking up each morning with the hard floor beneath you rather than a cushioned mattress could offer an interesting perspective. Sleeping on the floor may serve as a reminder that true contentment doesn’t necessarily come from material comforts and luxuries. Simply having a roof over your head and a place to lay your head is really all that’s needed.
Choosing the floor over a mattress could be a daily mindfulness practice that cultivates an attitude of gratitude for life’s simple blessings. Both options have their merits – perhaps alternating between the two from time to time provides the best of both worlds.
Closeness To The Earth And Nature
The floor is what keeps us standing, walking, and going about our day. The floor is always there no matter what, steady and reliable. And when you think about it, the floor connects us to bigger cycles in nature, too. It’s what we walk on day after day, feeling the sun’s warmth through the windows or the chill of night settling in. We can almost sense the passing of the seasons just by spending time on the floor.
Lying down on the floor is a great way to feel more grounded, literally! You can really feel the earth’s energy flowing up from below. It’s like you’re less separate from the natural world in that moment. All the stress and worries we carry seem to fade away as you tune into the floor beneath you.
I think experiencing that connection to the earth is important for feeling like a part of something bigger than ourselves. We’re not just isolated individuals but interconnected with all of life. The floor is a simple reminder of how we’re supported by nature each and every day, neither above nor below it but right smack in the middle.
Mindfulness
When you lie down on that hard, unforgiving surface, it’s a lot harder to ignore any twinges or aches in your body. You really feel everything underneath you, for better or worse. This forces you to be a lot more present with how your body is actually feeling in that moment. It keeps your mind from wandering to other things.
And you know, that lack of distraction can help you fall asleep faster. When you lay there noticing any discomfort, it’s tough to also think about that big presentation tomorrow or your to-do list for the day. Your mind has no choice but to focus on the sensations in your body. At the same time, physical awareness may make it harder to stay awake, too. Any tightness or sore spots will probably bother you more on the floor versus your soft bed. As an effect, you drift off faster just to escape feeling it for a while.
People also say sleeping on the floor helps you achieve deeper sleep. Since it’s harder to move around looking for a cozy position, you have to learn to relax your body wherever you end up. And that relaxation may lead you into deeper stages of rest.
Start Slowly
Sleeping on the floor can be a powerful way to enhance your spiritual practice. When you remove the comfort of a soft mattress, it helps shift your mindset and make you more aware of your body and surroundings. But instead of jumping all in and crashing on the floor every night, ease into it.
Find Stillness
Lying on the hard floor in stillness, without the usual distractions of TV, phones or restless tossing and turning on a mattress, you can reach a deeper meditative state. Focus on your breath moving in and out. Mentally scan your body and release any areas of tension. This simple practice helps quiet the mind and invites spiritual insights to arise.
Connect With The Earth
There is a primal earth connection that comes from lying directly on the floor. Imagine the stable support and grounding you receive from the floor beneath you. Feel the energy of the earth flowing into your body, soothing and rejuvenating you. This helps you remember your connection to something bigger than yourself.
Practice Gratitude
As you settle in for sleep on the floor, reflect on all you have to be grateful for. Appreciate the simple comforts you may usually take for granted, like a roof over your head, a warm blanket, and a safe space to rest. Feel gratitude for your health, your family and friends, and your spiritual practice. Drift off to sleep with a heart overflowing with thankfulness.
Give It A Shot
If you’re looking to get more in tune with yourself and boost your physical and mental health, try spending a night or two sleeping on the floor. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but over time, you’ll likely start to notice the benefits. Sleeping on the floor probably isn’t something you want to do every night, but mixing it in occasionally can be a simple way to realign your spirit.
