If the floor is a place you're not all that familiar or a place you've lost touch with, then I highly recommend getting to know it a little better. It's a great place for feeling into your body and for loosening up. The floor can be such a nourishing place to be, as being there promotes a feeling groundedness and of being in the body, instead of up in the mind. Here's a few ways to get in touch with the floor if you feel you've got less acquainted over the years:
Sitting on the floor
Sitting on the floor helps to keep hip joints supple, as most ways of sitting on the floor will encourage the hip joints to open. When sitting on a chair the legs are typically in only one position, forward and together, but by sitting on the floor you have a range of positions and can move from one to another more easily, keeping yourself moving. Don't feel like sitting on the floor has to be uncomfortable, you can make it more comfortable any way you like by using props (blankets, pillows, yoga bolsters), see pictures below. Alternatively, if you're really struggling to get down there, then you can get a low stool/foot step/bolster and sit on that, gently encouraging the body to be in sitting positions other than in a chair.
Getting down and up again
A great way to keep all your joints and muscles moving is to get down to the floor and up again on a regular basis. It's a full-body action to get down and to get back up. No-matter how you do it, you're going to use everything from your legs, to your arms and of course your core muscles. It's an exercise in itself and can be done slowly or quickly depending on how you want to keep fit. You can use anything sturdy to help you get there if you need.
Rolling on the floor
Exploring stretching and moving in a lying down position is one way I love to release built up tension and tightness. You can give your body a really good stretch when lying down, from the fingertips to the toes, exploring lots of great feeling stretches right through the centre. You can get creative and see which stretches feel the best and you can really get into some places where you may not have moves for ages. Then you can explore rolling. Just like getting down and getting back up again, rolling from side to side or forward and backwards is also a full-body movement. Experimenting with moving from side-to-side will probably lead you to turning from your back to your front. Rolling all the way from you back to your front and back again will definitely bring your focus into the body and help keep you supple.
Standing and bringing focus to your feet on the floor
Finally, I've included the simple act of just standing and observing the feet on the floor. Bringing attention to the feet in an act we do every day, focuses and quiets the mind. Don't feel like you need to stand to attention like a military soldier, instead I encourage you to bring your awareness to how you regularly stand. Whether you like the way you stand or not, just observe how you are actually standing and make any adjustments that would feel good. Notice anything that you can about yourself in this position and see if you can let go of any preconceptions about how to stand 'correctly'. Feel how your feet and whole body is supported by the floor.
I hope this inspires you to re-visit the floor with some of these exercises. Or you could combine all 4 of them and have yourself a grounding, body awareness session. Have fun exploring!
*Here are some options for using props for comfort when sitting on the floor
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