Question about an Eastern Christian practice

[Soldier_X]

I visited a Divine Liturgy recently, and I observed that many of the people there would touch the ground after making the Sign of the Cross. I hope I’m describing this correctly. Could any Orthodox posters explain what the practice signifies and when it is to be done? Not everyone did it, and some didn’t do it as frequently as others.

Thanks! I like learning about Eastern Christian practice.

 

[choy]

you can try posting this question in our Eastern Catholicism forum, and our Eastern Catholics would be happy to explain this to you

 

[searn77]

Here’s from orthodoxwiki.org:

Metania
Another common gesture is the metania. Metania (or metany) comes from the word metanoia (Greek μετάνοια). It is performed by first making the Sign of the Cross. Then, one bends from the waist, reaches toward the floor with the right hand open and facing outward, and touches the ground. It is used as the substitute for the prostration when it is normally prescribed, but not permitted by the Canons of the Church. The metania is often used when venerating an icon and when approaching a hierarch or a priest for his blessing.
The metania is known by other various names:
Lesser prostration, little prostration, small prostration, waist prostration, half prostration
Waist reverence (Slavonic: poiasnyi poklon), little reverence
Small bow