Trimming your toenails
We practise trimming our toenails while standing, to work on reaching down and keeping our balance.
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If you feel pain, stop. If you have a recent injury or surgery, check with your doctor before you start.
The steps, in writing
Stand up with one foot forward.
Pick up the nail clippers and pretend to trim your big toenail.
Now pretend to trim your little toenail.
Lift the clippers and breathe.
Switch feet and repeat: big toe and little toe.
Lift the nail clippers and breathe.
Safety notes
- If you lose your balance, steady yourself against a wall or a firm chair.
- Stop if you feel dizzy or have back pain when bending.
- Do it slowly; there's no rush to get down.
What you need
- a pair of nail clippers
Every step counts
This movement has levels: seated, holding a chair, and standing. Start at yours and stay there as long as you like — level 1 is already a complete practice, not a token version.
- Level 1 · Seated— On a firm chair, feet flat on the floorOn a firm chair, feet flat on the floor
- Level 2 · Holding a chair— Standing, holding on to a firm chairStanding, holding on to a firm chair
- Level 3 · Standing— Standing, with support nearby just in caseStanding, with support nearby just in case← this video
This exercise copies a very everyday action: trimming your toenails. You practise bending down and keeping your balance on one foot, something useful for daily life.
What Frank says
Translated from Frank’s Spanish narration.
Exercise thirty: trimming your toenails. One foot forward, we pick up the nail clippers and trim the big toenail. One, two, three. The little toenail. One, two. We lift the clippers, we breathe. We change feet, pick up the clippers and trim the big toenail. One, two, three, four. The little toenail, one, two, three, four. We lift the clippers, we breathe.
Related videos
Exercise 31
Putting on your socks
We practise putting on our socks step by step, without rushing, calmly.
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Exercise 32
Adjusting your shoes
We practise the movement of bringing your foot back, as when you adjust your shoe, to make putting on shoes easier.
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Exercise 29
Looking to the side
You gently turn your head to each side to loosen your neck.
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Want to go deeper?
The complete method is in My Yoga Process, Frank Calber’s book.