Looking at the ground
Bending your knees while looking down to practise the movement of squatting with control.
Share it with your family
If you feel pain, stop. If you have a recent injury or surgery, check with your doctor before you start.
The steps, in writing
Step your feet apart: one to the left, one to the right.
Place your hands on your groin.
Bend your knees, looking at the ground.
Count slowly: one, two, three, four.
Rise slowly.
Breathe.
Bring your hands behind you and put your feet together.
Safety notes
- Keep a chair or wall nearby in case you need support when rising.
- Stop if you feel pain in your knees or dizziness.
- Do it slowly; speed does not matter.
What you need
Nothing special: comfortable clothes and a firm chair.
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 helps you practise the movement of bending down in a gentle and controlled way. Frank guides you step by step so you can lower and rise safely, always looking at the ground. It is a movement you repeat many times a day, so it is worth practising.
What Frank says
Translated from Frank’s Spanish narration.
Exercise four. Looking at the ground. One foot to the left, the other to the right. Hands on your groin. We bend our knees, looking at the ground. One, two, three, four. Slowly, we come back up. We breathe. Hands behind, we bring our feet together. One and two.
Related videos
Exercise 5
Giving the dog a drink
We bend down and come back up, mimicking the movement of giving a dog some water, to practise lowering and rising with control.
Watch the video
Exercise 5B
Giving the dog a drink
We bend forwards as if we were giving a dog some water, to practise bending down and reaching our feet.
Watch the video
Exercise 6
Placing a baby in its cot
We pretend to pick a baby up from the floor and place it in its cot, bending and straightening the back slowly.
Watch the video
Want to go deeper?
The complete method is in My Yoga Process, Frank Calber’s book.