Tying your shoelace
We pretend to tie a shoelace to practise bending and reaching down safely.
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
Stand with your hands behind your back and your feet apart.
Bring your left foot a little forwards.
Bend your knee as if you were going to tie your shoelace.
Go down slowly, counting one, two, three, four.
Slowly come back up.
Bring your hands to your chest.
Bring your feet together and breathe.
Safety notes
- Keep a chair or wall nearby in case you need to lean on it.
- If you feel dizzy or in pain when bending down, stop and return to the starting position.
- Do it slowly; rushing is the enemy of balance.
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 copies something we do every day: bending down to tie our shoes. By practising it gently and with control, your body gets used to going down and coming back up without any surprises. It’s a good moment to notice how you feel and adjust how far you go to what feels comfortable.
What Frank says
Translated from Frank’s Spanish narration.
Exercise seven: tying your shoelace. Hands behind your back, step your feet apart. One, two. Bring your left foot a little forwards, and now let’s tie our shoelace, bending the knee. One, two, three, four. Slowly, come up. Bring your hands to your chest, bring your feet together, and breathe.
Related videos
Exercise 4
Looking at the ground
Bending your knees while looking down to practise the movement of squatting with control.
Watch the video
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
Want to go deeper?
The complete method is in My Yoga Process, Frank Calber’s book.