Lying down
Learning to lie down and get up from bed using your elbow for support, calmly and without rushing.
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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
We bring our knees together and place both hands on one side.
We lower ourselves onto the elbow very gently, counting to four.
We press the elbow and come up, counting to four. We lower the trunk and settle ourselves.
We turn to the other side, knees together, and repeat: we lower ourselves onto the elbow and come up.
We bring our knees together again, place our hands to one side, lower ourselves onto the elbow and lift the feet little by little, very slowly.
We lift the head, press the elbow and come up very slowly. We lower the head and breathe.
We place both hands on the other side of the bed, lower ourselves onto the elbow, lift the feet very slowly and lie down on top of both hands.
We lift the head, place the hands down and come up very slowly, leaning on the elbow, until we're sitting up properly with the body upright.
Safety notes
- Do it very slowly: if you feel dizzy, stop and stay still for a moment.
- Keep your knees together so you don't strain your hip.
- If it's hard to lean on your elbow, use your open hand instead.
What you need
- a bed
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← this video
- 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
Lying down and getting up from bed is something we do every day, but sometimes we forget how to do it without straining our back. In this exercise, Frank shows you how to use your elbow as a lever to lower and raise yourself gently. It’s a slow movement, designed for you to practise without rushing.
What Frank says
Translated from Frank’s Spanish narration.
We bring our knees together, place both hands on one side, and now we lower ourselves onto the elbow very gently. One, two, three, four. We press the elbow and come up. One, two, three, four. We lower the trunk and settle ourselves. Now we turn to the other side. Knees together and we lower ourselves onto the elbow. One, two, three, four. We lift the head and start to come up. One, two, three, four. We breathe. We bring our knees together again, place both hands to one side, lower ourselves onto the elbow and lift the feet little by little, slowly, very slowly. We lower ourselves down. One, two, three, four. We lift the head, press the elbow and come up very slowly, very slowly. The head down. One, two, three. And we breathe. We bring our knees together, place both hands on the other side of the bed, and lower ourselves onto the elbow. One, two, three. We lift the feet very slowly, very slowly, keeping the knees well together, and we lie down on top of both hands. One, two, three, four. We lift the head, place the hands down and come up very slowly, leaning on the elbow. One, two, three. And we sit up properly with the body upright.
Related videos
Exercise 33
Sitting down
Lower yourself slowly until you're sitting on the chair, keeping control of your trunk and head.
Watch the video
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.
Watch the video
Exercise 31
Putting on your socks
We practise putting on our socks step by step, without rushing, calmly.
Watch the video
Want to go deeper?
The complete method is in My Yoga Process, Frank Calber’s book.