Everyone has physical fears in yoga. Some people fear inversions. Some people fear headstands . Most people fear-ahem- yoga flatulence.

My yoga fear is the Vinyasa toe roll-over.

You know what I’m talking about, yogis. The one sandwiched between up and down dog. The one yogis flow through with a big, dramatic swoosh that bubbles the middle of their mat. Then they have to adjust it flat all, “Yeah, I’m legit” like.

Since I teach so much Vinyasa, I’ve been trying to conquer this yoga phobia.

I’ve been a toe-tucker for years. The idea of rolling over my feet is absolutely terrifying. I was nervous my toes would be crushed by my weight and snapped off my feet. Or worse– premature nasty arthritic old lady feet.

No one wants premature nasty arthritic old lady feet.

Well friends,  I accidentally toe-rolled.

I was on my mat, not at all in the present moment, thinking about my next pose that requires really high hips to achieve.  Then I was in downward facing dog without moving my feet.

Obviously, my first response was to freak out.

Then I tried it again, for good measure. And there was still no pain, no nausea, and all nine toes were attached.

That last part is a joke to make sure you were paying attention. Fortunately, my feet are fully loaded.

Mindlessness helped me conquer the toe-roll.

Although mindlessness is not exactly something to brag about as a yoga teacher, sometimes we need it to defeat irrational thoughts. Just for a second,  we need to silence the over-analyzing brain and try something new.

Writing this, the toe-roll still scares me. But both my brain and my body know that I did it without any discomfort.

Maybe next time I’ll think about doing it mindfully.