My yoga teacher in Nevada City, Katie Carter at Wild Mountain Yoga Center, has never warned our class about this particular hazard of yoga, so I want to make sure you know just what can happen in this seemingly innocuous practice.

Preface to this story (a true story!) is that in winter, with the air nippy, open-toed sandals forgotten in the back of the closet, and a small shower stall that doesn’t encourage bending down for pedi-contemplation, attention to my toe nails is LOW. Basically, the only time I really look at them is when practicing yoga and doing a low lunge–this is when I get a birds eye view of the toes at a distance of a foot.

Where am I going with this? Well, on the day in question, my toenails had been neglected for some time and were long, uneven, and sharp. I was in the middle of my home practice, had warmed up with sun salutations and a few warrior poses. I was ready for a “jump through.” (This is when you go from down dog (i.e. butt up in air) to seated by slowly and gracefully jumping and passing your legs through the tunnel formed by your arms to lightly land with legs extended in front of you.) It’s a rather challenging flow until you get the hang of the balance, timing, and stomach muscles required. I’m still a rather clunky at it.

So that morning, I’m in down dog, exhale, look forward, jump. OUCH!! In my sloppy move, my legs kind of crashed through my arms (rather than a smooth pass-through) and one of my TOENAILS grabbed a chunk of skin from my right hand that was ever so firmly planted on the ground! Yes, a drop of blood passed through the compromised barrier of my epidermal protection. Shocked at the uncomfortable clashing of external physical awareness and internal spaciousness, I stopped and stared at the puncture for a few moments. Why wasn’t I warned of this? Why wasn’t there a warning label on my toenails stating, “Beware! Dangerous if left unattended!” How could this happen to me? I realized then and there that I cannot rely on others to warn me of every single potential danger lurking in this rough and tough world. While the authorities “protect and serve” the population, it is up to me, as an individual, to be aware of my surroundings and my place within them. And yes! there are practical applications to this lesson learned. For example, if I have a cup of scalding hot coffee from McDonalds in a squishy styrofoam cup in my hand, I should not drive my car. Wow! I feel wiser already.