Sept. 20th: Day 3 of the Jayne Orton Workshop

Another four hours with Jayne today. I had stayed up late the night before and was wiped, not to mention s-o-r-e from the two previous days. Funny how those things don't matter once you get into the groove of a good workshop. On the last day: Arm balancing, hip openers, and more fun things.

Gomukasana (Cow Face Pose) - Nothing new here. My outer thighs were thanking me *ahem* afterwords so I had to include it here for you.

Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle) - Done alone on blankets for support, them with friends in groups of three. Picture one person in BK holding the ankles of a second person standing in front of them and a third person with two straps lopped around the thigh creases of the BK person. Think medieval torture device as the standing person steps back slowly while the person with the straps draws back and down. Goal: surprisingly not the make you cry but rather to ground the buttocks, keep the BK person's thighs rolling back, and their spine lengthening forward. Lovely.

Bhujapidasana (Shoulder-pressing Pose) - Stand in Tadasana with the feet slightly no wider than hip-width apart. This is unusual for me as I generally try to keep the feet wider. Crouch down and lift one heel, take one arm through your feet and place the hand down. IMPORTANT! Instead of dropping the heel down, make sure the back of the thigh is resting high on the upper arm near the shoulder. Do the same with the other heel and hand. Then as you press up and straighten your arms, continue to press your inner thighs against your upper arms. Then all you need to do is hang out monkey style..

Bakasana (Crane Pose) - Women, listen up! Take your hands wide to make up for our narrow upper frame. This helped me even my with my broader shoulders. Keep the elbows in line with your wrists, take your time, and lift up onto your toes first before taking the leap with feet off. Then straighten your arms. Breath.

Salamba Sirsasana II (supported Headstand II) into Bakasana - Take your time, elbows in line with the wrists, an place your shins onto your upper arms first before lifting your head completely off the floor.

Parsva Bakasana (Side Crane Pose) - Crouch, walk your hands to the right side, and place them wide apart on the mat. The left upper arms and armpit stays close to the outer right thigh. Walk your feet around to the left and then using your lower right leg to lift the left, place your right thigh against the left upper arm. Balance.

Vasisthasana (Side-plank Pose, stage 1 and full-pose) - We positioned ourselves perpendicular to the wall with the lower foot's inner edge pressing against the baseboard. Feet stacked at first, then we took the top leg up as vertically as possible while holding the big-toe.

Akarna Dhanurasana (Archer Pose) - A great way to end an incredible workshop. I made big strides in my own body with this one. Variation: Take the bent leg tight into your side, draw the knee back as much as possible without collapsing in the spine and overly externally rotating the hip. Grab the foot of the bent leg with both hands if possible. Straighten your bent leg all the while keeping the thigh as close to your body as possible. Draw the thighbone back down into the hip socket. Repeat the sequence of thigh into the body, leg straightening, thigh bone down as many times as need until the leg is straight. Full pose: Do the above again but this time hold the big toe of the bent leg; hold the big toe of the opposite straight leg with the other foot.

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