Jason Crandell Workshop: Day 1

Jason and Andrea arrived this evening from San Francisco.
Traffic had been horrible and they arrived minutes before he was supposed to teach.
Like a total pro, he arrived and dropped in instantly.

Jason remembers people's names. He immediately acknowledges the space that is Lulu Bandha's and he starts right in. Allowing your body to do the teaching more than him.

I am sharing the sequence from memory, so I might miss a few spots. I filmed a bunch of it and tomorrow we will be recording the entire class.


Opening
Lay over 2 blocks or bolster in a supported backbend.
(he drew attention to the backs usual pattern of resting, and encouraged us to relax into it.)

Seated Posture Sequence
Simple Shin to Shin Cross Legged Forward Fold
Side Bend
(Adjectives like Gluey)
Backwards Press
(Really great instruction on bending the elbows, allowing chest to open and then pressing up.)

Switch Legs and Repeat

Dandasana Legs with backwards press
(prep for back bending starting here. Also drew our awareness to the action of rolling thighs open and reaching thru balls of feet)

Cow Fae Legs with Forward Fold
Easy Half Lord of the Fishes Pose with Armpit Wrap
Dandasana with Chest Press
Repeat Other side

Baddha Konasana
Uppavishta Konasana
Side Stretch with UK Legs
Baddha Konasana

Box pose
Press Foot of Top leg with opposite hand to create Hip Rotation Awareness
Fold Forward
Side Bend

Childs pose

Vajrasana with Fingers Interlaced, Arms Overhead
(Emphasis on allowing back body to open and fill and then reaching from deep within the back).
Side bend to both sides.

Malasana

Downward Facing Dog
Lunge Vinyasa from Dog (2 Rounds)
Bending and straighting the back leg

Uttanasana
Tadasna

Side Bending with Fingers Interlaced and Arms Overhead.
Again, emphasis on keeping the back body full.

Sun Salutation Pattern
Inhale arms overhead
Exhale fold forward
Inhale, half Arch
Exhale, step back lunge, drop knee down
Inhale Arms over head
Exhale hands around foot
Inhale, Lift back leg
Exhale, Dog
Inhale, Plank
Exhale, lower to floor
Inhale, locust (with arms down along sides, emphasis on thumbs pointing down and pinky toes reaching down) for a few breath
Dog
Inhale, Opposite foot forward
Exhale, Drop knee
Inhale Arms up
Exhale, hands to earth
Inhale Lift back leg
Exhale step Forward
Inhale Half Arch
Exhale Fold
Inhale up to Standing
Exhale, Hands to Heart

Several Times.

Handstand Play
Jason has a really great way of knowing how to divide a group.
He asks people who are not comfortable with handstand to set up in one corner and the people who are to set up in rest of room. Then he demonstrates for the "handstand" people. Then he works with the "non-handstand" peeps.

Tonight, he emphasized the play of drawing the chin into chest and then realising it. (See Video)

With the non handstand peeps, he emphasized playing with getting comfortable with kicking up.

He allowed about 3 minutes for play.

Tree Pose with foot on block and toes hanging over the block.
To emphasize that balance is "responsiveness, not rigidity".
Very cool way of teaching the non balance and balance.
Then when he took us back to handstand, he emphasized the "Rooster fingers".

One more tree pose with "handstand arms".

Standing Pose Sequence
All of us faced in one direction with feet wide on the mat.
(My memory is a little fuzzy here, so I might not record it accurately)

Triangle
Gate Pose in Triangle
Emphasis on allowing back body and bottom ribs to do the work.
Both Sides
Uttansna

Warrior 2
Side Angle Pose
Both Sides
Uttanasna
Standing Back bend emphasixing the smoothing Out of the Skin

Traingle
Half Moon POse with Binding
Both Sides
Uttanasna
Standing Back bend emphasixing the smoothing Out of the Skin

Warrior 1 with emphasis on smooth Back
Both Sides
Standing Back bend emphasizing the smoothing Out of the Skin
Utkatasana with emphasis on rooting though the calves.
Very cool instruction. I need to recreate it to remember it.

Revolving Triangle both side
emphasis on twisting from back body.

Chair Play
Scorpion Play
Supported Back bend with rolled mat along spine
Bridge Pose
Urdhva Dhanurasana with Chair under feet
(he showed UD over chair but we did not do it)

These were all super fun and awesome. I have video and will post it.

Some kind of seated release.

Drop Back Play with Partners

something and something else

Upavishta Konasana Twisting Play
Neutral Seat
emphasis on stilling the external body allowing the internal to be free
Janu Sirsasana Botyh Sides

Revolving Head to Knee Pose with Upavishta Konasana Legs
Upavishta Konasana

Legs up wall with bolster and Block Set Up
Release and rest with legs crossed on bolster as Savasana

So much fun.
Time FLEW by.
He did so much and yet I never felt rushed or overwhelmed.
I drove home at 35 miles an hour so I know I was relaxed.