Rebecca split

From Silkworms

rebecca split:

from split silks single footlock, reach around the loose fabric with the arm on the side nearest to it, from back to front, and grab the pole of the weighted fabric with that hand. with the other hand, grab the tail of the loose fabric and bring it behind your back; then raise your free knee and throw the tail over that thigh.

then swap hands: grab the weighted pole with the arm nearest it and the end of the loose tail (which is draped over your raised leg) with the other hand. lean back.

at this point your safety is the loose tail, which keeps tension on a fabric that goes under the small of your back-- you can let go of the pole and just hold the tail. hook the free knee over the pole of the formerly-loose fabric and pull the tail up slightly to lock it between your thigh and the pole. pose (as shown at left).

now reach up, crochet the hooked leg, grab the pole of the fabric with the footlock on it, and rotate your hips and body until you're between the fabrics, standing on a footlock with a leg supported in the air behind you.

this pose was probably designed to show off rebecca leonard's standing split, but i think it looks better than i always expect even for folks who don't have the full split, as long as you keep the bottom leg straight. also it feels good-- you can shift weight slightly to get a variety of good stretches from this position. the sequence in general lends itself to a lot of variations.

links: i learned this sequence from elsie smith, who attributed it to rebecca leonard