Jumping back from Eka Pada and Dwi Pada Sirasana

I was asked for any tips on jumping back from Eka pada Sirasana. Funny, despite spending hours, days, weeks thinking about little else than the jump back I never really thought that much about this one.

It kind of happened by accident. I wasn't able to keep my leg behind my head at first without holding my foot. As soon as I let go it would slip out from behind my head and on to my shoulder. It seemed to sit there comfortably enough as I lifted up brought my other leg in and through. As I started to tip forward the leg would then slip off my shoulder and go back with the other into Chaturanger. That's what's happening in the first clip on the first video below.

The second clip is a development of that. As I became more able to keep my leg behind my head I was able to keep it there as I lifted up and started to jump back. It was just a case then of tilting my head forward at the last minute, just as the other leg was going through, whereupon it would slip out from behind my head, slide over my shoulder and back to join the other leg.

The third clip is pretty much Chakorasana which according to the Swenson book used to come after Eka pada S. Now it's in 3rd series. I learned Ashtanga with Swenson's book so just started doing the pose. As your leg becomes more comfortable behind your head/shoulder your able to lift up. In the second clip I tilted my head to let the foot slide off my shoulder, but in this one I keep my head up as I lift and let the extra weight from the LBH tilt me back helping to bring up the straight leg. You can either hold it up there for five breathes, if your strong enough or take it all the way up in an ark and then as you swing back down again fold the leg in and take it back through as you tilt your head to drop the LBH off you shoulder as before.

In the 3rd clip I also let the leg sit on my arm as I stretch back with the other leg into an arm balance and then take it all the way back to Chaturanga. Not sure why I did that, perhaps because I was trying to perform it slowly and it ended up there and seemed a good idea to explore the arm balance.

All the clips in the video below are in slow motion

This next video includes some LBH prep postures, ideal perhaps for these cold winter months., followed by the Jump back options full speed and then then in slowmo.

And for the sake of for completion.... the last video is the jump back from Dwi Pada Sirasana, exiting through Tittibhasana and Bakasana.

Same as before tilting the head to allow the legs to come out from behind the neck/off the shoulder. Trick here is not to let them come too far off the shoulder so you can keep a high Tittbhasana and allow you to miss the floor as you transition into Bakasana.

Usually I practice in Shorts and the material of these longer trousers got in the way of getting my second leg deeper into Dwi pada and thus not so high up my arm in Titti. I think I need to be getting my hips up higher as I move into Bakasana too, could be a lot neater.

Traditionally you only pass through tittibhasana, I understand, but I like this high version of it so like to hold it for five breathes, I'll often do the same for bakasana too if I end up in a nice high one.