Right?!?! We were getting worried about ya’ll, hahah!
Great questions, Brett can cover this in the Q&A.

Finding how the sequence works with your body safely is key. And Brett might have some ideas how to aim for horizontal while listening to your body.
As for the foot, generally speaking, keeping tension between the fabric and your foot typically allows for the foot to be either flexed or pointed. However, since this sequence really plays with tension, Brett may have some more specific tips for this in the Q&A.

@dorag – Fabulous! Yes, a low foot lock gives you a longer amount of fabric to work between the feet, and placing the hands low gives us the most room for back flexibility. Typically, you want to take some weight out of the joint you are rotating, in this case, shift the weight from ankle hang to the hands, so you don’t over tax the joint in rotation. And, while hips move in a variety of ways, we also typically suggest initiating rotation from the core out, so from the hips first. If you are starting to feel funky in the knee or hip from your knee first pathway, check in with you abs and glutes for support of the joints and/or try initiating the turn in the hip of the ankle hang leg. Happy training!

@Danica – Sounds like a wonderful way to make the sequence work for you! You may also find tips given below to @cathy and @dorag helpful pieces to keep in mind as you work on the shapes.

Love a good mix and match!!

Great question. Typically, more slack means more room. A difference between the two choreography options is the position of the hips to the foot in the belay before wrapping the footlock on the free leg. Being under the foot in the ankle hang makes a more vertical shape. Being on top of the foot in the belay gives your a more horizontal option. If you are trying a mix and match, exploring what shapes feel accessible to your body in the horizontal space might be a good place to start. These shapes might also be accessible in the vertical space, it’s translating the body position while inverted. For example, you may have room for some split shapes from the ankle hang if the hands start lower before turning over. Happy training!

Practice is certainly part of it! Sometimes when training a skill with a lot of sensation, setting a goal of trying it two to three times per session gives your body time to acclimate. Making sure the wrap starts tight around the leg side of the ankle before settling in to prevent uneven cinching is another aspect to consider. Strengthening the flex of the foot so when you are hanging, you are activated into the fabric rather than your foot being pulled away from the body is another place to find some comfort. And breathing! Some of the training we do where discomfort is a part of it is retraining the sensation. If we can comfort the body and brain in the skill, it’s yet another layer of training the body to find the ankle hang to be less daunting. Listening to your body in the process is key! Happy training!

Oh yes! Good point. Modifying the amount of weight a new skill manages is another great way to build both strength required and the level of sensation experienced each step of the way.

Excellent question. The loop will most likely end up being hip height. Once you are upright, if all the weight is in the loop and the live end of the belay, or the tail that allows the loop to become either bigger or smaller, is not controlled, you will create more slack in the loop. You can try sharing weight between the foot and the hands to keep the loop the same length. In the demo video, Lydia leans on the belay loop sideways away from the live side, keeping pressure off of the live end so it doesn’t slide any further. There is little pressure on the loop while she preps for the knee drop and once the hands release from above the belay loop, they catch both tails to keep any new slack from occurring. Not much rest for your grip to really keep the loop from sliding open! Keep us posted!