My new goal: collection

Today was windy, and I was gone for an extended weekend, and although J rode Willig for me every other day, I only got to ride him Wednesday night before my lesson. And it was a busy evening in the arena, which threw us off a bit.
So I was a little anxious that it would be a lesson where we regressed again, but it ended up being one that was just the right amount of "stretch" into new territory, while feeling progress in the stuff we've been working on.
We began with the failure to bend to the left, and Mike pointed out that when I am asking for that bend, I tend to move my hand up and over (the dreaded crossing of the neck) instead of down and out (towards my knee). Also, I tend to pull with my right hand whenever I pull with my left (which I don't think happens the other way), so poor Willig has essentially been asked to go even more to the right when I'm trying to bend him to the left. Although this is quite obviously an ingrained habit, as soon as Mike pointed it out and I corrected it, the left bend problem pretty much went away (although I do need to remind myself to also use my leg).
We could have stopped right there and I would have been satisfied with the leap in progress, but no, that was just the first 5 minutes.
Then we worked on going past the scary side using shoulder-in. This also worked amazingly well (when I remembered to do inside hand down towards my knee instead of up over his neck) and especially when I remembered to use my inside leg to push him. It also helps, tremendously in a way I am trying to look at optimistically, that J was riding him inside because of the weather, because she doesn't put up with his bullshit at the far end, and just rides him past it like it's no big deal. So he was kind of a little bit over it until he remembered it was me, his timid mom, and was like "oh! Maybe I should be nervous again!" and then didn't get the firm, reliable corrections that J presumably gives without even thinking about it. (The optimistic side of me is that maybe one day, like breathing, I'll also give those corrections. The negative (and more dominant) side of me thinks, "If I haven't figured that out yet, I might as well get a sweet 15 hand Morgan and just putter around.")
Then Mike worked us through the movements in each of the 1 tests, because the dressage arena was set up. Note to self: I have not been using the inside row of lights as strictly as I should, because the big dressage arena feels small and cramped compared to what I've been doing on my own.
We worked on the center line a bit (straightness) which comes more through impulsion. Another eureka moment. He starts zigging and zagging when we're going slow. Although Mike also says to go ahead and slow down and walk a couple steps then stop with his nose on X. Don't wait and screech to a halt and skid past X.
We did some of the 10 meter half circles, practicing getting straight on the center line and then doing the next 10 meter half circle, to avoid making two angled lines instead of a half circle.
Also, we can improve our stretchy circle with more down for now, and then later add in more down and more impulsion.
Then we did some leg yield, which improves considerably when a) I work on the long side first, which is harder, as a warm up, which makes leg yield "easy", and b) when I, at the quarter line, check in on my outside rein/outside hand and make sure I'm maintaining the connection and not dropping it. When I don't check in, and I'm looking for the next movement, I drop that connection and his shoulder bulges out. Which is what feels like his hindquarters trailing, but is really a shoulder bulging.
Then we did the lengthening canter and the hard Test 1-2 down transition, where you rocket towards M and then are going back to working around the corner to C. This is not a news flash, but for an eventer, I'm a wimp and I don't really let him do his full lengthening potential. The other common error is to let him go too much on the forehand; it should be a "jumping" lenghthening feeling each stride.
We worked on not breaking to trot when you go back to working canter by lengthening, then turning off the rail and making a circle that progressively gets smaller (the same "horsey sit ups" that I have been doing the last few lessons that have strengthened his butt but still make both of us sweat) and then canter off in working canter. Or what I think of as working canter. And this is our beginning of collection: I lean back, and think "lift lift lift" with each canter stride on the little circle, and when he's tired, have to ask him (with voice, leg, and whip) to keep doing it. He got pretty tired towards the end of the lesson.
Mike says that by the end of the season, we'll be able to go back to working right at M, but that it's normal for me, and everyone else riding 1st level, to have to start slowing down a bit before M and use that M-C space to make the movement for now.
And finally, we worked on the counter canter loop, thank goodness, because I had been doing it as a leg yield! It is really a "V". Canter from K to X (diagonal line) then from X to H (another diagonal line) without changing leads. I was bending him in the neck like it was a leg yield from K to X and then switching the bend in his neck to ride X to H. Bad Martha!
This was right at the end of our lesson, so I think I'll want a little more follow up to make sure I am understanding that movement.
All in all, a very satisfying lesson, with plenty to work on, plenty of improvement, and an amazing amount of information that I never, ever would have picked up on my own for this year's showing in dressage.
And a VERY well-behaved Willig who, for the most part, ignored the wind. He is a bit easier to ride when he's on the verge of too peppy - both because he's got the lift and impulsion from his own peppiness, but also because I ride every single second because I'm waiting for the explosion, instead of getting "lazy" (I never feel lazy on Willig, but sometimes I might be a micromillimeter more relaxed).