- 54-year-old female, married, works as a real-estate agent and owns a farm and a vineyard.
- Lower back pain and stiffness.
- Stiffness across shoulder blades – stretching helps.
- Stiffness in hands in the morning which becomes better with the movement.
- Plantar Fasciitis in left foot.
- Bursitis in left hip.
- Says that her sleep is awful. She wakes up multiple times during the night. Was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea 18-20 years ago, but was never given the C-pap. I asked if she got re-evaluated, she said she didn’t.
- Broke left hand ring finger in her teens.
- Broken collar bone at 10-year-old.
- Moderate work-related stress.
- Left elbow hyperextends.
- Neck and shoulder tight on the left side.
- Right knee hurts on extension when the foot is flexed.
- Right-curve scoliosis at thoracic spine.
- Chest breather.
- Is doing the Mayo clinic diet plan. Wants to be more flexible, has never practiced Yoga.

- Joint freeing series of stretches with focus on hands and feet.
- Netra Vyayamama
- Strengthening and de-rotation postures for upper body (right side) and lengthening and stabilization for the left side, to address scoliosis curve.
- Encourage her to get her Sleep Apnea re-evaluated.
- Progressive relaxation, Yoga Nidra
- Guided visualization relaxation.

- Yoga for Scoliosis – book by Elise Miller
- Yoga for Arthritis Teacher training manual
- Adaptive Yoga teacher training manual
- Fishman LM. Isometric Yoga-Like Maneuvers Improve Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis-A Nonrandomized Control Trial. Glob Adv Health Med. 2021 Feb 24; 10:2164956120988259. doi: 10.1177/2164956120988259. PMID: 33717658; PMCID: PMC7917413. Isometric Yoga-Like Maneuvers Improve Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis—A Nonrandomized Control Trial - PMC (nih.gov)
- Fishman LM. Yoga and Bone Health. Orthop Nurs. 2021 May-Jun 01;40(3):169-179. doi: 10.1097/NOR.0000000000000757. PMID: 34004616. Yoga and Bone Health - PubMed (nih.gov)
- Bradford DS, Tay BK, Hu SS. Adult scoliosis: surgical indications, operative management, complications, and outcomes. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1999 Dec 15;24(24):2617-29. doi: 10.1097/00007632-199912150-00009. PMID: 10635525. Adult scoliosis: surgical indications, operative management, complications, and outcomes - PubMed (nih.gov)
- Yoga therapy for scoliosis: an adult case approach | Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders | Full Text (biomedcentral.com)
- Li X, Shen J, Liang J, Zhou X, Yang Y, Wang D, Wang S, Wang L, Wang H, Du Q. Effect of core-based exercise in people with scoliosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Rehabil. 2021 May;35(5):669-680. doi: 10.1177/0269215520975105. Epub 2020 Dec 27. PMID: 33356498; PMCID: PMC8076838. Effect of core-based exercise in people with scoliosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis - PMC (nih.gov)

• Yes

Decided on a gentle and slow flow practice. Stretches for the upper body, mostly concentrating on her hands, fingers and wrists. Extended exhalation, cobra and locust. Hip extensions, pelvic tilts, bridge, supine figure 4, spine twist, legs up the chair shavasana. Tense and release, yoga nidra and breath awareness meditation.

Do the hand, fingers and wrist stretches before getting up from the bed in the morning.

Client came in tired. She had a flu shot the day before and was feeling lethargic. Said that she did have fever the night before. She said she had been walking, her Mayo clinic plan is on hold for a week because some family events, she plans to get back on it in a week. Says her hands feel tight and achy in the morning, especially after she has worked in the farm the day before.

Forgot to ask about her sleep.
Asked her to share the beginner’s yoga video by Mayo clinic, so that we can work together on those stretches with the modifications necessary for her.

Joint freeing movements, adding some strengthening postures for upper body. Some unilateral movement for scoliosis.

• Yes

I encouraged her to go see her doctor again and get a new sleep study done.
Started with body scan, breath awareness and extended exhalation (46), joint stretches for neck and shoulder and lower body. Warrior II with emphasis on paying attention to midline (for scoliosis). Side lying stretches like clamshell, hip abduction/adduction, with her back against the wall to support the lower back. Bridge using the block and then bridge with marching feet without the block, for hip extension.
Legs up the chair shavasana, progressive relaxation, neutral imagery meditation and introduction to Nadi Shuddhi pranayama.

Breath awareness, Joint stretches

Seeing her after 3 weeks. Came in with her left side IT band bothering her. She says she has been in a lot of pain in the left side lower back and hip. Says that her shoulder has been popping a lot. Went to see a PT at Kaiser. She said that he gave her the same exercises that I have been doing with her and wished that she would have kept doing her homework. Says that her work stress level is high right now since she’s changing companies. Have been sleeping well because she’s taking a CBD tincture which helps her relax. Her hands have been feeling good since she’s taking a break from the farm work.

The session went well. Since I was seeing her after 3 weeks, we went over the stretches again. Client did ask if I can make a video of the practice and send it to her, so that she can practice when she doesn’t see me. That gave me encouragement to start posting videos on my YouTube channel again. I realized that it would be helpful to all my clients and will be a resource for them.

Practicing nadi Shuddhi, joint stretches and stretches to address her right thoracic curve, with the help of the wall.

• Yes

Spoke about Ahimsa towards ourselves. Had a discussion about how she can be non-harming towards herself.
Body scan, breath awareness, extended exhalation, joint freeing movements. Using the chair as a prop, to keep the stretches like, balancing table, sun salutation, gentle on her hands. Gate pose with rotation to the left. Supported shavasana with bolster underneath the knees. Tense and release, breath meditation and end with Nadi Shuddhi pranayama.

Do the stretches at home following along with the video. Set up an alarm on the phone for every other hour and take a break from sitting, get up and do stretches or notice breath.

When she came in, I noticed that her right hand was swollen. She said that she got bit by a bee. Even though she’s allergic, didn’t have a severe reaction. But her right hand was swollen for a couple of days. She has been sitting for longer time, so her back feels stiff. IT band still hurts, sleep has been ok. She’s not happy with her doctor and is looking to change her primary care physician, feels frustrated about that. Because of the job change, has been working a lot and has stopped following the Mayo clinic program. Says that she has not been paying attention to herself.

Client said that she was conscious about ‘not being able to do things’ as I was demoing the stretches. I have to be more tuned-in to what makes the clients uncomfortable. Moving ahead, I’ll try to not demo so much and keep my cues accessible. I recorded today’s session and sent it to her so she can practice at home during the holidays.

These sessions have helped me explore ‘Yoga for Scoliosis’ a little bit more. Reading more research on that and being able to explain to my clients the reasoning behind doing a specific stretch for their specific condition, has been a huge learning experience for me.

Continuing with Joint freeing stretches. Since she’s open to discussing philosophy, bringing Ahimsa, Satya and Svadhyaya to her sessions.