• Check in, centering, balanced hatha yoga set considering contraindications, relaxation (with imagery as appropriate),
• Balanced pranayama considering contraindications, meditation/centering.
• Include at least one suggestion from Karma, Bhakti, Raja, or Jnana Yoga tailored for this client.

Practice: awareness practice for yourself - checking in with the physical body, energy, emotions and thoughts, before returning to the breath. Try to practice at least once a day, exploring it at different times: shortly after waking, before bed, or a moment during the day where you feel disconnected from yourself.

Continue: dirga swasam. option of adding finger compressions or finger tracing to help slow the thoughts. Slow breathing, slow moving, slow thinking.

Practice: TRE - can practice on your own no more than 3 times in a week, not more than 3 rounds of shaking in a session, keeping each round 5-8 minutes. There is no requirement to practice 3 rounds - you might choose to do just one. The most important thing is to listen to your body, paying special attention to sensations in your hands, feet and throat.

Check In

Awareness Practice

Dirga Swasam - option of adding finger compressions with the breath, as well as the option of finger tracing with the breath.

Bhramari breath - showed two mudras: first the more traditional shanmukhi mudra, then with the fingers on top of the head - "helmet mudra" if a more calming/grounding sensation is required

TRE - slow practice of the seven exercises, followed by three 5-minute rounds of shaking, with 3 minutes rest between.

Shavasana

Client was in overall good spirits - presented tamasic in the body but rajasic in mind - speech was a little fast-paced. Her daughter had an episode the night before where there was a tantrum, and she spit in her mom's face. Client is still struggling as she navigates the challenges of holding a safe space in their home for her daughter while also setting boundaries on her behavior, and attempting to teach tools her daughter can use to self-regulate.

Usually I encourage the client to find a comfortable seat during the awareness practice, but I only cued her to "find a comfortable position," and she chose supine. As we initially began the practice, her breathing was more shallow and rapid - as the practice progressed, her breath rate slowed and there was more movement in the abdomen with both inhale and exhale. After the awareness practice she reported it "felt good to notice the layers."

During TRE practice the client felt tremoring in the adductors, groin, psoas and quadriceps of both legs. After the final round the client reported fatigue in the abdominal region (psoas and pelvic floor?) as well as adductors.

During shavasana she settled into physical stillness very quickly, and took even more time than the previous session (intake and assessment) transitioning out of the practice, which I celebrated.

Due to the nature of her schedule, we meet fairly early - 6am - in Saturday morning. I try to arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of time to prepare the space and ground myself. I feel part of what I'm offering her is the space itself. Initially before assessment I had mentioned the option of meeting in her home if needed, but I realize there is great value to her having a space to come, move and breathe.

As I'm continuing to work on myself and my tendency to overplan, I really want to make sure I honor the "less is more" idea, especially since her yoga background has been heavily into physical asana, and the faster movement. She continues to enjoy biking, and that is a great outlet for the more vigorous movement and demands.

Next session is scheduled for 13 July 2024.

Plan includes beginning with check in and awareness practice, then enough movement to address any rajas present in the mind without over-tiring the body (want to revisit surya namaskar) and perhaps Warrior 2. I love an image Judith Hanson Lasater shares in her book, 30 Essential Poses, where she describes the mental focus of pose as being connected to the past with the reaching back, looking ahead to the future, yet being anchored/grounded in the present.

Will offer shavasana followed by yoga nidra.