• 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.

Gave her a very simple heaven and earth grounding practice that she could use to start her day, as she prepared for her evening winddown, or any moment anywhere that she felt overwhelmed.

Check In

Awareness Practice

TRE - 3 rounds, 5 minutes of shaking, 2-3 minutes break

Shavasana

Client's mental energy was very rajasic when she arrived, while physical energy was more tamasic. Updated on the situation and dynamics with daughter, grandsons, and soon to be ex-son in law. As well client moved her bedroom from sharing a bed with her partner to having her own room in the house. She advised since making that change she's felt tightness in her chest and had difficulty falling asleep.

Guided the client through the seven exercises/practices, encouraging her to tune into the sensations she felt, connect her movements with her breath. With her osteoporosis instead of doing a standing forward fold during exercise 4, I had her do a table-supported fold, to provide more support to her spine. She described this practice in particular as feeling "really good... in a lot of ways - physically, mentally, and emotionally." She felt a slight pull in her right chin, and even though I encouraged her to keep her head above her heart and come up slowly, she felt slightly dizzy coming up.

During the shaking rounds, client experienced gentle tremoring in the adductors, psoas, and in the final round a little in her diaphragm.

After final break/integration, she described the TRE experience as "giving new permission to her body in a whole new way." She asked herself, "Is this really for me?" She described the whole experience as "Wow - powerful."

Offered several props to the client for shavasana to support her legs, neck, and arms. After shavasana as she was bringing movement back into the body, offered options such as giving herself a hug, and she shared that she had a flashback of sorts, remembering that she used to give herself a hug when she was a child. She felt like it was "different parts becoming whole." She also shared that part of her wanted to be embarassed by the shaking experience, and I affirmed that it was ok and natural to feel that way. She also felt a slight muscle contraction in the right side of her low back, "like it was shouting," and then subsided.

As we were having a closing conversation she asked, "What does this look like, finding my value, finding belonging?" Decided to give her a little homework of a simple grounding practice of a heaven and earth meditation.

I felt very confident in how I guided her through the TRE practice, giving her support at the wall for each of the exercises, encouraging slow moving, slow breathing, slow thinking - and teaching her about grounding, orienting, and self-regulating. I advised that TRE is not about shaking to release (that is a benefit) - it is really about shaking to connect with yourself. She and I have developed a good therapeutic relationship that I feel strengthens every session, primarily because of her willingness to show up for herself and to communicate with me the entire session.

I spoke with her about being my Capstone client, and she was excited for the opportunity. She agreed to provide feedback, and I let her know I will be submitting my proposal.

I do want to continue to use TRE as a tool during some of our sessions, possibly at times including a round or two.

Based on what she shared during check in, I feel she can benefit from additional raja yoga - specifically sutras around vairagya, and 1.33, the locks and keys, as she still struggles with losing her peace to the actions and responses of others. Next session I want to focus more on raja as well as pranayama practices that can help her calm and ground.