• 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 - checking in with yourself across the koshas/layers

Practice: Netra Vyayamam - can explore morning practice, practice before Zoom or periods of work on the computer, evening practice after work, whenever you find it beneficial.

Practice: Waterfall breath - notice your thoughts, emotions and physical sensations before and after the practice to observe the effects of practice.

Practice: gentle joint activation - moving slowly with the breath through the ranges of motion that feel good in the head, neck, shoulders and spine.

Check In

Awareness Practice

Raja Yoga: sutra 1.2

Pranayama: Waterfall breath

Netra Vyayamam: vertical, horizontal, close/far, counterclockwise/clockwise

Joint Activation Practices: head and neck, shoulders, spine

Supported Supta Baddhakonasana - on the couch with pillows and blankets supporting the secondary curves of the body

Supported Setu Bandhasana - on the couch with pillows and blankets supporting the pelvis and legs (subtle support and minimal inversion)

Shavasana and Yoga Nidra

Client presented very sattvic despite physical discomfort she was experiencing from beginning her menstrual cycle. She described having a productive and enjoyable week, both personally and professionally, saying this time of her life is a "time of possibility... imagining more." After the awareness practice she shared connecting with the energy in her sacral region as "orange...desire... feeling more passionate for the first time in a long time" about her life, feeling "excitement, happiness." In the anamaya kosha she described feeling "physically exhausted," and found herself being more focused on her breath.

After practice of the waterfall breath client shared she enjoyed visualizing breath as water, "creating flow." She found herself visualizing moving her lungs and diaphragm, "filling the cavities of the body" - and remembered her late grandmother, her always encouraged her to breathe deeply.

Following netra vyayamam, she shared that while she felt the effort of the movements in each direction, she felt more relaxed as well. During the counterclockwise circular movement she was suprised how challenging it was to move from the 12 to the 6, and how she had to slow down and be more intentional during that range of motion.

Following the joint activation practices she shared how much she enjoyed - and was excited by - the ability to move in that way, seeing how movement practices don't have to be intense strength training, cardio or vinyasa flow practices - seeing the deep benefits across the koshas of meeting her body where it is and finding the nourishing ways to move the body and connect with breath.

After supta baddhakonasana client shared having "interesting thoughts" from early childhood, reconnecting her to early sensations and awareness of "who I was." Seeing as she was experiencing intense cramps, she had placed her hands over her lower abdomen, and I had encouraged her to gently breathe into that space. She described an "orange/amber light in the wombspace."

After yoga nidra at the end of the practice she shared "I forgot you were here." She shared moments where her mind wanted to shift towards her mental 'to do' list, but she would "come back to the breath." Overall at the end of the session she reported feeling "relaxed and aware," and in a follow up text the next day shared that she was still feeling "bliss" from the session.

I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with this client. Perhaps because I feel like I really spent time with her during the intake, we established a therapeutic relationship with ease? She sent me a text the day before the session sharing that she had started her menstrual cycle and her energy was low, and asking if she would still be able to engage in the session? I had responded with if she felt up to it, absolutely - as I had planned only restorative asana and gentle pranayama in the practices. Even if that had not already been the plan, I would have adjusted it to that based on what she shared.

Since she is very communicative with me, I want to check in with her on Thursday evening/Friday morning as our next session is planned for Saturday 3 August - to see how she is feeling physically, energetically, emotionally and mentally and adjust the practice from there. Here's what I'm thinking at the moment:

Check In

Awareness Practice

Pranayama: Waterfall breath

Raja Yoga: Would like to talk more about sutra 1.2 and hear any thoughts she has on it from the past week, and venture into sutras 3 -11, just giving an overview of the different types of vrittis/mental modifications/thoughts we tend to have.

Netra Vyayamam

Asana - gentle movements with a focus on what she feels in her body in each side with her scoliosis. I would like to incorporate balanced (as in not focused on one side) postures like balasana and utkatasana, which I know she practices in gym classes, as well as more unilaterally focused postures - like ardha matsyendrasana - where she can pay attention to internal sensations and explore how she might approach the posture differently on each side.