Client presented with no mobility restrictions. The occasional sharp upper back pain followed an incident in 2016 where she felt/heard a "pop" - flares up every few months, starting with an intensity of 6/10, then gradually reduces over several days.

Client was very athletic in high school, playing several sports. Now does not want intense physical activity, but open to an asana practice.

Tamasic - physically and mentally. With client's self-described high stress due to instability in marriage, occasional insomnia, and struggling to rest/give herself downtime, she is in survival mode. During breath assessment saw no signs of reverse breathing, but little abdominal movement. Client feels she used to breathe more deeply when in regular practice, but being under high stress her breath is more shallow.

On intake client described herself as a "master of emotional dishonesty with myself and others." Seems to have disconnected from the manomaya kosha as a means to cope, survive day to day as opposed to finding freedom and ease. Kleshas present: dvesha - not wanting to face the possible dissolution of the marriage, and the practical challenges that might come with that; raga - attachments to routine?

On intake client shared, "for me the sacred is the same as the mundane. There's not separation outside of our disconnected perception." Client has awareness of her true self, but is distracted by daily demands of life. Finds purpose in the impact she has on the lives of those around her - son, father, sisters, team she leads at work.

Client felt that "yoga changed my life" when she learned vipassana meditation - but was told that, unless she practiced it two hours per day (two one-hour sessions), she "might as well not even do it." I have to say, this to me sounds like whoever was her teacher/guide violated ahimsa, making her feel guilty and like a failure if she could not meditate for those prescribed session lengths. Feel like the client has disconnected from the vijnanamaya kosha - partly do to feeling overwhelmed and discouraged by that feedback, but very much wants to reconnect with the subtle practices. Client also shared her need to "have it under control" (raga).

Sutra 1.33 - the locks and keys - thinking of her relationship with herself, as well as her husband. Learning to find steadiness in not allowing anyone to disturb her peace, regardless of their actions and intentions.

Sutra 1.12 - practice and non-attachment. Learning to let go of the need for control, and invest in her own practices and self-care as a priority.

Netra Vyayamam - to address tension in the head and neck, as well as relieve tension and strengthen the muscles of the eyes. Will support vision, both physically (sense of sight) and subtly (perspective). A couple of resources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/eye-health/eye-yoga#eye-exercises - highlights the studied benefits and clarifies what has not shown scientific evidence.

https://yogauonline.com/yoga-health-benefits/yoga-for-stress-relief/the-vagus-nerve-and-eye-movements/ - this article highlights the connection of the eyes with the vagus nerve, and the impact of eye movements on stress relief

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6937872/ - this study highlights the effects in reducing fatigue following a 6-week protocol of 10 yoga eye movements and practices.

Pranayama: calming practices to balance the ANS - brahmari, waterfall breath, extended exhalation -

https://www.healthline.com/health/breathing-exercise#pursed-lip-breathing - this article highlights many traditional pranayama practices

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6137615/ - overview of benefits of pranayama and breathing practices

Hatha: Inversions - to change the lens through which she sees the world, on the physical and subtle levels: balasana, viparita karani, setu bandha sarvangasana, adho mukha svanasana -

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/yoga-inversion#benefits - overview of benefits of inversions on many systems

https://ssihi.uci.edu/news-and-media/blog/3-yoga-inversion-postures-for-mental-health-mood-stabilization/#:~:text=Inversion%20postures%20can%20be%20helpful,the%20pineal%20and%20pituitary%20glands. - brief recommendation on 3 asanas

I do not want to discourage her vipassana practice, with which I am totally unfamiliar, but I would love to show her that she can begin a new meditation practice with just a few minutes a day. Wondering about mantra meditation - maybe "so hum" as a starting point?

With client's desire to have an impact on the lives of those around her, I feel she would engage with karma yoga practices. But her challenge is also taking care of others at the expense of herself. Would karma practices/opportunities be helpful to get her out of tamas, or should I focus on the other limbs of Integral?

• 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.