• 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: Vriksasana, Virabhadrasana II and Trikonasana - using the wall, a chair and a block as needed. When in doubt, add support.

Think about the cues you gave yourself: Soften feet. Open your heart. Find space and ease. Accept limitations.

Check In

Awareness Practice

Assessment: Perceived Stress Score, PEG

Raja: Panchamaya kosha model

Asana: Vriksasana, Trikonasana - all supported by wall and chair

Shavasana & Yoga Nidra

This was our first session in two weeks as the client had been dealing with COVID. Last week especially she had battled depression, at times feeling hopeless along with the physical fatigue. (She mentioned reading somewhere that this most recent strain was having a side effect of increasing depression? I will need to research this.) Despite being sick she has still been working on cutting back her intake of sugar, fried and processed foods, as well as taking some supplements: liquid chlorophyl(?) and "immunity juice." She mentioned that bedtime as been a challenge the past week - she started implementing the bedtime routine after our last session, but then got "off track." I encouraged her to give herself some compassion, especially with what she had been experiencing with COVID.

Sharing with her how this was the first official Capstone session, as a Raja element I talked a little more about the panchamaya kosha model, and understanding ourselves as having layers or sheaths, and how when I guide her through the Awareness Practice, she can check in with each one of those layers. I liked it to a teaching of Jesus from Luke 10, a passage listed as the Parable of the Good Samaritan, where verse 27 states: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind."

Next I asked the client to complete two short assessments, advising we will complete them every session: the PSS and the PEG. Her PSS for this week was 12/40, and her PEG was 2/30. As she looked at her responses she shared that, just the week before she had struggled with thoughts like "I'm tired of living," and "I'm OK with dying," just from a resentment and fatigue of being sick. She said today she felt a sense of acceptance.

We practiced the first two of the twelve poses recommended by Dr. Fishman for Osteoporosis: Vriksasana and Trikonasana. At first she seemed slightly resistant to accepting all the support available - the wall, the chair, and a block. I encouraged her by using more support it was not limiting but freeing - it would allow her to better connect with what she was sensing and experiencing in her body. As she worked with Vriksasana she excitedly shared, "I need to do this more often," and connected her experience of the pose with the acceptance she was feeling. She stated "I want more consistent grounding of acceptance." As she noticed subtle movement through the supporting foot and ankle of each side, felt the heat in the hip joint of the stabilizing hip, felt the glute engagement of the "branch" leg, she shared the pose gave her the opportunity to "respect my body in a way I never have before," and offered an "appreciation for the body... I'm giving it value... I'm loving myself." I encouraged her as part of homework to continue the practice with as much support as possible this week - and over time as she noticed where the areas of challenge were getting easier we could start to reduce some of the support. She called this idea "gracious progression," and I encouraged her to, every time she practices the posture, approach the experience with no judgement, but with compassion and curiosity.

Next we practiced Trikonasana, with her back against the wall and front hand supported by a chair. When working with the pose on the left side, she placed her hand on the seat of the chair for support. When working with the pose on her right side (front hip), she felt a deep stretch of her left/back hip, and noticed she was not able to hinge quite as low - instead placing her hand at the top of the back of the chair. I showed her how this option offered her a chance to measure change/progress as she could start to soften her elbow as she found more range of motion in lateral flexion and abduction of the hip, eventually sliding her hand down to the seat of the chair.

We ended the session with Shavasana and Yoga Nidra, where she set up a very supported Mountain Brook restorative pose. At the end of the practice she reported feeling "rested," and that her "breath had slowed down." She shared that as I guided her through the Yoga Nidra scripting she was able to "stay with me," and she was "grateful for feeling 'pretty good," and giving herself space, and enjoying connection with her body, breath, mind and inner peace. She then shared, "I'm pretty proud of myself."

I really enjoyed how this session flowed. Leading up to it I was a little nervous as this was the first Capstone session. In my head I initially wanted to review more pranayama, her bedtime routine, make sure we had some asana practice, and not allow check in to go too long. I will say I allowed a few extra minutes since it had been three weeks since we met due to her illness. We spent a lot of time practicing each pose, and slowing it down seemed to be really helpful for her.

Check In

Homework Review

PSS & PEG Assessments

Awareness Practice

Asana: next two-three asanas: Virabhadrasana II, Parsvakonasana, Parivrtta Trikonasana

Pranayama: Nadi Shodhana

Japa: Tratak meditation