• 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.

Please review the section on Wisdom Teaching prior to the weekend.

Centering

Netra Viyayaman – Eye Movements (instructions are attached)

Asana –
o Tadasana with affirmation
o Half-moon
o Uttanaasana
o Ardhad Chandrasana like a 5 pointed star with hands free
o King Dancer
o Spinal Extension and Flexion (instructions are attached)
o Standing Strut
o Standing Twist

Full body tense and release (Seegra Savaasana)

Body scan

Breathing Practice -
Nadi Sudi for 5 minutes. Add affirmation when breathing in, something you want to develop in your life, and breath out something that you want to change or eliminate.

Meditation Practice:
o Mantra repetition - following your breath with a mantra like you have been doing when we practice together. Say it mentally. Previously, we discussed that our friend is our Soul and that we can call within to that friend to guide us.
o Breath normally ~ slowly during meditation. Do not try to make your breath happen. Allow the breath to calm you down to relax you. In order for this to happen the breath should be normal, gentle and allowed to become slower, and you will find that your mind begins to follow and relax.

Breathing Practices To Substitute For Habits:
o Breath of Joy during the day.
o Incorporate an affirmation with Nadi Sudi, or just do the breath – breath in something that is significant to you and breath out what you don’t want.

Wisdom Teachings and Practices:
Previously, we discussed that we want to be/feel painless rather than painful or pleasurable. To do that we must think clearly and be discerning about our thoughts and mindfully control our thoughts and emotions. We must nip painful thoughts and emotions in the bud to change these patterns. If we desire pleasurable thoughts and emotions eventually/inevitably they will turn into painful thoughts and emotions. We simply want to live painless lives and connect with our true self which brings the true pleasure we seek.1

For this we must become stronger – how do we do that? “We have to ‘increase the pull of the painless’ whirlpool of clarity, discernment and selflessness through meditation, prayer and selfless action, the study of high ideals, and or mantra repetition adds force to the momentum of painless vrittis (thoughts), strengthening their influence in our lives. We do this overtime.”1 To do this we must dedicate time to go inside to cultivate peace inside of us, to connect with our Soul – “Then the Seer [Self] abides in His own nature.”

We reviewed and discussed that when we are in a situation that we cannot externally change, we must change our internal environment, the way we see and think of what is happening. When we change our internal environment, the external environment will also change. And also, praying to God to help us in difficult situations.

Previously, we discussed acceptance and flexibility with family situations and especially on the weekend when they want to spend time with you.

When we spoke about Sutra I.12 These mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment. You asked does it mean we have to become non-attached to our own feelings? Yes we have to be non-attached to our own feelings. We have to restrain ourselves – we have to self-control. When we are attached to our feelings we may be blinded by them and we will not be able to think clearly and do the best thing. Sutra I.13, says our mind must be steady and that we have to practice that continuously – “eternally watchful, scrutinizing every thought”. That is how we must be. When your son shouts his behavior triggers you and your mind gets ‘blocked’ – take a moment and practice even-mindedness/steadiness of mind so that you can think clearly and not react.

We spoke about how we must build the relationship with our inner friend so that we respond to things in life from a calm place and a clear mind. Meditation is the way we can connect with our inner friend and build that relationship. Sutra I.14 says: Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness. This means that we have to do a practice everyday so that we can have an anchor - meaning we cultivate stability, and strength through the practice and that keeps us grounded – the practice and your inner friend will be there for you when things get challenging. Your friend – “your loving soul, so clear, clean and expanded and happy inside is always there, no stimuli can destroy it.”

Through our meditation practice we will more quickly change our habits, patterns of thinking and behavior. These are impulses that we have created over the years - it is thinking ‘without’ thinking and acting without thinking. It will take some time to dislodge and replace these patterns with new ways of thinking and behaving. That is one reason why Sutra I.14 says - Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.

As soon as you start building that anchor within you with all earnestness to succeed you will see some changes in yourself quickly. For example, you may see that you do not react to your son’s shouting anymore because you can make yourself become immune to the triggering (control of your inner environment) as a result of your practice which will open your mind to the ability to think clearly. I know you want that!

1Inside the Yoga Sutras, A Comprehensive Sourcebook For The Study And Practice of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, by Reverend Jaganath Carrera.

Centering.
Netra Viyayaman
Asana –
o Tadasana with affirmation
o Half-moon
o Uttanaasana
o Ardhad Chandrasana like a 5 pointed star with hands free
o King Dancer
o Spinal Extension and Flexion
o Standing Strut
o Standing Twist

Full body tense and release (Seegra Savaasana).

Body scan.

Breathing Practice – Nadi Sudi – 3 minutes with affirmation.

Meditation – breathing with a mantra.

Wisdom Teachings:
Sutra I.12: These mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment.
Sutra I.13: Of these two, effort toward steadiness of mind is practice.
Titiksha – cultivating even-mindedness/mental evenness, patience, dispassionate endurance. Gita pages 201-3, 474

Sutra I.14: Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.
Sutra II.35 – Ahimsa – In the presence of one firmly established in non-violence, all hostilities cease.

The following is an improvement – client was to nip her emotions in the bud before they escalated:

“Client said that she caught her reaction about something immediately after she reached. She said that she wished she had caught it before she reacted, she said that before she would have felt that she “had the right to react that way”. She did not do that this time, she had the reaction but she was able to nip it in the bud before it escalated.

I find that the client is taking the Sutras seriously, and she is beginning to understand that the habits we have created have deep seated patterns. I am also guiding her to have patience and self-compassion when a dominating pattern wins over her efforts to recognize what she is trying to change.

I spoke with the client on how we should limit our sessions to 90 minutes and client was good with that. I found that it was easier on me to do 90 minutes vs. 120 minutes. I gave her a heads up when we were getting close to the time so that we can wrap it up.

We are all a work in progress and I want to make sure that ‘I’ detach from expectations about this client. I am trying to discern if the progress that I see is lasting – is it real? I also want to be aware of setting boundaries – not “a pillow to cry on”. And I want to have compassion for my client when she ‘messes up’ and to handle that correctly and help her through that. I am trying to be aware of all of that.

Centering.

Netra Viyayaman
Asana –
o Tadasana with affirmation
o Half-moon
o Uttanaasana
o Ardhad Chandrasana like a 5 pointed star with hands free
o King Dancer
o Spinal Extension and Flexion
o Standing Strut
o Standing Twist

Full body tense and release (Seegra Savaasana)

Body scan.

Breathing Practice -
Nadi Sudi for 5 minutes. Add affirmation when breathing in, something you want to develop in your life, and breath out something that you want to change or eliminate.

Meditation Practice:
o Mantra repetition - following your breath with a mantra like you have been doing when we practice together. Say it mentally. Previously, we discussed that our friend is our Soul and that we can call within to that friend to guide us.
o Breath normally ~ slowly during meditation. Do not try to make your breath happen. Allow the breath to calm you down to relax you. In order for this to happen the breath should be normal, gentle and allowed to become slower, and you will find that your mind begins to follow and relax.

Ask: “What has happened in your life this week where you would have needed Yoga Therapy.” (or) "what Yoga therapy practice will benefit you right now?"

Wisdom Teachings that need more review and discussion:
Sutra I.12: These mental modifications are restrained by practice and non-attachment.
Sutra I.13: Of these two, effort toward steadiness of mind is practice.
Titiksha – cultivating even-mindedness/mental evenness, patience, dispassionate endurance. Gita pages 201-3, 474
Sutra I.14: Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.
Sutra I.15 – Vairagyam/Non-attachment – The consciousness of self-mastery in one who is free from craving for objects seen or heard about is non-attachment.
Sutra II.35 – Ahimsa – In the presence of one firmly established in non-violence, all hostilities cease.