• 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.

1. Three-part breathing and meditation daily 10 minutes
2. Gentle movement: pelvic tilt, cat-cow, gentle bridge (only lift the hip), lateral bend and hamstring stretch (with a strap).
3. Praktipaksha Bhavana – replacing negative thoughts with positive one.
4. Brahmacharya – gauging energy and not over- exerting the energy limit.

The client had laminectomy to correct lumbar stenosis in July and recently has been cleared to do PT.
• Check in – assessment – global health and PEG
• Witness
• Warm up the spine – forward, side bend, cat cow
• Table – child – table – downward dog
• Mountain
• Half sun salutation
• Chair
• Downward dog with a table
• Bridge – only lift the hip
• Pelvic tilt
• Hand to big toes
• Supine twist
• Savasana
• Three-part breathing
• Self-compassion meditation

Yoga philosophy – brahmacharya and ahimsa

The client had laminectomy in July and has been cleared by his surgeon to do PT. The surgeon described musculoskeletal flexion-based exercise, gentle range of motion and strengthening and pain reduction modality. He can now walk without pain and do standing postures. He will see the PT on September 12 (for assessment).

We did PEG pain screen and Global Health assessment. Interestingly, scores for both assessments did not improve, and some are worse than those assessed before the surgery. I showed the scores to him and asked him why he thought the results came out this way. He thought it was because he spent a full day teaching people climbing and rappelling the day before and he realized how much it took the energy out of him (physically and mentally). He was upbeat before he went to the event and expecting that he would be fine, but he was extremely exhausted and had hip pain afterward. He was still tired when I saw him. His friends also talked about caving, and he felt bad since he had not gone caving for months. I reminded him that two months ago, he was not able to walk without pain and how much he had come so far. We talked about ahimsa, including avoiding negative self-talk and over doing to the point that can bring harm to the body and mind. We also talked about the right use of energy as the body requires energy to heal. I also brought up practice in the context of ‘it will take as long as it takes’; he would have to practice his home assignment and PT with earnestness and without break (and be patience).

Check in
Centering – witness practice
Asana –
• Head and neck
• Shoulder shrugs and stretch
• Side bend
• Cat-cow
• Table
• Child
• Downward dog
• Forward bend
• Half Sun salutation
• Pyramid with a chair
• Cobra
• Pelvic tilt
• Supine pigeon
• Hamstring stretch
• Supine twist
• Leg up the wall
• Deep relaxation
• Pranayama: Ujjayi breath, alternate nostril breathing
• Meditation