• 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 the Awareness Practice every day - especially in moments where you find yourself feeling discombobulated, or out of sorts. Use the practice to ground and check in with yourself, seeing what you notice as you bring awareness across all the koshas/layers.

Practice Pratipaksha Bhavana at least once per day. You might even choose to practice it following your Awareness Practice, depending on what comes up for you.

Continue to explore Nadi Shodhana and Bhramari breath.

Continue your movement practices every day - exploring some of the postures for osteoporosis as well as your walks.

Check In and Homework Review

PSS and PEG assessments

Raja & Bhakti - how the sutras line up with biblical scriptures

Shavasana and Yoga Nidra

Client presented rajasic - describing herself as "discombobulated" and "can't relax." Shared that energy-wise she was feeling a little better, and had found some movement practice every day. She had received an MFR treatment earlier in the week, after which she felt a "fluidness" in her body - "I felt 20 years old" and noticed no pain in her knee at all going up and down stairs. In terms of her connection with her anamaya kosha, she felt a "spiritual liberation... a relationship to my body in a spiritual way... a clearer, stronger, direct connection to God."

She struggled with her bedtime routine this week, noting that she made "time for TV," and realized she shouldn't have, but also practiced Nadi Shodhana before bed and found it helpful. She also worked with Brahmari breath, sharing she did feel self-conscious humming, but reminded herself that it was "not a performance." I celebrated her acknowledging and sitting with that discomfort in her practice.

As she continued check in she identified the "discombobulated" feeling being with her connection to her manomaya kosha, her experiences of her emotions and thoughts. She had worked with the Awareness practice a few times during the week, describing the experiences as "weird" - still struggling with what she described as "having space for me to feel worthy to feel - my dad and brother took away my right to express my feelings." I celebrated her investing the time, space and energy into tuning into those emotions and thoughts during her practice - and how that was part of deepening her awareness and connection with herself through all her koshas/layers.

Her PSS score today was 21/40, and her PEG score was 17/30.

I shared how some days our sessions involve more physical movement/asana practices, some more breathing/pranayama practices - and suggested that today we focus more on the deeper wisdom practices. She had also done her homework in compiling scripture passages that were meaningful to her. She did not have all the references, so we found them together:

Romans 8:18: I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (NIV)

2 Corinthians 4:17-18: For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. (NKJV)

Jeremiah 31:3: The Lord appeared to us in the past, a saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." (NIV)

Romans 5:1-5: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we a have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we b boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we c also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (NIV)

She shared that all these verses were ones that helped her focus on eternal hope and grounding. I shared that my homework this week was to look at how the yoga sutras reflected truth found in these passages. Along with that, as we continued to add to her yoga tool kit, I would compile the verses that we have looked at together over all of our sessions.

One to review for today's session was the practice of Pratipaksha Bhavana from sutras 2.33-2.34, which align very well with Philippians 4:6-9: Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. When she finds herself feeling overwhelmed by certain thoughts, can she practice giving it to God in prayer, and then choosing to cultivate an opposite or positive thought, shifting her focus?

We ended the session with Shavasana and Yoga Nidra, after which the client reported feeling "calm and peaceful."

While I allowed check in to go longer - and really evolve into more of a Raja yoga discussion - I was encouraged that Kimberly presented more rajasic following several sessions being more tamasic with both her mental and physical energy, struggling with long COVID. While she continues to allow herself to experience her emotions and connect with her deeper koshas, she is reporting both a reduction in physical pain/discomfort sensations and more movement confidence - while at the same time becoming aware of and allowing herself to experience unpleasant and difficult emotions. While I had wanted to balance the time spent in the session between asana, pranayama and raja, I felt it was appropriate based on where she was to shift our focus to more raja and bhakti with an exploration of the Biblical scriptures.

I usually guide her through an Awareness Practice following check in and assessments, but I let it go considering how she presented today. While I had considered doing some physical grounding through asana - whether standing wall supported or seated, as she became more grounded and calm during our discussion of scriptures, I felt that Shavasana and Yoga Nidra would be appropriate to bring more ease across the koshas for this session.

Check In and Homework Review

PSS and PEG assessments

Awareness Practice

Asana: review of the Fishman postures for osteoporosis

Pranayama: Breath of Joy

Raja and Bhakti: looking at Kimberly's scriptures in light of the Yoga Sutras

Shavasana and Yoga Nidra