• 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.

Continue the Fishman suggested asana for Osteoporosis

Listen to the Soft Belly Meditation (I made a recording for her)

Continue setting aside time at 10:00am for her prayer, quiet time, meditation

Schedule our next appointment - let me know when you would like to meet

Check In and Homework Review

PSS and PEG assessments

Awareness Practice

Review of goals - what progress?

Guided Meditation: Soft Belly (Stephen Levine)

Shavasana and Yoga Nidra

Client had messaged that she would be running a little late, and arrived about 10 minutes late. Thanked her for communicating with me about it. She presented sattvic, having spent the morning supporting a friend in court. She shared how October had been a "great month" for her, with more consistent moments of self-awareness. She shared the previous Sunday she had wanted to organize a closet, but after two hours felt "scattered," realizing she was working on several small projects at once in an effort to put "everything in its place." She caught herself asking why the need for that, and felt it was a need that "if I get all my little goals done," then she would be "good." She realized it was still part of her "perfectionism" and desire to perform to be good enough. Overall the month brought her "a lot of healing and awarenesses - very present moment awareness... it should have been scary, but it wasn't."

Going to bed at a consistent time (previously her goal was 11:00pm) is still a "struggle," but several days of the past week she was in bed by 11:00pm. I encouraged her to evaluate for herself why she wanted to consistently be in bed by a certain time, and she shared that it was really a desire to be consistent in her prayer/quiet time with God at 10:00am. I encouraged her to focus her energy on arriving in that space each morning, perhaps including an awareness practice at the start to check in across the koshas. If she finds herself physically depleted, tamasic, not well-rested, then that might encourage her to go to bed a little earlier, or change up her winddown routine.

In terms of her movement practice, she had felt "scattered" Sunday, Monday and Tuesday and hadn't slept as well, so she did not perform any asana until Thursday. She did get a good amount of physical movement in with house straightening. And she continued her daily walks incorporating the trekking sticks for more feedback on her movement. For the days she did practice asana (Saturday and Thursday) she is feeling "more strength...more stable in balance...my core is stronger," and she felt the practice "bring relaxation and stretch when needed."

PSS score: 5/40, PEG score: 0/30

As this was our final Capstone session, I asked her how she about her progress on her initially stated goals. She shared the following:

Goal 1: "hoping to find a new spiritual avenue to become more healthy":

"Overall better well-being...my perception and mental processing is better, clarity... being able to identify what I want to say and communicate what I mean in a succinct and simplified way."

"My energy level has gone up tremendously - I feel like my 'old self' again, consistently energized throughout the day, hopeful, positive, confident outlook, less self-depracating."

"Breathing has been huge for me."

With the Awareness Practice "...physically walking through the body, taking a tour...I have the ability to connect with myself, my emotions, my physical body - more self-awareness and self-acceptance."

"I feel validated around my trauma - being able to process them with my mind, body and heart."

On the intellectual level/manomaya kosha "I have the ability to acknowledge the thought and let it go more effortlessly." - This reminded her of a song by Tenth Avenue North, "You Are More."

"I am becoming whole."

Goal 2: "stronger in core and overall strength":

"I have a deeper appreciation and gratitude for the body... higher awareness."

Goal 3: "experience new awakenings with my God as I heal and grow":

"I feel more foundationally founded on God."

The work we've done has helped me in "connecting scriptures applicable to what I'm going through and merged it into the practice of living."

"I have greater peace, well-being, and I'm more stable emotionally."

"I have better understanding...simplifying concepts of God, how I look at myself, and life itself."

She also commented on our therapeutic relationship. Being a drug and alcohol counselor by training, she has experience in therapeutic relationship as the therapist and sponsor (in the AA context). Here is how she described the work we've done over the Capstone: "I felt like the walls were broken down in [from] a traditional client relationship... you were a guide, who spoke to me as a friend."

She also shared that she had created a motto for herself: "Slower, calmer, softer" - to use with her movement, her breathing, her thoughts.

After our discussion on her goals, she asked me about meditation. The conversation really started because a friend of hers had shared with her some information (not sure what source) about the "dangers" of yoga from a Christian perspective, and apparently it focused a lot on yogic meditation. I went back to sutra 1.2 - "The restraint of the modifications of the mind stuff is yoga," and how, from her own feedback on goals, she's noticed her ability to connect with herself across her koshas, to "acknowledge a thought and let it go," and begin to process her trauma across her koshas as well. Did she feel that these insights were bringing himsa or in line with ahimsa? She definitely perceived benefit. Also returning to her new relationship with Biblical scripture, I shared how meditation could continue to support her morning quiet time, her spiritual practices and worship. This is a conversation we will continue in our future sessions together.

I found myself tearing up a little as she shared the progress she has experienced towards her goals, and the kind words she shared about our therapeutic relationship.

This was our final Capstone session. Client will continue with regular sessions, monthly or semi-monthly.