• 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. Supine Spinal Twist
2. Legs on the wall
3. Breathing Practice (alternate nostril breathing, 3-parts breathing)
4. Guided Meditation

I began the session by asking Mark, Ugyen, and Terry if there had been any changes since we last met. Ugyen and Terry did not have any major changes; both practiced asanas, though not every day, but about 3-4 days a week. They reported that long-held stretches felt better compared to quick stretches, especially the child’s pose and spinal twists, which were very relaxing and helped them feel calm.
Mark reported that he had been experiencing knee pain for a week and felt pain when walking. He could not do Sun Salutations but tried sitting on the chair. He is going to see his doctor next week to find out what is causing the pain. I observed a high level of stress due to his discomfort, so I instructed him to try breathing practices when he feels pain.

I offered guided meditation for about 3 minutes and then moved to a quick body scan on the mat to observe each part of the body and acknowledge any physical and mental sensations. I suggested inhaling healing energy and removing negativity with every breath.
Then, I invited them to a seated position and led them through three rounds of a neck and shoulder stretch that resembled a seated Tai Chi flow.

For asana practice, I led the following asanas to address their conditions.
3 rounds of slow-paced sun salutation as I am focusing on slowing down
Sphinx pose
Child pose
cat-cow stretch – to notice the benefits after forward/back bending
Supine spinal twist ( 2+ minutes each side)
Legs on the wall (3 minutes)
As a final relaxation, I led 15 mins of yoga nidra to relax the physical body and mind.

Ugyen and Terry have less experience with asana practice. They said their slow-paced physical movement, including Sun Salutation, felt more comfortable compared to the previous session. One reason for this is that they were able to focus on their breathing while moving their physical bodies slowly, which led them to feel more relaxed. This feedback indicates that they understand the benefits of breathing and that slowing down helps reduce stress.

Ugyen, Terry and Mark reported that alternate nostril breathing is very helpful to relax and reduce stress. I instructed them to pay attention to their posture, because we tend to relax too much and round lower back.

I felt good to hear that Ugyen and Terry are becoming more comfortable with asana practice, particularly the slower pace and breath-focused movement. Their feedback highlighted their growing awareness of the mind-body connection and the importance of breath control in stress reduction.

I will continue to follow this care plan for the next several sessions. I may modify or add other practices based on their feedback.
Also I will explain to Mark how to use stairs to reduce knee pain.