• 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.

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
For her upcoming homework assignment, KR will continue developing her daily home practice with the intention of integrating it as a lasting routine beyond the completion of her Capstone. She plans to increase her quiet meditation with pranayama to a daily 30-minute practice, noting that while this was initially challenging during her time at Yogaville, she found herself missing it after leaving and has expressed wanting this to be a part of her sadhana practice moving forward.

In addition to her seated practice, she will incorporate 1-2 weekly guided Letting Go or Surrender meditations using Insight Timer to support emotional release and relaxation. To gently reintroduce physical activity, she plans to begin walking outdoors 2-3 times per week, combining movement with time in nature.

She has also set a goal to focus on significant decluttering of both her home and office spaces beginning after June 28, during a window of opportunity while her daughter is away at a pre-college program. KR views this as a dedicated time to create more physical and energetic space in her environment.

Session 2: June 16
DAILY HOME PRACTICE
KR engaged in silent meditation twice this week, each session lasting approximately 20 minutes. In addition, she completed a 17-minute Metta Meditation using Insight Timer, which she listened to in the evening before bed. She has also been writing her own guided meditations, drawing from themes that personally resonate with her. These original meditations are being incorporated into the Gentle Yoga class she leads weekly at her studio on Wednesdays at 9:30am. Sharing her personal reflections in this way has offered meaningful connection both for herself and for her students. She reported still not adding in a physical component but we discussed ways to add a physical practice that will support her goals and protect her injury.

WEEKLY PRACTICES
Decluttering: KR engaged in meaningful decluttering this week, focusing on both selling and discarding unneeded items. Several belongings were listed on Facebook Marketplace, with approximately half sold already. Additional clearing was done in the home office, removing unnecessary items that had accumulated, allowing for more physical and mental space.

Weekly Psychotherapy: KR reported to me a brief on her therapy session. She said this week's session centered around parenting patterns, specifically the client’s recognition of a strong tendency to parent from a place of guilt. With limited support from a father figure for her daughter, the client has developed a pattern of overextending herself to compensate, often at the expense of her own needs. This dynamic has been contributing to ongoing depletion and imbalance. Together with her therapist, they are exploring strategies to shift this pattern. As part of the ongoing work, the therapist invited the client to begin observing and tracking instances where decisions are made from guilt, creating opportunities for greater awareness and future discussion.

DHARMA EXPLORATION:
The client continues to nurture her creative passion for yoga and fitness photography, actively scheduling four additional photo sessions extending into mid-July. There is a conscious effort to approach this pursuit from a place of enjoyment and self-expression, while staying mindful of longstanding patterns that can shift joyful activities into performance or obligation.

Physically, KR has not yet begun the planned walks with her husband or reintroduced any new physical activity, due to ongoing back issues. Last week, acute back pain led to an urgent care visit where she received both a Toradol injection and a course of Prednisone. Symptoms have since improved, but she is appropriately deferring more intensive physical activity until after an MRI (June 30) and physical therapy are completed.

PROGRESS SUMMARY
The client continues to approach her developing practice with patience and self-compassion. Similar to previous weeks, she reports still finding her rhythm, while intentionally allowing space for the process to unfold without self-imposed pressure. She is mindful of her natural tendency toward perfectionism and is actively working to soften this by engaging in her practices with curiosity and kindness. This gentle, exploratory approach reflects her growing capacity for self-awareness and nervous system regulation as she integrates new habits into her routine.

In our work together, I have observed the client developing a growing sense of self-compassion and patience (the giving oneself a "hug") as she integrates new practices into her daily routine. While she acknowledges that establishing a consistent rhythm remains a work in progress, she is intentionally releasing the need for perfection and allowing herself to move forward at a sustainable pace without expectation. Her growing ability to notice habitual tendencies—such as striving or self-criticism—and to instead approach her practice with curiosity and kindness reflects meaningful growth in both self-awareness and nervous system regulation. This gentle, exploratory approach is helping to create a solid foundation for long-term resilience and inner stability.

PLAN FOR WEEK AHEAD
The client will incorporate quiet meditation into her routine 2-3 times this week, with each session lasting approximately 30 minutes.

She will practice mindful awareness of negative thought patterns as they arise, actively working to reframe them and documenting these reflections for continued self-study.

She plans to complete the decluttering of her home office, creating a refreshed and supportive workspace.

Physically, she intends to take 2-3 outdoor walks with her husband and dogs, combining gentle movement with time in nature.

In regard to her ongoing back issues, she will continue forward with her scheduled MRI and physical therapy appointments, approaching the process with a mindset of curiosity and resilience rather than discouragement.

Creatively, she will engage in several upcoming photography sessions with friends, intentionally approaching these shoots with a sense of joy, openness, and freedom from self-imposed pressure or expectations.