• 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 with the postural and core strengthening and stabilizing movements, focusing on connecting to the eternal witness that is observing each movement. Continue to practice nadi shodhana - or anuloma viloma if the breath retention is too uncomfortable. Spend at least 5 minutes in contemplative silence at least twice a day - or a sound-focused meditation or guided meditation from insight timer if the silence is too uncomfortable.

Continued as previous, opened with the PSS-10 (scored 28, on the lower end of "high stress") and then a brief awareness and labeling practice - sitting in silence and noticing anything that comes up and then distilling it down as simply as possible and labeling whatever it is (thoughts of future, rumination of past, bodily sensation, anxiety, pain, etc). We then got into our hatha yoga, that consisted of that consisted of added a few movements that were more strengthening in nature - isometric postural-stabilizing movements against the wall, for the neck and upper back, gentle forearm plank pose after our backbends to engage the transverse abdominus and stabilize the pelvis, and consistent variations throughout the practice (sunbird, wave bridge, single leg locust) to awaken and strengthen the multifidi, which I explained can shut down due to pain inhibition. Our focus was on subtle core activation for stability and less so maximal activation of more gross musculature.

For yoga nidra, we did a jnana-inspired visualization practice that consisted of her imagining that she is the sky and the sky is pure awareness, and any thought or sensation that comes up is a cloud that she can witness. The affirmation offered during the practice was "I am not 'this'", with 'this' being whatever she is witnessing, with the idea of leading us towards a discussion of neti-neti. For pranayama, we did start practicing kapalabhati. She took to it quite easily, mastering the "ha" with the mouth open, and then the "ha" with the nasal breathing pattern, and then silently. She was being quite aggressive but besides that she did great and was visibly excited by it. We also practiced dirgha and then nadi shodhana with the 3-12-6 pattern and she did ok with that. We then had a discussion about neti-neti, the goals of jnana yoga (minimal mention of spirituality or mysticism), and the idea of "maya" only in the sense that we are misperceiving our true nature, we are the eternal witness (the sky) and not the bodymind, which is being constantly cajoled and prodded along by the circumstances i.e. the pleasures and pains of life (the clouds).

For our meditation, I offered a guided meditation in restorative supta baddha konasana while covered in blankets focused on improving and expanding awareness. We noticed the breath, then noticed who is noticing the breath, then focused on that awareness and attempted to expand our awareness until it was encompassing and then outside of our bodies. we then focused on awareness of sound, and then began the incantation "I am pure awareness. Awareness is always peaceful and whole". we ended the practice with a child's pose for humility and gratitude.

I feel that this client is continuing to make progress and I am understanding her more and more as we work together more. She seems to be in a much better place than she was the last time we met; she explained that she has not been looking at her husband's phone records or their bank statements and has been trying not to obsess over the divorce. her sciatica is still acting up, but she has said she feels the exercises are helping. Her TMJ has not been terrible lately, though she did have an episode that triggered a migraine a few weeks ago. The Jnana yoga seemed to be a hit today, the loving-kindness and adjacent practices were working well, she loves pranayama and hatha yoga - things are generally going well. however, her high levels of stress remain consistent.

I made the mistake of using the term "deity" in our last session, and even though I was attempting to explain how devotion to a symbol that is representative of an ideal that we are attempting to embody through our meditative practices can help us in the quest of self-improvement, she was immediately turned off by that word and basically became non-receptive to anything that was related to bhakti.

So, I was very careful not to even use any sanskrit terms today, did not mention samadhi or anything that was remotely "woo-woo" - I spoke only in terms of how these practices can help us heal and transform. I got the sense that she is the type of person who thrives when momentum is strong, and I don't want to break her momentum by triggering anything again.

I generally feel good about the work we did together today. Using the wall for isometric postural focused exercises worked very well, I plan to keep that in my back pocket.

Brahmi, I like your suggestion to guide her through each of the paths of yoga. I plan to get into karma yoga next, with a loving-kindness type of focus, and mention of how letting go of the fruits of our actions leads to not only less stress but better results. Ujayi will be the next pranayama technique I introduce.