• 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.

I sent her an email with this information and homework:
1. Practicing yoga every day can reduce migraines. You can check the article out for more information.

New Study On The Benefits of Yoga for Migraine

2. Longer exhalations can tone the vagus nerve and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, taking you to a state of calmness.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-athletes-way/201905/longer-exhalations-are-easy-way-hack-your-vagus-nerve

3. Keep journaling! Here is an article about the power of journaling.
https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling

Here is a little practice you could do every day:
-Try to observe your breath for 5 minutes every day and observe sensations in your body
- You can also practice the pranayama we practiced together with inhalations through the nostrils and longer exhalations through the mouth.
- Journal after the meditation, see what comes up, without judgment, just observe.

During the session:
Talk about the intake.
Centering
Observe breath, energy, and sensations.
Asanas:
Warm-up – Sun salutation (sympathetic activation)
Neck and shoulders release (parasympathetic activation) release tension where it generally is held.
Backbend:
Cobra – heart opener 4th chakra, rising from the earth, help grounding.
Forward bend:
Pashimotanasana – introspection, sense of safety
Inversion:
Viparita
Twist:
Supine – supta matsyendrasana – manipura chakra, digestion, assimilation of nutrientes and prana.(Yoga Pradipika)
Pranayama (bhastrika found in Yoga for Depression )
Progressive relaxation
Meditation focusing on the breath
Closing

She cried a lot when asked about her social support. I let her cry and after some moments I asked her to concentrate on her breath, and then she calmed down. She told me that she has some trauma related to her mother and she moved from Richmond to Cincinnati, where she doesn’t have close friends. She is living with her mother. By the end of the session said that the session was very relaxing.

I was not prepared for the crying part but I could remember a workshop with Anodea Judith when she dealt with someone that was crying. I need to study more about trauma, which I am already doing.

During the session:
Talk about the week.
How are your migraines?
Have you been practicing meditation 5 minutes before sleep?
How is your sleep?
Yoga Philosophy: connection to self
Her Goal: connection with yourself and mental health.
At its core, the Yoga Sutras teach us how to control the fluctuations of the mind, ultimately leading to a state of inner peace, balance, and self-realization. By studying and integrating Patanjali’s teachings into our daily lives, we can cultivate a deeper connection with ourselves, others, and the world around us.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra says: “Study thy self, discover the divine” II.44 Svadhyaya
What’s swadhyaya for you? Do you observe your thoughts, breath, and habits?
When life has its difficult moments, maybe you catch yourself and observe. We can be the masters of our lives rather than be tossed by the waves of problems.

The Niyamas – Svadhyaya or self-study

Centering
Observe breath, energy, and sensations.
Asanas:
Warm-up – Sun salutation (sympathetic activation)
Neck and shoulders release (parasympathetic activation) release tension where it generally is held.
Backbend:
Ardha Salabhasana– heart opener 4th chakra, rising from the earth, help grounding.
Forward bend:
Pashimotanasana – introspection, sense of safety with bolster
Inversion:
Viparita with block
Twist:
Matsyendrasana – manipura chakra, digestion, assimilation of nutrients and prana.(Yoga Pradipika)
Progressive relaxation

Pranayama
Bioenergetic Grounding: I am in here (Anodea Judith)
Meditation – Kirtan kriya (SA TA NA MA)
Closing