• 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 exploring the exercises and stretches with breath awareness. Focus on deep diaphragmatic breathing, seeing where you can reduce muscular effort during each one.

Check In
Awareness Practice
Explored each of the exercises on the handout - as presented they are as follows (not using Sanskrit):

Cat/Cow with band
Seated QL Stretch
Warrior 1 in the chair
Locust - with blanket/towel under ASIS, alternating leg lift
Bird Dog - one step at a time
Bridge Pose - with block between thighs, above knees
Chair Pose - with block between thighs, above knees
Supine exploration of knee to chest, hamstring stretch, adductor stretch, and reclining pigeon with MFR (4") ball under point of tension - repeating the sequence to each side
Shavasana with legs elevated on a bolster (he preferred to placing legs on the chair)

Client was energetic and engaged. He did however come from a personal training session at one of the other clubs. He purchased two sessions to focus on balance, and stated that some of the exercises were similar to the ones I had given him. (His first session was on 5 June). Yesterday he also had a massage with a therapist I had referred. He stated in retrospect he wishes he had better timed these various sessions. His goal is to try many different tools, and then see what is most effective for helping him reduce his LBP. Having everything back to back, three days in a row, he hasn't been able to determine the effects of each treatment yet.

He enthusiastically explored each exercise, sharing feedback as to what he was feeling, stating that the Locust exploration was the most challenging for him. While initially I had encouraged first alternating each leg, then working with both, he doesn't feel he has the strength or stability to try lifting both legs yet. During this session we took more time with each exercise - slowing the practice down, pausing between each side to see if he could notice any changes in pain sensation, where he felt the movement of his breath, and anything else that came up for him during practice. His focus is still very much on the anamaya kosha.

He has not resisted or explicitly stated that he is not interested in looking at his pain through the lens of the other koshas, but I feel a resistance. It could be that it is more avidya - a lack of even considering that his physical pain experience could have deeper connections - and the real challenge is my perception - that I'm afraid of offending him or crossing a boundary.

Check in on his practice of the exercises and see what his experiences have been - our next session is scheduled for 21 June. I also want to spend a little time sharing the panchamaya kosha model - and its similarity to the biopsychosocial model (thinking he might be familiar with this)?

With that I want to explore something I had mentioned in his care plan - looking at music. Thinking of Nada yoga, the yoga of sound - finding out more about his favorite musical styles, how playing and listening to music makes him feel. The connection of nada/sound and nadis - the channels through which prana and nada flow through the body, connecting the physical and subtle body. I wonder if this framework would be a good connection point into the koshas?

Still want to talk a little more about sthiram and sukham - from both the standpoint of, in asana and all movement, seeking to navigate the balance of steadiness and sweetness, effort and ease. As well as the sukham of the mind taking a seat in the body, even when there is physical effort and discomfort in the body.

I realize there is not an attachment area for this note - I'll include the exercise handout I created for him in the client summary note after his final session?