• 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.

Repeat: Incorporate diaphragmatic breathing before or after 1-2 minutes of mantra repetition meditation at the beginning of each day.
Establish a consistent meditation practice.
Practice seated spinal twists 1x a day, 2x each side with emphasis on lengthening the spine and on proprioception.
Incorporate legs up the wall for up to 15 minutes at the end of the day to relieve tension and create a parasympathetic nervous system response.
Contemplate whether you’re helping, serving, or fixing others. Read In The Service of Life, think about what you’re currently doing and some options for adjustments, and we will discuss this next time.

Check In
Centering
Discussion: Reviewed homework from application activity about Locks and Keys with emphasis on self, using MI to explore this topic and discussion about how these can be applied to others. I read “In The Service of Life” by Rachel Naomi Remin in response to discussion about co-dependency in interpersonal relationships.
Gentle Hatha Yoga while seated:
Joint freeing series: Overall joint freeing series with emphasis on the breathing accompanying movements. I will encourage some tensing and releasing during this in the upper body, like the shoulder shrugs.
Sun salutations while seated
Knee straightening while seated in chair to help with core strengthening and strengthening the muscles around the knees.
Seated gentle spinal twist (three part movements) with proprioception, spinal lengthening on the inhalation. (Only assigned to the two that attended this session.)
Legs up the wall to reduce hip and low back pressure, to create a parasympathetic nervous system response, and to improve sleep.
Pranayama: Pursed lip breathing. Emphasis on sensing the breath in the body as the breath moves and on extending the exhalation in a relaxed way.
Yoga Nidra: Tensing and releasing w/awareness and witnessing
Meditation: Guided meditation focused on purpose and intention.

S reported that last week was very hectic and that they are experiencing pain in the lower back. M self-reported about her brother dying and started to cry but stayed present. S immediately expressed empathy visually when M stopped talking and M said she felt very supported by the two of us. M also reported low back pain which she attributed to spending 13 hours in the car driving home from her brother’s home. Both reported interpersonal issues with a friend (S) and with a family member (M’s SIL that was married to the brother that just died.) Both indicated that the other person had developed co-dependency with them. Through MI, we surfaced actionable plans for using the Locks and Keys with self and then with these interpersonal relationships.

B did not attend because he had a work meeting. A did not attend because she said she forgot about the session. My booking website sends reminder emails the day before and one hour before, so I’m not sure how this happened two weeks in a row.

I was able to adjust the session based on the reports of low back pain and since B did not attend, I was able to incorporate spinal twists with these two clients. I am glad that I did the individual session with M, because this is the first time she has shared in the group. I’m also glad in a way that it was just the three of us and I think that caused M to have the space where she felt we could talk. We did our individual session the day before and I could see visible relief in her body and emotions, which she self-reported when she attended this group session. S is on the autism spectrum and has reported before that they believe that they normally doesn’t know how to demonstrate appropriate emotions when people are crying or are sad. I sent S a separate email after the session to share with them how much I appreciated their response to M and to share how positively I noticed that M responded to S’s vocalized and demonstrated empathy.

I am not sure what I can do to get A to attend more regularly, but I’m wondering if she things she doesn’t need to attend because she said in her first session (Group 1’s Session 1) that she felt emotionally well-adjusted and because she is engaged in healing practices. I’d love to explore with her more why she wanted to take this series, perhaps as a way to get a better understanding of what’s going on that she’s missing. I’ll send a message to her to check in again about missing and to ask if there’s anything else I can do to support her and to reaffirm her goals for attending sessions.

Check In
Centering
Discussion: In The Service of Life, using MI about application to others and then extending this to self. I will offer Ahimsa from the Yamas in the Yoga Sutras to the group and utilize MI for discussion about why this is an important foundational practice.
Gentle Hatha Yoga while seated:
Joint freeing series: Overall joint freeing series with emphasis on the breathing accompanying movements. I will encourage some tensing and releasing during this in the upper body, like the shoulder shrugs.
Sun salutations with adaptations
Cat/cow while in the chair or standing
Legs up the wall to reduce hip and low back pressure, to create a parasympathetic nervous system response, and to improve sleep.
Pranayama: Physiological sigh breathing (two inhales through the nose, with one being a deep inhale and then inhaling a bit more, followed by extended exhalation through the mouth) to deepen the relaxation response.
Yoga Nidra: Tensing and releasing with an emphasis on healing, but without using that word. This version of yoga nidra includes setting a sankalpa, rotation of consciousness followed by tensing and releasing, body awareness as a radiant light rotating around the body, breath awareness, and Chida Kasha,
Meditation: Mantra repetition mediation with emphasis on noticing when the mind wanders and using the mantra to return the focus.