• 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.

Incorporate physiological sigh breathing before 1-2 minutes of mantra repetition meditation at the beginning of each day.
Establish a consistent meditation practice.
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.
Applying Ahimsa to self: Make notes about how you’re currently practicing Ahimsa with self and new/deeper ways that you can practice this with self. We will discuss this next time.

Check In
Centering
Discussion: In The Service of Life, using MI about application to others and then extending this to self. I offered 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.

S reported that the week was stressful, mostly about money. S said that they are practicing asanas that have been assigned, but that their meditation practice is inconsistent. S said the breathing practices have helped. M was not present and let me know she wouldn’t be there as she was attending a concert. B said he had a recent injury to the colon, as a result of breaking apart his dogs that were fighting. He is not feeling well, as a result. He said the star/modified turtle pose has been a “game changer” for releasing tension. He said the reading was hard for him at first, because he realized that he was trying to fix people around him. A has been doing walking meditation from the homework, but has been stressed out by a lot of life changes. She said she loves the star and modified turtle pose because she feels like it’s moving her between energies that show up in the body—from feeling like she wants to hide from it all, to feeling free. We talked about this in our Ahimsa discussion during the session through MI. I shared with the clients the physical and emotional benefits of the fluid star and modified turtle and how they can be useful to process and release emotions.

While this isn’t the first group that I’ve had were people missed sessions, it is the only one where every week there has been consistent lack of attendance by at least one client. I haven’t had a session with all four clients present since the series started. I think this has resulted in me having to adjust plans a lot more than I am with my other groups. I am wondering if I should take a different approach in the future with groups since currently all clients get the email about the homework after each session even if they don’t attend. This has lead to A applying practices without the accompanying discussions, even thought I include a sentence or two about what was discussed she told me before that she doesn’t know yoga philosophy at all—her background is birth doula and Reiki work and she’s taken some yoga classes. I want to think more about how I handle this in the future and would like some support in this area. I’ll add this to the final report.

Check In
Centering
Discussion: We will talk about Ahimsa and application to self and others. I will talk about Yoga Sutra 1.14 Practicing for a long time and without interruption and sincere devotion.
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 in a chair l 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.
Relaxation: Guided mediation for self-love to help the clients actively apply and practice Ahimsa.
Meditation: Lovingkindness Metta Prayer For Peace.