• 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.

Asana Poses (with noticing where she has tension):
Standing:
Tadasana
Ardh Chandrasana/Half-Moon standing.
Sun Salutation modified

Chair Yoga:
Half Locust - holding on to back of chair raise right arm up and lift left
leg off the floor a few inches, lower arm and leg and do the other side. Hold for a count of 15 or until comfortable.

Flexion & Extension - of the spine on chair (wavelike smooth motion).

Chair Cobra – sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on the ground,
hands together in front of the chest, open arms up and bring the
hands to your side near the shoulders, opening the chest and slightly
raise the head.

Scapula Protraction – Extend arms out exhale and press shoulder blades forward.

Scapula Retraction – With arms extended out inhale the bring the shoulder blades back together.

Seated Forward Bend/Turtle - sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on
the ground, bring right elbow to right knee and left elbow to left knee and take hold of your elbows with opposite hands and then straighten your spine and keep your neck aligned with the spine.

Table top spinal stretch - holding the chair and stepping back until
your back is stretched. Hold and breath and then walk back towards
the chair. You can do this a few times.

Twist on a chair - sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on
the ground, place your right hand on just above your left knee on the
side of the leg, the twist your torso to the left and hold on to the back of the chair with your left hand, your face also turns of the left. Come out, untwist, gently and do the other side.

Joint Freeing Wrists/Hands:
Fingers - Flexion/Extension with AB/ADduction (spread and scrunch)

Fingers – Touch each digit to the thumb.

Fingers – Fingers of both hands touching then pressing against each other.

Fingers – The gentle hitting at the joint of the proximal phalanges and the metacarpal bones of both hands together. And also at the thumbs.

Thumb – Rotate the thumb in one direction and then the other.

Wrist - Flexion/Extension with fingers and elbows extended (stop
hands)/shoulders flexed to 90 degrees

Wrist - Circles both directions (with thumb inside hand).

Wrist - Deviation - Radial (thumb) / Ulnar (pinky) (with fingers extended/elbow extended/shoulder flexed to 90 degrees) – Show with
hands pronated and supinated.

Wrist – Gentle knocking together of the wrists at the front to stimulate circulation.

Hands - Pronated and Supinated Radial (thumb)/Ulnar (pinky) turning of the hands front and back.

Body Scan.

Breathing practice – Nadi Sudi with mantra.

Meditation with Mantra and following the breath.

Have patience with yourself and your practice. No one can sit and start meditating perfectly remember that it takes practice and time.

Centering.

Asana Poses (with noticing where she has tension):
Standing:
Tadasana
Ardh Chandrasana/Half-Moon standing.
Sun Salutation modified

Chair Yoga:
Half Locust - holding on to back of chair raise right arm up and lift left
leg off the floor a few inches, lower arm and leg and do the other side. Hold for a count of 15 or until comfortable.

Flexion & Extension - of the spine on chair (wavelike smooth motion).

Chair Cobra – sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on the ground,
hands together in front of the chest, open arms up and bring the
hands to your side near the shoulders, opening the chest and slightly
raise the head.

Scapula Protraction – Extend arms out exhale and press shoulder blades forward.

Scapula Retraction – With arms extended out inhale the bring the shoulder blades back together.

Seated Forward Bend/Turtle - sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on
the ground, bring right elbow to right knee and left elbow to left knee and take hold of your elbows with opposite hands and then straighten your spine and keep your neck aligned with the spine.

Table top spinal stretch - holding the chair and stepping back until
your back is stretched. Hold and breath and then walk back towards
the chair. You can do this a few times.

Twist on a chair - sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on
the ground, place your right hand on just above your left knee on the
side of the leg, the twist your torso to the left and hold on to the back of the chair with your left hand, your face also turns of the left. Come out, untwist, gently and do the other side.

Joint Freeing Wrists/Hands:
Fingers - Flexion/Extension with AB/ADduction (spread and scrunch)

Fingers – Touch each digit to the thumb.

Fingers – Fingers of both hands touching then pressing against each other.

Fingers – The gentle hitting at the joint of the proximal phalanges and the metacarpal bones of both hands together. And also at the thumbs.

Thumb – Rotate the thumb in one direction and then the other.

Wrist - Flexion/Extension with fingers and elbows extended (stop
hands)/shoulders flexed to 90 degrees

Wrist - Circles both directions (thumb inside).

Wrist - Deviation - Radial (thumb) / Ulnar (pinky) (with finger extended/elbow extended/shoulder flexed to 90 degrees) – Show with
Hands -Pronated and Supinated

Wrist – Gentle knocking together of the wrists at the front to stimulate circulation.

Hands - Pronated and Supinated Radial (thumb)/Ulnar (pinky) turning of the hands front and back.

Body Scan.
Breathing practice – Nadi Sudi with mantra.
Meditation with Mantra and following the breath, followed by a period of imagery for healing body emotions, mind with love, white healing light.

Review of the practices client has been doing.

Wisdom Teachings
Sutra I.1: Now the exposition of Yoga is being made.
Sutra I.2: The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.

Client has not been able to keep up with her meditation practice. She says she is not able to focus and her mind is racing everywhere, her mind is never at ease, as a result she gave up trying because it’s discouraging and that led to negative self-talk.

We discussed changing her technique to JAPA and we practiced JAPA during this session to try it out. We also discussed not suppressing the mind during meditation because the mind rebels – it’s a process of focus and exclusion of the mind stuff – its befriending the mind to a certain extent so that the mind does not feel threatened.

We followed the practice of meditation with a brief history on Patanjali, followed by discussion of Sutra I.1: Now the exposition of Yoga is being made, and Sutra I.2: The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga. The sutras helped the client understand that we cannot achieve peace of mind without a regular practice, it’s like we cannot learn to swim by jumping in the water the first and second time - that it takes practice.

I reminded the client of her goals of “peace and wanting connection to source”. That she must have patience with herself as well as compassion.

Client is now journaling almost every night. She confirmed that this practice includes writing about where her peace was disturbed, how she reacted, and what the underlying attachment/reason was, and how this helps her understand how her approach or response will be next time.

I switched gears and instead of talking about desire and expectation, it was better to discuss how the mind works according to Sutras 1 and 2. It felt right to do that because it showed the client that all minds are like that when it comes to meditation – its always difficult to begin meditation, and this has been true for all people and has been true for thousands of years.

I also remember that it is up to the client – that I can only point the way.

Centering.
Asana Poses (with noticing where she has tension):
Standing:
Tadasana
Ardh Chandrasana/Half-Moon standing.
Sun Salutation modified

Chair Yoga:
Half Locust - holding on to back of chair raise right arm up and lift left
leg off the floor a few inches, lower arm and leg and do the other side. Hold for a count of 15 or until comfortable.

Flexion & Extension - of the spine on chair (wavelike smooth motion).

Chair Cobra – sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on the ground,
hands together in front of the chest, open arms up and bring the
hands to your side near the shoulders, opening the chest and slightly
raise the head.

Scapula Protraction – Extend arms out exhale and press shoulder blades forward.

Scapula Retraction – With arms extended out inhale the bring the shoulder blades back together.

Seated Forward Bend/Turtle - sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on
the ground, bring right elbow to right knee and left elbow to left knee and take hold of your elbows with opposite hands and then straighten your spine and keep your neck aligned with the spine.

Table top spinal stretch - holding the chair and stepping back until
your back is stretched. Hold and breath and then walk back towards
the chair. You can do this a few times.

Twist on a chair - sitting half way on the chair, feet flat on
the ground, place your right hand on just above your left knee on the
side of the leg, the twist your torso to the left and hold on to the back of the chair with your left hand, your face also turns of the left. Come out, untwist, gently and do the other side.

Body Scan.
Breathing practice – Nadi Sudi with mantra.
Meditation with Mantra and following the breath, followed by a period of imagery for healing body emotions, mind with love, white healing light.

Review of the practices client has been doing, especially how JAPA has been for her.

Wisdom Teachings
Sutra I.3: Then the Seer [Self ] abides in His own nature.