• 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.

• Breath work. Easeful, slow nostril breathing. Ujjayi preparation/fogging a mirror/Darth Vadar breathing with mouth slightly open. Experiment with Ujjayi on exhale, mouth closed.
• Axial extension. Downward facing dog with hands on high chair back or holding onto kitchen counter, hooking thumbs.
• Dynamic seated cobra with chin tucks.

Care plan minus sun breaths, radiant circuits, all fours movements, and legs up the wall. Other revisions from original care plan:
• Cobra seated due to reoccurrence of hernias, tenderness in lower pelvic area such that prone is uncomfortable.
• Downward facing dog with hands on tall windowsill, thumbs hooked over edge of sill. Arthritis in hands makes pressing palms onto wall painful. Height of chairback in practice room was too low for this client. She is tall.
• Pranayama preparation. Took time practicing easeful diaphragmatic breathing through the nostrils. Easeful nostril breathing is challenging for the client. She has limited abdominal tone. Practiced breathwork seated and supine with lightweight yoga block on solar plexus.

Client’s somatic awareness is developing. She is better able to discern muscular engagement and movement sensorially. Though initially unfamiliar with the concept of the koshas and the awareness practice, she now calmly focuses when guided through the practice, getting in touch with the inner world.

Taking time to progressively prepare for more heart centered and/or emotional release practices where grief, sorrow and loss may arise. Warrior II tracing the heart meridian, bringing awareness to the heart center towards the end of yoga nidra, and loving kindness meditation are tolerated well. Lighten Up verbal cues elicit a more vertically upright posture. Taking precautions to be extremely gentle with the lower abdominal region due to hernia.

Client became quite restless in yoga nidra. When alternated between sensations of warm and cold, the client sensed cold and had trouble returning to warmth. Took layering three blankets over her for her to warm up. The client is not a visual person. Guided imagery is stress inducing for her. A straight forward traveling awareness through the body (body scan) practice may be relaxing for her.

Follow care plan without prone, all fours on hands and knees, or guided imagery. Yoga nidra traveling awareness through the body. Include a longer, more extensive metta meditation. Prepare for legs up the wall with supine dynamic legs vertical to bent knees. Further prepare for healing heart meditation (lifting darkness out of the heart space) in future sessions by allowing more time for the client to rest awareness at the heart center during yoga nidra.