• 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.

Centering.

Asana Poses (with noticing where she has tension):
Standing:
Tadasana
Ardh Chandrasana/Half-Moon standing
Scapula movements for the contraction that she does in the upper body:
Elevation - Inhale and shrugged shoulders up.
Depression - Exhale slide the shoulder blades down.
Protraction – Extend arms out exhale and press shoulder blades forward.
Retraction – With arms extended out inhale the bring the shoulder blades back together.
Lateral rotation – place hand on shoulders and Inhale bring elbows up.
Medial rotation - and exhale bring elbow down.

Body Scan – down and up
Breathing practice – Nadi Sudi
Meditation on the breath, with imagery for healing body, emotions, mind.

Review Sutra I.2: The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga. Vritti’s are all thoughts. It’s our to-do-list and or even thinking of spiritual or good things - although these are preferable to negative thoughts. All are thoughts.

Review Sutra I.3 – Then the Seer [Self] abides in His own nature. The moon can only see itself perfectly in the lake if the lake is calm. Even so the moon remains unaffected. In the same way, our true Self can only see itself in our mind when our mind is calm, but even if our mind is not calm, our true Self remains unaffected.

Review Sutra I.4 – At other times [the Self appears to] assume the forms of the mental modifications. This is like the battle of Kurukshetra that we have discussed - when we step off our meditation mat and we try to hold on to the peace and calm vibrations that we felt during meditation, but the habits we have, especially the mental habits, inevitably draw us back into the drama and we get lost in it, and the Vritti’s and emotions act out, and we forget all about that peace and calm vibrations. This happens in an instant. But the more regular we are with our meditation practice the better we will be at holding onto and reclaiming our peace. As discussed, it also takes time for our meditation to go deeper – for the Vritti’s to fall away. We need to practice regularly and to sit for longer periods of time to allow for this.

Centering.

Asana Poses (with noticing where she has tension):
Standing:
Tadasana
Ardh Chandrasana/Half-Moon standing.
Scapula movements for the contraction that she does in the upper body:
Elevation - Inhale and shrugged shoulders up.
Depression - Exhale slide the shoulder blades down.
Protraction – Extend arms out exhale and press shoulder blades forward.
Retraction – With arms extended out inhale the bring the shoulder blades back together.
Lateral rotation – place hand on shoulders and Inhale bring elbows up.
Medial rotation - and exhale bring elbow down.

Body Scan – down and up
Netra Viyayamam
Breathing practice – Nadi Sudi
Meditation on the breath, with imagery for healing body, emotions, mind.
Discussion on how the assignments went for client. How the personal sadhana is going?

Briefly reviewed Wisdom teachings:
Sutra I.2: The restraint of the modifications of the mind-stuff is Yoga.
Sutra I.3 – Then the Seer [Self] abides in His own nature.
Wisdom teaching – Sutra I.4 – At other times [the Self appears to] assume the forms of the mental modifications.
Sutra I.14 Sutra I.14: Practice becomes firmly grounded when well attended to for a long time, without break and in all earnestness.

Client has been practicing asana for about 20 minutes about 5 times a week.

Client’s daughter has come home from jail and this has been good for the family and it has also been adjustment process. Client has also had to travel a lot because her ‘adopted’ sister has been sick for a while and she lost her sister on July 2nd.

As a result of all the above events, client’s mediation has been suffering. She has not been able to meditate. Although she has practiced centering and Nadi Sudi followed by staying quiet. That is the extent of the meditation that she has been able to do lately.

Client reports that she “relies on doing breath work Nadi Sudi to keep her balanced and she has not experienced any extremes of angst.” “She has been happy and she has been sad but not lost in it.”

We discussed that sometimes this is how it is and we can’t get to do our practice the way we would like to do and that the best thing is to accept it instead of being upset about it. But when we do have the stableness to do our practice regularly, and we invest the time into it then we begin to feel the peace and joy of our true selves.

Client likes to use the term ‘Vritti’.

I asked the client what she understands about Sutra I.2? Client said that she understood that its about the ‘restraint’ of our “inferior emotions and feelings that take over, or can take over and that are not of high frequency.” I clarified that Vritti’s are the thoughts not the emotions and feelings, and that our thoughts affect our emotions and feelings, and vice-versa, the emotions and feelings affect our thoughts. And that this sutra refers to all our thoughts, for example something neutral like our to-do-list, or even in thinking of spiritual things. All are thoughts.

Client understands and said “When I’m doing a massage – I get to where the entire session I’m thinking of my to do list. But with these sessions/practices I’m stopping that and I notice that the quality of my work is better and I enjoy it more when I don’t do that.”

Client expressed that because she has been watching her mind-stuff - “I am so much calmer, I keep thinking of detachment and loving detachment instead, and how that detachment and centering is so precious. And to allow the distractions is not worth it.“

Client reports that she “was having a problem with temper there for a while, even if I didn’t show it, I had anger inside”. She says that this has been lessening as she is noticing the Vritti’s.” “It can be so intense and you can attach all these things. Now I notice as it is starting to rise but I am able to lessen it.” I gave her an example of the mind being like a naughty child and when a naughty child notices that it is being watched it starts to change it behavior.

Client reports that she has not felt despair with her daughter because she takes a deep breath first about things they have to discuss, and she has been able to be more conscious of being more loving to her husband.

I feel that the client is really wanting this knowledge and she is putting it into use as best as she can understand it.

I find that reviewing the Sutras and inquiring about what the client understands a Sutra is saying is important and may need clarification as happened in this session.

The simple meditation of following the breath in and out works well for this client, I don’t feel like she needs to be introduced to another technique right now.

Question: I should give her another technique like ‘witnessing the mind’ so that she has another technique to fall on if she needs it? What do you advise?

Centering.
Asana Poses (with noticing where she has tension):
Standing:
Tadasana
Ardh Chandrasana/Half-Moon standing.
Chair Yoga:
Half Locust holding on to back of chair.
Flexion & extension of the spine on chair (wavelike smooth motion).
Chair Cobra.
Seated Forward Bend/Turtle.
Standing Forward Bends Inversion on a chair.
Table top spinal stretch, holding the chair and stepping back.
Twist on a chair.
Body Scan – down and up.
Breathing practice – Nadi Sudi.
Meditation on the breath, with imagery for healing body, emotions, mind.
Wisdom Teaching: Sutra I.5: There are five kinds of mental modifications, which are either painful or painless.