The use of a bolster to help support stretching

Client is a elite marathon runner. Client has been diganosed with hairline fracture right foot that is being treated. She has tension in upper and lower back. She is getting older and finds that at times she is in pain and unable to stretch as she used to. She would lik

Client is a 64 year old female, a widow with no children. She ordinarily lives with her boyfriend but he has been away taking care of his father during the covid pandemic, leaving her living alone. She is a highly educated woman with two master degrees from Ivy league

I use a bolster to help her support her back and hips, as well as to relax tension. I use the fish pose, a gentle back bend. I have her place the bolster in the middle of the mat and align it lengthwise behind her back, keeping it close to the sacrum. In this position I check that her spine is parallel to the bolster and her head is fully supported by it. She then gently lays back and lays her arms out on each side with her palms up. We then focus on breathing.

Karma and Jnana, Karma yoga is the path of selfless action, of doing, of selfless service, working towards the betterment of all beings without a focus on personal gain. Through her job she works towards the betterment of the people of the world with little consideration of the salary that she earns from her position. She looks to meet the needs of impoverished people. By strengthening her body the client looks to use the additional comfort and energy to serve others. Jnana yoga is the yoga of the mind and is well-suited for people who are intellectually oriented. Sessions are oriented to address and incorporate client's significant intelligence as she strives to learn more about the ways of her body, to better recognize the presence and absence of tension and relaxation.

Sessions are held on Zoom with client using the living room in her apartment. There are frequently temporary problems with capturing her positions on the screen. This can require some adjustment of her position in the room and/or the computer's camera. Client is cooperative, follows directions, and is motivated to address her physical problems and improve her health. She has previously been in yoga classes in the past which she reports did not lead to substantial symptom relief of her back stress and pain. Client purchased a bolster several months ago which has made her experience more restorative. Client reports her experience in this pose as very soothing and pleasant.

Since client has limited time I have asked her to try to practice the poses every other day, and when she does to stay in this pose for for a minimum of 5 minutes and a maximum of 10 minutes. I have also suggested that she practice pranayama on a daily basis at 12:00 noon when possible.

Yes, client is cooperative and compliant. She understands the underlying ideas and concepts, follows directions, and makes adjustments when they are suggested. She reports that being in the restorative poses make her feel more relaxed, more comfortable, and more at ease with herself and her body. Due to her work her time is limited, she tries to get right to the point. She is friendly and receptive without a good deal of extraneous conversation. She is very goal directed. She gives feedback which is almost always positive. All of this makes it easy to apply the intended plan and achieve the goal.

No, I did not have to make major adaptations. She is good student. We did an initial assessment, after an introduction and an explanation of restorative yoga, it was clear that she understood the approach and was ready to learn the poses. As an athlete she has learned to take directions and suggestions from a coach. I was able to see the effect of personality on the teaching and learning process.

If I were to do this again I would probably not make any changes. The treatment has been a positive experience for both the teacher and the student.