Yoga is known to inhibit sympathetic activity and facilitate parasympathetic activity helping to bring about well-being. Working through the Annamaya Kosha with Restorative Yoga, and Prananmaya Kosha with Pranayama will help to induce physical and mental relaxation and create a sense of well-being.

Client’s goal is to control stress. Sessions include understanding the mental and physical response to stress, introduction to Restorative Yoga 3 times a week for 40 minutes a session and Pranayama daily for 6 minutes to induce relaxation. Praktipaksh Bahavan to change mental and emotional patterns to help control stress.

Female age 47. Client is unemployed. Stress causes her to eat sugar and carbohydrates and this causes her to be tired. Client walks for one hour everyday and also takes a resistance training class three times a week. Client is able to commit 40 minutes 3 times a week to a yoga relaxation plan including 6 minutes daily of pranayama. Intake session, and the first and last sessions were in person.

Meet weekly for 3 weeks. Prior to first session client completes an Intake form. The following practices/activities were given:
• Discussion to understand stress, stress response, and relaxation response – (how the persistent stimulation of the HPA-axis causes the immune system to become suppressed.)
• Re-framed discussion on Pratipaksha Bhavana (PB) and Tapasah,
• Pranayama and Affirmations to be done daily,
• Pre and Post Survey,
• Restorative Yoga (RY) 40 minutes three times a week.

Restorative Yoga and Raja Yoga were used. We worked on Annamaya Kosha through Restorative Yoga and Pranamaya Kosha via normal slow breathing allowing the exhalations to be a little longer (naturally) to bring on physical and mental relaxation and create a sense of well-being.

We used Raja Yoga concepts of Pratipaksha Bhavana and meaningful affirmations to work through the Manomaya Kosha to re-direct the thoughts and thereby lessen stress. On the Pre/Post surveys for the following question: In reference to things that trigger you, what would you say about triggers? Her response was the same on both surveys: “I am beginning to recognize the things that trigger me.” The answer still reflects progress because the teachings of PB and Tapasah have helped her to realize that she can over time begin to recognize the things that stress her and recognize her to response to these stressors.

Session 1: On Pre-survey client reported “always feels stress throughout the week.” Client was provided with a discussion on how to understand stress, stress response, and relaxation response, and a talk on re-framed PB. Client was taught Restorative Yoga (RY) and Pranayama class while listening to relaxing music. Client reported that she loved the RY session and was completely relaxed and said she looks forward to continuing to practice on her own.
S2: Client reported that RY has helped her to feel more relaxed, but has not been able to listen to the music because she didn’t know who to open it on Youtube. Client reported that due to an injury to her right hand and arm she could not do Nadi Sudi.
S3: Client reported that RY helps her to completely and deeply relax to the point that she does not feel or think anything, and that she finds affirmations are also helpful.

During the second session, client was given an affirmation to practice and she took to it very well saying that sometimes she will talk to herself to change her mood. Practitioner explained that affirmations are a Yoga tool and they can be very powerful and are used help us relax or get us out of difficult mind sets.

During the third session we reviewed the stress response and relaxation response. We reviewed how we can further relax at any time that we need to by breathing normally and allowing the breath to slow down and the exhalations to become longer; and, we talked about re-framed PB and the many ways we can use it to help us feel better and lessen stress.

YES.

In the Post-survey, client reported that she is still “often stressed during the week” but that RY helps her to completely and deeply relax, and that affirmations are also helpful. In the three weeks of working with the Client I found her to be responsive to the teachings on stress the re-framed PB.

During the first session, client was taught three Restorative Yoga poses and Pranayama in a 40 minute class. Client was shown the placement of the bolster and blocks to prepare for each supported pose. Client took pictures of the bolster and block arrangements for each pose. Additionally, client was loaned one bolster and four blocks to use at home for the duration of our work together. She is planning to purchase a bolster and blocks. She is going on a trip to California and Hawaii for two weeks in June, and asked for a refresher session after she gets back.

During the first session, client was taught both Dirgha Svasan and Nadi Sudi breathe. Client expressed that she was not comfortable doing the Dirgha Svasan breath but liked Nadi Sudi, therefore I suggested that she just practice Nadi Sudi daily for as long as she is comfortable, or from one up to three minutes.

During the second session Client reported that due to an injury to her right hand and arm she could not do Nadi Sudi. Client was instructed to breathe normally through the nose while doing the Restorative Yoga and to try to relax in the poses to allow the breath to slow down and become calm and thereby relax more. Additionally, Client was provided with a discussion on re-framed Tapasah as a result of her injury to help her take the focus off the pain, re-direct the mind and thus lessen her stress. Client listened intently and it helped her to take the focus off the pain.

Yes, I think that I would approach it the same way, which is to give the Client just a few tools that the she can do and is willing to do so that the she is not overwhelmed and is able to receive the benefits - and this is what happened. Over time she can begin to recognize the things that stress her and recognize her to response to these stressors, to therefore start with small but significant changes in her world.

Client prefers to speak and read Spanish. She understands English. Therefore, all of the materials including the Intake Form, Pre/Post Surveys and written instructions on the Restorative Yoga poses were translated to Spanish. Client was not provided with a scientific article on the benefits of Yoga to read because she does not read English, but Practitioner did speak about the benefits that Yoga provides as per the science, specifically in the discussion of the sympathetic vs. the parasympathetic systems. Additionally, a scientific article in another language could be put off and I wanted to avoid that. Client was sent the video The Science Behind Yoga, and being that this is a short, well done and informative video is a good start for this Client.