Restorative asana, pranayama, and guided meditation for working with a client who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. These teachings/practices are found in the "Deepening into Therapeutic Yoga" (Level 2) Manual.

I met with the client on Zoom for 2 sessions (May 18 and 24), each for 45 mins. I led the client in setting herself up in 3 restorative yoga poses using the props she had available. While she was relaxed in the poses, I facilitated pranayama and guided meditation. At the start & end of each session, she rated pain on 1-10 scale and shared feelings.

Client is a 36-year-old married female who has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis since April 2018 after experiencing her first flare that March. The client is otherwise healthy and does not smoke. She occasionally drinks wine with meals. She is studying to become a clinical psychologist. She stated during our meetings that she is symptom-free (not experiencing a flare) at this time.

I planned to work with the client over Zoom since she lives about 45 minutes away from me. I planned to guide her in setting herself up in restorative asana using pillows and blankets she has at her home, and planned to facilitate energy work and guided meditation while she relaxed in the poses. These are teachings recommended for clients who have been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. I used the manuals given to yoga therapy students in the Therapeutic Yoga - level 1, and the Deepening into Therapeutic Yoga trainings.

I used Hatha Yoga which is also a component of Raja Yoga. Specifically, I used asana, pranayama, and guided meditation. These interventions help clients with multiple sclerosis to feel more in touch with their body, to move the body in safe ways, to balance exergy levels and enhance relaxation.

Session 1 (5/18/22): On a scale of 1-10, the client rated her pain at 1. At the beginning of our session, she stated her feeling word as "content." Using three pillows and four blankets, I led her through the following restorative asana: Gentle Mountain Brook, Supported Child's Pose, and Floating Relaxation. While she rested in these poses, I facilitated body awareness, pranayama, and guided meditation. At the end of the session, she stated her feeling word as "relaxed." She also stated she "loved slowing down," and the reminders to "just be" & "enjoy being alive."
Session 2 (5/24/22): On a scale of 1-10, the client rated her pain at 1. At the beginning, she stated her feeling word as "tired." I led her through the following restorative asana: Mountain Stream, Sleeping Butterfly, and Floating Relaxation. I also used pranayama and meditation. At the end, her feeling word was "rested."

The client will practice with guided meditations using an app she enjoys. Since she commented that she really loved how she felt rested as though she were sleeping, but without having slept, I told her about yoga nidra. She will try yoga nidra using videos on YouTube. The client will also contact me for yoga therapy if she isn't feeling well or experiences a flare of multiple sclerosis

Yes, I applied the intended plan over Zoom and the goal was achieved. I invited the client to play quiet, relaxing music on her end since the music doesn't travel well over Zoom. She chose not to use music. She practiced in her large exercise room at home with her two cats. The client felt better after each of the two 45-minute sessions. Please see below for more details.

I made a slight change to the original plan. I had intended to facilitate energy healing, but in the moment, I did not feel comfortable doing so over Zoom. I think it would feel appropriate for in-person sessions, but not over Zoom. The Therapeutic Yoga training covered energy healing over Zoom, so I knew it could work - but it just did not seem right to me in the moment. Therefore, I made a quick change and went into pranayama instead. For the first session, I used the guided pranayama for multiple sclerosis given on page 118 of the Deepening into Therapeutic Yoga manual. For the second session, I used deep three-part breathing and extended exhalations. I learned that I can trust myself to adapt in the moment as necessary.

I definitely prefer to work with clients in person rather than over Zoom. In person, I find it easier to sense the client's energy; I also enjoy being able to set props for the client, which I believe makes sessions more relaxing for the client. Overall, however, these sessions seemed to go very well. The client was noticeably calmer, more relaxed, and smiling at the end of each session. I am always surprised when this happens, especially when it seems to me that I haven't done very much. I have to remind myself that my expertise flows easily to the client who hasn't been trained in the techniques I know. What I do seems like a kind of "magic" to the client, but for me, there was a definite plan to reach the goal.
Yes, I would use this plan in a similar situation in the future since it seemed to work well. I had been considering that, since this client is in pretty good condition physically, she might want a more vigorous practice. I asked her about this at the end of the first session. She responded that she loved the relaxing practice and wanted to do it again. So I simply chose slightly different poses and meditations for variety, but kept the same basic structure.