Pranayama for exploration/connection of Annamaya & Pranamaya Koshas. Breathing practices cultivate mindfulness/grounding in present moment, self-soothing & activation of PNS for better body awareness, pain management and injury prevention. Body Scans to cultivate awareness & the Witness. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3415184/

3-5 min for each breath upon rising, evening & as needed throughout day. Client to journal for 5-10 min daily re experience, sensations or energetic shifts to cultivate awareness of which practices are more beneficial when facing stressful moment, mitigating back pain, etc.
When time permits, 3-5 min body scan in bed, am or pm to build awareness.

47 y-o male - avid surfer challenged by chronic lower back pain. He’s curious - marvels at the subtleties offered through asana and pranayama.
- Dirgha Svasam for slowing down and listening to the body
- Ujayi breath for staying grounded in the moment
- Explore energetic subtleties - connect with the breath with the image of waves
- Reflect upon Pranayama’s ability to cultivate connection and self-agency with the physical and energetic bodies

My plan was to first demonstrate each breathing practice then practice together. Following each, I’d allow a few moments for client to experience any observations / sensations for sharing or questions.

For the Body Scan segment, I’d offer several options for a restorative pose or Sivasana, then email him a recording of the Body Scan guided meditation to use in between sessions.

Based upon the breathing practices and Body Scan, I’d ask him what he thought might be most beneficial when experiencing back discomfort and support himself with staying present in his body throughout the day.

Finally, we’d discuss daily journaling and a few basic questions for reflection, insights, etc.

Pranayama. Prana meaning life force & how the breath facilitates its movement throughout the body and mind. We considered how retention, lengthening exhales, changing rhythm, even different pitches/tones w/ Brahmari produce different effects in our body as well as our thoughts. As we practice breathing, we direct the awareness within so that we can connect with the present moment and whatever we’re experiencing be it stress, pain, fear, etc. in order to shift our current experience.

By reviewing the Pancha Kosha model and its inward progression from Annamaya and Pranamaya Koshas, over time we cultivate a connection with the Witness / Atman / Higher Self as we continue these practices over time.

Client was delightful and very easy to work with. He was very eager to learn more and deepen his studies. I liked asking him to weigh in on the various things we discussed - what he thought might be most beneficial for his back pain / flare ups, staying connected and present with his experience and in tune with his body throughout the day. This enabled us to have a dialog and provide him with self-agency in honing his care plan.

I was nervous – slowed my breathing / heart rate with extended exhales!

I encouraged client to establish a steady, regular practice on his own and continue exploring his various interests in yoga. I also encouraged him to research Polyvagal Theory and the nervous system as a means of pain / stress management support.

I did apply my intended plan with the client. I believe the goal was achieved in that we reviewed several breathing practices with the goal of achieving greater self-awareness and connection with the body. All of which piqued his interest to deepen his yoga studies.

I didn’t adapt any elements of the plan – hesitated to improvise. I trust that as I gain more confidence over time, I’ll be able to adapt / adjust in the moment. Lesson learned.

Looking back I wouldn’t offer client his choice restorative postures for the Body Scan – too time consuming and confusing. Going forward I’d plan one for each session and introduce a new one for subsequent sessions.

Going forward, I would use the same elements of this plan. I would tailor the specific breathing practices to meet the client’s objectives – whether it’s pain management, stress reduction, post-op recovery, etc.

All in all, I feel this is a good foundational plan for a client to work with on their own – variety of options – not too many.
Client made it very easy for us to have a good experience, his eagerness, attentiveness and curiosity made me wish we had more time for our session.

The only thing I would change would be to plan one specific restorative pose for the Body Scan segment and not offer a selection to choose from.