The key teaching is utilizing a restorative pose to lower the sympathetic nervous system response, helping the client transition from annamaya kosha to pranayama, manoma, and vijnanama koshas.

The practitioner will encourage a parasympathetic response by teaching a fifteen minute supported reclining pose with a focus on a prolonged three-part breath.

The client is a 45 year old woman whom is very busy with her small business. She spends most of her time on her feet or sitting leaning over clients. She has rheumatoid arthritis and ADD. The client indicates that she feels stressed often and she struggles with time management. The client often appears disorganized and distracted. The client has contracted COVID-19 twice in two years.

The initial session is with the client. The primary and secondary assessment will occur in the first session. I will assist the client with constructing a supported reclining pose. I will help the client focus on extended exhalation breathing in three parts--into the abdomen, then to the ribs, and finally into the collarbone. I will help the client focus the breath in one part for one minute before moving on to the next part. I will ask the client to focus their attention only on the breath as they rest in the pose.

I used Hatha and Jnana Yoga by incorporating physical poses, pranayama, and meditation into this session. I offered this practice in a comprehensive way so that as the client rested deeper into the pose she was able to transition from the annamaya kosha to pranayama, manoma, and vijnanama koshas. The meditative practice is breath awareness, centering the focus of the mind onto the breath.

I assisted the client with the setup for the supported reclining pose, making adjustments to props to help her achieve comfort. I played music that was neutral, but that was grounding and that she said felt calming. I had her place her hands on the body part where she was focusing her breath because I noticed that she was a reverse breather. She relaxed deeply into the pose around minute five and by minute seven I was able to stop cuing the breathing and she was deep breathing on her own. I covered her with a blanket to add to the feeling of comfort and relaxation.

I recommended that she utilize this pose at the end of each day before bed to help with sleeplessness. I also made some recommendations about pillows that she could use in place of the ones that she had provided. We went through her house after the session and tried different cushions and found that couch cushions suited her best in lieu of a bolster. I also taught her how to do an extended exhalation breath on her own upright so that she could utilize it throughout the day.

I did apply the intended plan. The client indicated that she felt an immediate release from practicing the supported relaxation pose. I was able to see this demonstrated through a prolonged shift in her breathing. I also observed a relaxation of visible tension in her upper and lower body, particularly in the shoulders. The client said that she felt like her mind was "quiet" for the first time in a long time.

Yes, I added a relaxation pose with legs elevated on a chair at the end of the session to give the client another option that she could use. She found it hard to adjust the props for herself for the supported relaxation pose, so I offered the chair as a more accessible option. I would have started with legs elevated on a chair instead to see if she could access the pranayama this way before utilizing a more complicated pose.

I would have identified simpler poses that require less props, since I was in a client's home and wanted to utilize what she had available to her. I would have provided a list of props to have in the room or I would have asked if I could see some of the other items that she had available before we started the session. The client said that she had an amazing experience and that is important. I did want to be sure that I could plan an easier pose that the client could recreate on her own without me if she would like to do so. I am glad that I decided to offer the relaxation pose with legs elevated on a chair as an option, since that seemed to provide even deeper relaxation than my planned pose.