Anything falling short of perfect health (Svastha) is dis-ease (Roga), caused by an imbalance in Doshas, Movement (too much, too little), Metabolism/Transformation (too fast, too slow), Stability/Structure (too much, too little), and by “Forgetting our true nature (we are not the body or the mind).” Our goal is to be “Established in the Self.”

I will explain the Three Pillars of Health, Food (all sensory intake), Sleep (quality, quantity), and Our Entire Lifestyle (how we use our energy). I will ask N what he would like to work on, give him a Dosha Quiz to fill out, give her some information on falls, a home safety checklist, and good posture and how to achieve it) (SMART items below)

N is a retired, upper middle-class, 76-year-old male, married with three children and his first 4-week-old grandchild. N is a singer/songwriter by choice, and has been an educator/principal for sustenance. N is of average height, morbidly obese, and has fallen several times in recent years. I suspect that there are crimes against wisdom here such as his unhealthy view of food. I believe N sleeps enough, but leads a very active life, and probably does not expend energy economically.

N is a retired, upper middle-class, 76-year-old male, married with three children and his first 10-week-old grandchild. N is a singer/songwriter by choice, and has been an educator/principal for sustenance. N is of average height, morbidly obese, and has fallen several times in recent years. I suspect that there are crimes against wisdom here such as his unhealthy view of food. I believe N sleeps enough, but leads a very active life, and probably does not expend energy economically.

My plan was to explain the Three Pillars of Health, Food, Sleep, and Lifestyle, to give N a Dosha Quiz, give him some information on falls, a home safety checklist, good posture and how to achieve it, followed by physical exercises, JAPA Movements, Walking Meditation, Breathwork, and Word- Affirmations.

Hatha Yoga – We did seated and standing JAPA movements and asanas, three-part breathing and alternate nostril breathing exercises, meditation, guided imagery, and Yoga Nidra.

Raja Yoga – I helped N to attempt to formulate a well-disciplined mind concerning nutrition.

Jnana Yoga – The “Crimes against Wisdom” concept struck a big chord with N.

Japa Yoga – To approach meditation on his own, I gave N several mantras to choose from.

I explained the Three Pillars of Health and asked N what he would like to work on, and he chose nutrition. I gave him an Ayurveda Dosha Quiz from pages 34-35 in Vasant Lad’s book Ayurveda, The Science of Self-Healing and at first, N said that he didn’t believe in putting-you-in-a-box quizzes, but took it, and it came back VATA which surprised me because I thought that he might be KAPHA. I gave him a different Dosha Quiz from a Dosha Constitution Quiz handout from Durga Leela and he scored evenly with VATA and PITTA on that one. I then copied a list of food guidelines for VATA and PITA from pages 82-84 in Lad’s book and sent it to him.

My scheduled physical postures finally occurred only at our third session, but we always spoke through food challenges, emotional issues, and did Yoga Nidra. N knows exactly what he needs to do but often lacks the will power to achieve his goals.

I gave N many handouts to read over that last five weeks, information on falls, a home safety checklist, and introduced him to the first seven tips (over the three sessions) from the Kerala Institute’s article “Ten Ayurvedic Tips for Weight Loss.” https://www.keralaayurveda.us/wellnesscenter/ayurvedic-tips-for-weight-loss/

I sent N suggestions on healthy snacks to eat and to prepare, eating suggestions for the VATA and PITTA Dosha, and links for a tongue scraper and for a Neti pot.

N understands and responds well to the phrase “Crimes Against Wisdom” so I asked him to try to always remember this phrase as he goes about his day, especially in the making of healthy food choices when on the road, to exercise, and to report back to me on his progress.

N is very happy that he is having these sessions with me, feels good whenever we speak, and is glad that I take an interest in his health

Yes and No. Since we were only able to do most of my original plan at our third and last session, I was unable to extend my plan within the time frame of this report, but intend to cue my full original plan in future sessions with N since healthy nutrition is his burning challenge. Because of this inability to work physically, more time was spent on phycho-social conversation which I feel might even have been more beneficial in his current situation. N does not have time to read much of the information that I send to him, and the eating habits of a 76-year-old are pretty ingrained, so patience is needed for both client and therapist.

When he goes away for 2-3 weeks at a live-in weight loss program, he loses the weight, because he knows the solution is to eat healthy food and smaller portions.

I will continue to send N articles, handouts, and other pertinent information.

N is always ecstatic when he is doing all of his outside activities, but I believe it is taking its toll. If I schedule sessions after 1pm with N, he falls asleep as soon as we start. I don’t know what mindset he is coming in with, excitement, or “Why am I doing all these things?” He is definitely at a crossroads.

I don’t schedule sessions after 3pm with N, and if he begins an at-a-crossroads conversation, I will change my original plan to accommodate more conversation, asking him reflective questions, which he engages in very easily and is very happy to have me as a sounding board for thinking things out loud. I chose to do this for our first two sessions because of N’s tiredness, rescheduling, and his inability to perform exercises after surgery.

N is trying to fully resurrect his music writing and performing career one week, and another week he is ambivalent about it. He is in two performing bands, one in Brooklyn over 20 miles away, another in Connecticut performing in Boston, 250 miles away, teaches two group piano classes, and visits often his first 10-week-old grandchild in upstate New York. N doesn’t drive well alone at night and becomes exhausted. N eats healthy at home, but eats junk food when he is out and about.

We explored the physical, energetic, psycho-social, and wisdom layers comfortably, touched on the bliss layer using Universal rather that Divine terms, and always made time for Yoga Nidra. Our nutrition conversations seem to be the more important thrust during this season of N’s life.

I had asked at the beginning of at least one of our sessions, on a 1-10 scale, where his stress scale was? It was a 5, and at the end of our sessions, it was a 0.

In conclusion, N knows what he needs to do to be healthy, his dad lost weight fast, was very heavy, a diabetic, and lost it quickly with the right foods and smaller portions prepared by his mother. I will be here to follow up with N.