Key teachings are based upon Sutras 5.3 - 'Then the Seer abides in His own nature.' 5.33 Praktpaksha Bhavana - cultivating the positive, and 5.49, which describes the practice of Pranayama. Together they support client as she cultivates her Witness enabling her to stay present and connected w/ herself when symptoms flare up.

Establish a baseline for staying grounded when symptoms flare: Pranayama 2x daily for 5 minutes and at bedtime. AM & PM 5-minute mindfulness pauses observing thoughts and tuning into body and its needs.
1 to 2 times per week, connect with nature by walking on beach - observing life all around her and her connection with it.

82-year-old woman w/ Long COVID, COPD, 3-time cancer survivor - renowned photographer and art collector. She is very open to spiritual teachings and eager to support herself as she copes with Long COVID symptoms that include insomnia, brain fog, dizziness and loss of appetite.
Client is eager to do all she can to manage symptoms and 'feel like me [herself] again.' She is receiving excellent medical care. Wants to do more to support herself.

My primary intention was to help her see that she is not her condition and that she can choose how to either react or respond when experiencing symptoms. The process for doing so was to support her in identifying her Inner Witness, cultivating the awareness and connection through Pranayama / Breath - connection with herself and life force and practicing Pratipaksha Bhavanam.

RAJA YOGA - Sutra 5.3 - 'Then the Seer abides in His own nature.’ Cultivating the Inner Witness as flareups occur and as she makes her way through rough days. Practicing self-compassion as well.
Setting the intention to remember she is not her condition. Learning to pause and breathe. Looking for the positive as she moves through each flareup - that is, Pratipaksha Bhavana: Sutra 5.33 - cultivating the positive for a balanced mind and self-agency - she gets to choose how she shows up and manages her symptoms.
HATHA / PRANAYAMA - practicing her breath techniques to keep her grounded and present / Bhakti (walks on beach) reveling in nature and her connection with it.
BHAKTI YOGA - regular walks on the beach to connect with the earth and nature.

Client is delightful to work with. Love her enthusiasm, openness and insights during our conversations - most eager to learn. Yet mostly difficult to keep her focused - her train of thought is all over the place. Found myself spinning a bit too and challenged to keep us both on current point.

Client is ambitious by nature. We talked about how to hold her experience and not expect too much too quickly - being mindful of the little successes and signs of progress along the way.

Yes, I did. While it was challenging to keep us both focused at times. I gave her a broad overview of her care plan outlining the progression and intended benefits step-by-step as a building process to set her up for success as well as notable and beneficial results along the way.

As we spoke, I realized that it was best to offer her 2 specific practices to keep it simple and keep her focused reassuring her that we would proceed through her entire plan over time.

I do think I would mostly offer the same approach. I like offering a broad overview to explain my intention for the client and reasoning behind what I’ve presented in their care plan. I believe this helps with their buy-in, motivation and self-agency. I would also keep initial practices simple and doable.