[quote=Alix;18270]Bear with me as this might be a somewhat convoluted posting. I am constrained by my oath of confidentiality, but I need help. I might need to be a bit vague in places but I hope I can be clear enough to get the help I need.
My situation.
I teach a “relaxation” class to my patients. I do some very simple yoga with them (mostly sun salutation, and a few twists and heart openers) and then lead them through progressive muscle relaxation, a visualization and then into mindfulness. We are finding this VERY helpful with most of the adolescents I work with.
My specific issue.
I am working with one particular client who is clearly very blocked. He lives in his head and is completely out of touch with his feelings. We have made some significant shifts and he is starting to be able to “feel” things in his body but not yet to “label” them as feelings. I believe that if I can help him to balance vishuddha and annahata he will live less in ajna and life will become more balanced for him.
My question.
Is there a series that might help to open these chakras for him? I need to be mindful of his unwillingness to look at things and be gentle. Any help you can offer will be much appreciated.
Namaste[/quote]
Alix, thanks for this and for the follow up information too. That was helpful, even though you were still protecting your patient’s privacy. I have been thinking about your patient since you first posted, and I wanted to offer a few different things, though a private message between the two of us may be useful too.
I do not attempt to show aspects my clients to themselves unless they have acknowledged it already in some way for, even if only at the most superficial level. If with some simple, broad questions from you, this young man cannot have some self-reflection about his current state of being (that he is in his head and not relating appropriately to his emotions) than I would personally do more pacifying and broader, less targeting practices to continue to build the base for this self-awareness. If he is aware on some level that he is “in his mind” and not “in his feelings or body” than I would begin there by asking him if he sees this as something he would like to change…or why he thinks it would be better for him to stay in the mind…get him to consider what it is to be or to not to be…both for a person in general and if he is able, for him personally. (I can see this post getting too long without having you and I in conversation with each other…I will do my best to share some ideas with some brevity, though my normal process requires a lot of interplay 
)
To give some context for my work and where I approach from in Yoga therapy: my clients set the goals for our work together and then I guide them through the work of it. You may likely need to adapt what offer to your own framework if it is different from mine.
Here is one, general practice that you can adapt to your patient during the session; and that would be to reference the Yoga Nidra of Swami Satyananda Sarasvati, his practice of rotating the mind through the body, beginning with the right hand thumb. To help your patient experience his body in a deep, but neutral manner, you could also guide him through the practice of experiencing opposites within the body: heat/cold, heaviness/lightness, etc. This will likely focus those overworked aspects of his mind, which allows the body to experience something else while his mind is “busied.” After the rotation of consciousness through the body, invite him to scan his body to see what is there, if anything at all, weaving in awareness on breath to keep the session focused and grounded.
I need to cut this off as I have another appointment soon, but I want to send you a PM with the rest which includes a chakra meditation and pranayama practice. I don’t think it is appropriate to offer it here. Please let me know if it would be useful to you now.
All the best to you, my friend, and to the young man who is lucky to have you so committed to him and to his well-being.
*nichole
