Session Summary Guidelines

Study Group Session Summary Guidelines

This document provides guidelines for generating session summaries for Baseworks Study Groups. It captures the workflow, formatting standards, terminology rules, and key decisions established during the Winter 2026 Montreal Study Group and refined for Spring 2026.

Skill: This document is the guidelines reference for the /session-summary skill. The skill reads this file at runtime.

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Quick Reference for Claude

When starting a new conversation about session summaries, point Claude to:

1. This file - for workflow and formatting guidelines
2. Baseworks Taxonomy - for correct terminology
3. Form Index - for form foci and links to form transcripts
4. Movement Patterns - for movement pattern list and principle mapping
5. Primer Lessons Index - for cross-referencing concepts from specific segments and lessons
6. Philosophy Notes - for foundational concepts like Assimilation, Baseworks vs. wellness framing, movement and emotional processing
7. Previous session summaries in the relevant study group folder - for format consistency
8. The study group’s index file (e.g., 2026 (Winter) Study Group Montreal) in the study group folder - for assignment/segment mapping

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Workflow Overview

1. Input Materials

To generate a session summary, gather:

• Session transcript (audio transcription from the in-person session)
• Assignment reference (which Primer segment/lessons corresponded to this session)
• Primer lesson summaries for the assignment’s lessons — these establish the conceptual vocabulary participants already have from their study. They are essential for: (a) using established teaching terms correctly, and (b) connecting what happened in the session to what was pre-loaded in the Primer. See 02-areas/primer/summaries-en/ for the full set.
• Forms practiced (list from instructor or derived from transcript)
• Previous session summaries (for format consistency and continuity)

Transcript Storage

Every study group program has a transcripts/ folder where session transcripts are stored permanently. When a transcript is provided, it is saved to {program-folder}/transcripts/session-N-transcript.md before analysis begins. This ensures transcripts remain available in the vault for future reference, cross-checking, or re-processing.

Folder Structure

Each program directory contains:

• transcripts/ — raw session transcripts
• session-summaries/ — English summaries and any translations, distinguished by filename suffix (session-N-summary-en.md, session-N-summary-fr.md)

2. Transcript Analysis

When reading the transcript, identify:

• Unique elements that distinguish this session from previous ones
• Participant questions and the clarifications they prompted
• Key quotes or analogies used during instruction
• Common corrections made throughout the session
• Any personal stories or context shared by instructors
• New forms introduced vs. forms reviewed
• Forms where dynamics were implied but not explained — as sessions progress and participants are more experienced, instructors spend less time explaining standard setup. Identify these moments; the form descriptions will need to be supplemented using form documentation rather than left sparse.

Speaker Differentiation

Differentiate who is speaking wherever possible. This is critical for accurate attribution in the summary.

Detection heuristics (priority order):

1. Explicit labels — speaker tags in the transcript (Patrick:, Asia:, participant names)
2. Name mentions — references like “as Patrick explained” or “Asia noted”
3. Role inference — instructional cues and corrections → instructors; questions → participants
4. Contextual clues — method history/design context → likely Patrick; specific physical corrections/demonstrations → likely Asia

User confirmation is required before proceeding to drafting. Present the identified speaker map and any unattributed statements. Wrong attribution is worse than no attribution.

In the summary, attribution is woven naturally into the narrative:

• “Patrick emphasized…” / “Patrick used the analogy of…”
• “Asia demonstrated…” / “Asia corrected…”
• “One participant asked about…” / “[Name] raised the question of…”
• Unattributable statements: “The instructors noted…” or passive voice

Do NOT format the summary as dialogue. It is a narrative, not a transcript.

2b. Pre-Draft Knowledge Base Check

Before drafting form descriptions, consult the following method admin documents for each form that was practiced:

• Form Index — note the Foci associated with each form. These should be reflected in the YAML foci field and may inform how the form is framed in the body text (e.g., if a form has EQUATE focus dynamics, name that in the section header or description).
• Movement Patterns — identify which movement patterns are inherent to each form practiced. These should be included in the YAML movement_patterns field even if not verbally emphasized in the session. A session that practices a form without the instructor mentioning a movement pattern does not mean that pattern is absent — it means participants are expected to apply it without prompting.
• Form transcripts (linked from the Form Index) — use these to check standard form setup, foot/hand positioning, and entry/exit dynamics for any form where the session transcript is sparse. The session transcript describes what was said; the form transcripts describe what happens. These are complementary sources, not redundant.
• Primer Lessons Index — cross-reference concepts introduced in specific segments, particularly for Ignition (Segment 6) and Assimilation (Segment 7).
• Philosophy Notes — consult for foundational concepts like Assimilation (calibration, not relaxation) and movement/emotional processing to ensure correct framing.

Key principle: The session transcript captures verbal instruction. The form documentation captures physical reality. A complete summary requires both.

EQUATE forms — in-form transitional position: Between rounds within EQUATE forms (and as transitions between them), there is a standard in-form position: from Heel-Sit, lean back with spine rounded, arms forward to offset the weight. This position should be described explicitly in summaries — it is not implied by the form name alone. After each round, the exit also includes a “water” motion (arms moving from the shoulder) to create space in the shoulder joint before transitioning.

3. Summary Generation

Follow the template structure in Study Group Session Summary Template.

Key principles:

• Session summaries are reinforcement documents, not transcript summaries or standalone teaching materials. Participants already have the Primer Practice Labs, Key Points, and lesson content. The summary’s job is to surface what was emphasized in this particular session, highlight the nuances that came up, and point back to the Primer for mechanics. It is not a place to re-teach the forms. Organize content around what participants need to remember or review — not the order in which things were said. What was “said” and what “happened” are not the same thing.
• Default to “we” voice; name people only when context gives the name weight. Instructional prose, form descriptions, and concept explanations should default to “we” (“We revisited the Squat…”, “We explored Converge through…”). Reserve named attribution for three cases: (a) specific participant Q&A exchanges where the name anchors the question; (b) personal anecdotes that belong to one instructor (e.g., Patrick’s TMJ, Asia’s neuroscience background); (c) discrete clarifications where one instructor’s angle adds something the other didn’t say. When both instructors were teaching the same point, consolidate to “we clarified…” or “we emphasized…”. Avoid the transcript-narration pattern of “Patrick said X, Asia added Y, Patrick returned to Z” — it reads as a verbatim transcript dump, not a reinforcement summary.
• Form sections surface session-specific emphases, not form mechanics. Each form section should be built around 4–8 bullet points covering what was emphasized this session — common corrections, specific cues, intensity-modification notes, connections to concepts — with references to Primer lesson numbers or Practice Labs for the mechanics. Do not reconstruct entry/exit sequences verbatim from the transcript. Use the Winter 2026 summaries as the density benchmark: if a form section is longer than the equivalent Winter section, check whether the extra length is surfacing session-specific emphasis or just re-teaching the mechanics.
• Extract, don’t invent - base content on what actually happened in the session; quotes and paraphrase must be grounded in the transcript
• Maintain voice - summaries should sound like Patrick and Asia, not generic fitness instruction
• Be specific - include actual cues, quotes, and examples from the session
• Connect to Primer - session summaries reinforce the connection between what participants studied in the Primer (conceptual front-loading) and what they experienced in-person. Each session does not happen in a vacuum. Reference relevant lesson numbers when concepts are discussed; use the Primer lesson summaries as a bridge.
• Supplement, don’t just transcribe — for forms where the transcript provides only verbal cues without mechanical context, consult the form documentation to get the framing right. Do not then cite the form documentation in the summary — paraphrase the framing in plain language, and reference the Primer Practice Lab instead (see Student-Facing Scope below).

4. Review and Refinement

After drafting:

• Check all terminology against Baseworks Taxonomy
• Verify grammatical consistency (see Grammar Guidelines below)
• Verify that YAML movement_patterns reflects both what was explicitly discussed and what is inherent to the forms practiced (cross-reference Movement Patterns)
• Verify correct framing of Ignition and Assimilation (see Tone and Framing Guidelines below)
• Get confirmation that the English summary is approved before proceeding

5. Translation (Optional — After English Approval)

Only after the English version is confirmed, ask whether translation is needed and to which language(s). Translation is not automatic — it depends on the program’s audience.

If translation is requested:

• Follow the language-specific guidelines below (e.g., French Translation Guidelines)
• Ensure Baseworks terms remain in English
• Translate anatomical terms appropriately
• Save translations with language suffix: session-N-summary-{lang}.md

6. Group Post (Created Separately)

The group post is not included with the initial summary draft. It is created separately after:

• The English summary is confirmed
• The French translation is confirmed
• Any additional information for the group post is provided by Patrick/Asia

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Formatting Standards

Title Format

Session [N] Summary ([M/DD/YY]): [Subtitle]

Example: Session 3 Summary (1/31/26): Moderation & Calibration Tools

Character limit: Keep titles approximately the same length as: Session 2 Summary (1/27/26): Gravity, Converge & Building from Foundation

YAML Frontmatter

Required properties:

• title - Full title with subtitle
• date - ISO format (YYYY-MM-DD)
• session_number - Integer
• language - “en” or “fr”
• program - Full program name
• location - Venue name and city
• assignment_completed - Format: “Assignment N (Segment X: Lessons X.X-X.X)”
• total_assignment_time - Minutes (integer)
• forms_practiced - List
• foci - List (from: Structure, Gravity, Converge, Ascend, Inflect, Equate). Cross-reference the Form Index to ensure all foci represented by the forms practiced are included.
• movement_patterns - List of movement patterns central to the session. Include: (a) patterns explicitly named during the session, and (b) patterns inherent to the forms practiced, as documented in Movement Patterns. This list should reflect what was practiced, not only what was verbally discussed.
• tags - Always include: session-summary, baseworks, study-group, [program-tag]
• related - Links to _index and previous sessions

Section Structure

Standard sections in order:

1. Session Overview
2. Key Concepts We Explored
3. The Forms We Practiced
4. Ignition and Assimilation
5. [Optional: Special sections like “On Moderation: A Personal Note”]
6. Common Adjustments and Corrections
7. What We Did Not Cover
8. Tags
9. Group Post (separated by horizontal rule)

Callout Boxes

Use Obsidian callout syntax for assignment references:

> [!info] Assignment Reference
> This session corresponded with the completion of **Assignment N** ...
> See: [Study Group Name](/study-group-name/#primer-assignments)

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Terminology Rules

Baseworks Terms (Always English)

All Baseworks-specific terminology remains in English in both English and French versions:

• Form names: Squat, Star Form, Star Tilt, Peak Hold, V-Sit, Front Lunge, etc.
• Foci: Structure, Gravity, Converge, Ascend, Inflect, Equate
• Principles: Distributed Activation, Fixing-Separating-Isolating, Micro-Movements, Gridlines & Symmetry
• Practice elements: Ignition, Assimilation, Movement Patterns
• Platform terms: Baseworks Primer, Practice Labs, Key Points, Smart Revisit

Anatomical Terms (Translate in French)

In French versions, anatomical terms can be translated:

• “shoulder depression” → “dépression scapulaire”
• “rib cage” → “cage thoracique”
• “pelvis” → “bassin”
• “hamstrings” → “ischio-jambiers”
• “spine” → “colonne vertébrale”

Established Primer Teaching Vocabulary

Terms introduced in Primer lessons and used by Patrick or Asia in teaching are not ad-hoc metaphors — they are established vocabulary that participants have already encountered. Use them without modification. The voice guide prohibition on metaphors applies to newly generated figures of speech, not to intentional teaching terms.

Examples (see voice guide for full list):

Term	Source	Usage
”empty shell” / “container”	Lesson 02.01 (The Meaning of Form)	The form as a neutral container for movement patterns
”marionette arms”	Ignition practice instruction	Arms raised as if lifted by a puppeteer — wrists limp, no shoulder effort

Additional terms will be added to the voice guide’s Established Teaching Vocabulary section as they are identified. When in doubt, check 03-resources/voice-guides/VOICE-GUIDE-UNIFIED.md.

Deprecated Terms (Never Use)

❌ Do Not Use	✅ Use Instead
Double Pigeon	Square Cross Inflection
Seated Wide Fold	Seated Wide Inflection
Seated Fold	Seated Inflection
Diamond	Heel-Sit
Headlock	Shoulder Flex Headlock

See Baseworks Taxonomy for the complete terminology reference.

Movement Vocabulary: “Exit” not “Release”

When describing the end of a form or movement sequence, use “exit.” Avoid “release” — it implies letting go of tension or activation, which contradicts the method’s principle of maintained engagement. Even when instructors say “release” verbally in a session, the written summary should use “exit.”

❌ Avoid	✅ Use Instead
release and return to standing	exit by reversing the entry sequence
release the torsion	exit the torsion
release from the form	exit the form

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Tone and Framing Guidelines

Avoid Generic Wellness Language

Baseworks is not a wellness practice. Summaries should not use language that sounds like generic yoga, fitness, or mindfulness instruction. Be precise about the purpose of each practice element.

Ignition Framing

• Ignition is not a warm-up
• It marks the beginning of practice and establishes a specific quality of attention
• The wrist torsion is the only active element; everything else remains neutral

Assimilation Framing

Consult Assimilation Philosophy Note for detailed guidance.

Key principles:

• Assimilation is calibration, not relaxation
• Weight awareness is a tool for staying present, not body awareness as an end in itself
• Spinal tractioning sets up the body for stillness; it does not “release” or “let go”
• If someone feels they need a cool down, that indicates Intensity Modification needs attention
• The calibration is subjective for each person, based on individual body condition and relationship to practice outcomes

Preferred language:

❌ Avoid	✅ Use Instead
relaxation	calibration
releasing tension	processing the experience
body awareness practice	tool for staying present
letting go	setting up the body
cool down	calibration tool

General Principle

The precision of language maintains methodological integrity and prevents misunderstanding by participants who may come from yoga or wellness backgrounds expecting familiar frameworks.

Student-Facing Scope

Session summaries are student-facing documents. Students have access to three resources only: the Primer course, the in-person sessions, and the session summaries themselves. Everything in the internal KB — philosophy notes, taxonomy, form index, form transcripts, method admin docs, key-definitions-repo, session prep documents — is instructor-facing and should never be cited, linked, or referred to in summary prose.

Internal KB content is a drafting aid, not a citable source. The Phase 3 KB check (philosophy notes, form index, movement patterns, key-definitions-repo, etc.) exists to get the framing right when drafting. The resulting prose paraphrases that framing in plain terms without referencing the source. Never write “see the Assimilation Philosophy Note”, “as described in the Form Index”, or “per the key-definitions-repo entry” — these dead-end the participant at something they can’t access.

When a concept has dedicated Primer coverage, refer to the Primer segment — not to an internal document. Examples:

• Assimilation → Segment 7
• Ignition → Segment 6
• Journaling → its own segment
• Movement patterns, foci, form instruction → Segments 1–5

Important caveat for Ignition and Assimilation: both concepts are practiced in every in-person session, but their formal Primer segments (6 and 7) fall outside the five segments scheduled for the Montreal study groups. Participants who continue through the Primer after the study group will reach them; participants who only complete the study group window will not. Frame references accordingly — e.g., “Assimilation and Ignition are covered in their own Primer segments (6 and 7), which fall outside the five segments scheduled for this study group.” This is guidance, not a hard rule — but the framing should respect that these topics aren’t delivered in depth during the study group.

Linkable student-facing references that are fair game:

• Specific Primer lesson numbers (e.g., “Lesson 3.07”) and Primer segments
• Primer features: Practice Labs, Key Points, Smart Revisit, PrimerPrint, Journal
• Public practice.baseworks.com URLs (PrimerPrint, Journal, etc.)
• Previous session summaries in the same study group
• Public baseworks.com pages

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Grammar Guidelines

Punctuation

• No exclamation marks in group posts (maintain professional, measured tone)
• Use em dashes (—) for explanatory clauses, not parentheses
• Periods go inside quotation marks

Sentence Structure

• Break long compound sentences into two sentences for readability
• Remove unnecessary commas around non-parenthetical phrases
• Prefer active voice

Specific Corrections Established

Star Tilt description:

• ❌ “The hip on the back-leg side draws backward”
• ✅ “As the front-leg hip hinges and drops, the pelvis tilts forward”

Form names with variations:

• Use “Front (High) Lunge Extension” and “Front (High) Lunge Torsion” for specificity

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French Translation Guidelines

What to Translate

• All instructional prose and explanations
• Section headers
• Anatomical terminology
• Dates and times (use French format: “31 janvier” not “January 31”)
• Time format: “9h40-11h10” not “9:40-11:10”

What NOT to Translate

• Baseworks terminology (forms, foci, principles)
• Platform feature names (Smart Revisit, Practice Labs, Key Points)
• Course names (Baseworks Primer)
• Tags

French Title Format

Résumé de la Session [N] ([JJ/MM/AA]) : [Sous-titre]

Example: Résumé de la Session 3 (31/01/26) : Modération & Outils de Calibration

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Group Post Guidelines

Structure

1. Thank you (no exclamation mark)
2. Link to detailed summary
3. Next assignment details:
   • Segment and lesson numbers
   • Total time in minutes
4. Specific guidance if needed (e.g., how to handle long assignments)
5. Program reminders (if relevant to timing)
6. Coming soon teaser (if applicable)
7. No sign-off (do not sign as “Patrick & Asia”—that format is for emails only)

Tone

• Direct and informative, not promotional
• Encouraging but not effusive
• Professional but warm

Bilingual Format

English post starts with: **[Le français suit]** French post starts with: **[English above]**

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File Naming Convention

English

session-[N]-summary-en.md

French

session-[N]-summary-fr.md

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Bi-directional Linking

Each session summary should link to:

• [Study Group Name](/study-group-name/) - Study group index with assignment table (e.g., [2026 (Winter) Study Group Montreal](/areas/educational-programs/study-groups/2026-winter-study-group-montreal/2026-winter-study-group-montreal/))
• Previous session summary (e.g., [session-2-summary-en](/areas/educational-programs/study-groups/2026-spring-study-group-montreal/session-summaries/session-2-summary-en/))
• Language counterpart (e.g., [session-3-summary-fr](/areas/educational-programs/study-groups/2026-winter-study-group-montreal/2026-winter-session-summaries-fr/session-3-summary-fr/) from English version)
• Taxonomy when referencing terminology: [Baseworks Taxonomy](/areas/method-admin/core/taxonomy/)

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Version History

Date	Change
2026-02-07	Initial guidelines created based on Winter 2026 Montreal Study Group Sessions 1-3
2026-02-07	Added Annex A with form and terminology reference notes from Asia
2026-02-23	Added Step 2b (Pre-Draft Knowledge Base Check); added Form Index, Movement Patterns, Primer Lessons Index, and Philosophy Notes to Quick Reference; expanded Transcript Analysis to flag sparse form descriptions; added “Supplement, don’t just transcribe” principle to Summary Generation; expanded YAML movement_patterns and foci guidance; added form transcript cross-check to Review and Refinement; added Tone and Framing Guidelines section with Assimilation and Ignition framing; added deprecated terms (Diamond, Headlock); added Equate to foci list
2026-03-03	Added “exit” not “release” terminology rule (from Asia’s Session 7 editorial pass). Added EQUATE in-form transitional position note to Section 2b. Confirmed by Asia.
2026-04-04	Spring 2026 updates: Added transcript storage section (transcripts/ folder per program). Added speaker differentiation guidelines (detection heuristics, user confirmation, narrative attribution). Changed translation from automatic to optional (ask after English approval). Added /session-summary skill reference. Consolidated to single session-summaries/ folder per program.
2026-04-05	Added Primer lesson summaries as a required input in Section 1. Added “session summaries are teaching documents” as a first principle in Section 3 — clarifies that summaries organize around participant understanding, not transcript order, and that editorial synthesis across session themes is within scope. Added “Established Primer Teaching Vocabulary” subsection to Terminology Rules — distinguishes intentional teaching terms from ad-hoc metaphors subject to voice guide restrictions; added first entries (“empty shell,” “marionette arms”). Confirmed by Asia.

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Related Documents

• Session Summary Template
• Baseworks Taxonomy
• Form Index
• Movement Patterns
• Primer Lessons Index
• Philosophy Notes
• Assimilation
• Winter 2026 Montreal Study Group

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Annex A: Form and Terminology Reference Notes

Notes from Asia (Ksenia) for Claude to maintain context when generating session summaries.

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Front Lunge Forms

For Front (High) Lunge Extension and Front (High) Lunge Torsion:

• The intensity modification variable is the leg stance—narrow to wide
• The front knee is always above the front ankle
• The back heel is always high on the tiptoe, ankle extended
• Both legs are pulling away from each other to create Distributed Activation

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Movement Pattern Terminology

Preferred pattern names use instructional language rather than anatomical terminology:

Anatomical Term	Instructional Term	Rationale
Shoulder Depression	Drawing shoulders down	Follows narration language
Heel Traction	Traction the heels in	Follows narration language
Leg Abduction	Pulling the legs away	”Leg Abduction” implies movement primarily by gluteus medius; “pulling the legs away” activates both abductors and adductors, focusing on pulling the feet away without visible abduction

Usage: Keep anatomical terms for tagging/searchability in YAML frontmatter. Use instructional language in body text with anatomical terms in parentheses, e.g., “drawing the shoulders down (Shoulder Depression)”.

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Reclining Transition vs. Suspension

• Reclining Transition has almost a form status: leaning back on the floor, forearms on the floor, elbows under shoulders, legs lifted diagonally up in front, ankles extended, pushing the balls of the feet.

• Suspension is not a form but a transitional movement where only the sit bones touch the floor, legs and arms are lifted—knees and elbows bent. Suspension often happens between seated forms and Reclining Transition.

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Abdominal Activation in INFLECT Forms

When mobility allows the pelvis to tilt forward beyond 90 degrees (more flexible practitioners), seated INFLECT forms like Seated Wide Inflection are not abdominal exercises. For those with tighter hamstrings whose spinal extension brings them more upright, these forms become abdominal exercises. In that case, using hands for support removes the abdominal load.

Key principle: “Whenever we work with flexion-extension-flexion, it is not about activating the abdominal wall.”

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Intensity Modification for Effort-Based Forms

For forms like Supine Leg Raises, Plank, and Press-up:

• The belly activates naturally to counteract gravity
• Movement patterns such as drawing the shoulders down (Shoulder Depression) and gripping hands/toes away from each other create deliberate engagement of supporting muscles
• This reduces the load on the abdominal muscles
• The question to ask: “Can I continue to talk normally while doing this?” If not, reduce intensity.

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Notes for Future Reference

This section will be updated as additional clarifications arise during session summary generation.