Over the years, I have met and interacted with a lot of veterans and active military service people. I've met them in the training hall. I've met them as clients and as students. I've met them in my personal life. Though I am not a veteran myself, we seem to get along well and understand each other.While this is not a blog about my personal life, I can share that my early life included a lot of tragedy. This gives me a different perspective on life than many people. While I am an artist and a dreamer in some ways, I'm also quite pragmatic. When the pressure is on, I know what I'm capable of and I do it. I also have an attitude of service to the larger community and make personal sacrifices to further that mission. I've often thought that this is why I relate well to veterans.
The military industrial complex has its place, and I in no way intend to denigrate or deny its importance in our history. Nor will I get political here. That being said, military service as it stands today takes a heavy toll on the mind, body and spirit. I believe that we can ameliorate that fact. As any veteran will tell you, being prepared to take the life of another human being is a heavy burden, and nothing can erase that fact.
Alternative medicine can help. I've seen it happen. A few years ago, I was honored to volunteer with an organization that helps veterans with a variety of alternative therapies. We went to a re-integration event for service people returning from Afghanistan. It was like a big expo where they received all sorts of support and information to ease their transition back to non-combat duty or civilian life. I was there offering my massage therapy work, while others offered chiropractic care, biofeedback therapy and HeartMath. I've also treated many, many veterans in my massage & yoga therapy practice.
Friends and patients know my strong empathic ability. That means that I am very sensitive to the feelings and energy of others. When I work with military folks, it breaks my heart. I feel their pain, their guilt, their numbness, their walls and compartmentalization. I feel the injuries that still ache. I feel the anxiety that keeps them awake. I feel the fears that they will fail, that they have failed, that they are not enough, that the ghosts will never leave.
Every now and then, I get to feel them relax, even if only by the tiniest of fractions. Sometimes, I win their trust. I have seen burly Marines cry. I have seen grizzled Rangers smile and tell me that their pain is eased. I have shared some beautiful moments with the most hard-boiled of sergeants and officers, grunts and sailors. A common theme in what they tell me is that they needed to feel safe. They needed to be heard. They needed to be recognized as a whole being, not merely as a serial number or a skill set. Nearly all had no idea they could feel differently, or better. They had no hope.
Recently I've been blessed to have a new student in my Yoga class who is a veteran. He showed up with no idea of what to expect, and had never practiced before. Despite this, he was game for everything and did very well. After class, he said that it was great and all the military should learn Yoga.
Scientists are also actively studying the effects of alternative modalities on members of the military. Yoga, for example, has gotten a lot of press in recent years for its positive effects. Yoga Nidra is helping veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Yoga, meditation and mindfulness are also being studied. So far it's looking good. It works. The military is listening. Slowly, alternative therapies are being integrated with traditional therapies, at least for veterans. I hope that one day, active service people are trained in things like Yoga, mindfulness and meditation. These tools can help, and our military people need all the help they can get.
Help Spread the Word:
University of Connecticut researchers want to further their NIH-funded study for active duty and/or retired military members who have taken at least five yoga classes in the past two months. Participants will be asked about their experiences with yoga and will be compensated for their time. If you aren’t able to participate, please share this with your yoga community!
