Yoga Organizations Serving Veterans

*Adaptive Sports Foundation: an organization bringing sports to disabled youth and is the recent founder of the Warriors in Motion program which works to provide veterans with a basic knowledge and practice of wellness. http://www.adaptivesportsfoundation.org *Yoga for Vets: Yoga for vets maintains a list of studios, gyms and teachers that offer at least four free classes to war or conflict veterans that served, or are currently serving, in the United States Military. http://www.yogaforvets.org/ *Warriors At Ease: Trains yoga and meditation teachers to teach in military settings. http://warriorsatease.com/ *Wounded Warrior Project: An organization that seeks to raise public awareness, assist injured service members and provide programs to meet the needs of men and women returning home. http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/mission.aspx *Healing Combat Trauma: Provides resources for and about healing combat trauma with a focus on providing medical, psychological and legal care for veterans and their families. http://www.healingcombattrauma.com/ *There and Back Again: Provides reintegration support services to veterans of all conflicts. http://thereandback-again.org/ *The Veterans Yoga Project: Brings together information and resources for anyone interested in the use of Yoga as a therapeutic practice for Veterans. http://www.veteransyogaproject.org/ *Connected Warriors: works to maintain and establish nationwide free yoga classes for service members, veterans, and their families. http://theconnectedwarriors.org/locations.html or info@connectedwarriors.org *Yoga for Vets NYC- Offers Bi-weekly Yoga classes to Veterans at the Integral Yoga Institute http://yogaforvetsnyc.org/ *Yoga Basics: Provides free online support and information for those seeking to establish or maintain a yoga practice. http://www.yogabasics.com/ *Yogadownload.com: Offers online customized yoga classes for anyone seeking to establish or maintain a yoga practice. http://www.yogadownload.com/ *Yogis Anonymous: Provides both online and in person classes in a safe, non-judgmental atmosphere. http://yogisanonymous.com/ *War Retreat: Yoga & wellness events, resources, and articles for those who go through wars, conflicts and disasters. Formerly The War Photographers’ Retreat. *Vets 4 Vets: A non-partisan organization dedicated to helping Iraq and Afghanistan- era veterans to heal from the psychological injuries of war through the use of peer support. *Semper Fedelis Health and Wellness: Provides Integrative health and wellness solutions to our nation’s wounded, ill and injured warriors, active duty and reserve military, veterans, first responders, families and caregivers. http://www.semperfidelishealthandwellness.org/ *Exalted Warrior Foundation: provides an adaptive yoga program to veterans. Based on skills learned while bringing yoga to wounded military at walter reed Adaptive yoga and the organizaiton was formed. www.exaltedwarrior.com

Yoga Teachers Serving Veterans

*James Fox, Founder of the Prison Yoga Project and co author of Finding Peace: A Yoga Guide for Veterans. http://prisonyoga.com/ *David Emerson: Head of the Yoga Program at the Trauma Center in Brookline, MA and co-author of Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga: Reclaiming Your Body. http://www.traumacenter.org/clients/yoga_svcs.php *Beryl Bender Birch: Director and founder of The Hard and the Soft Yoga Institute, co-founder of The Give Back Yoga Foundation and co-author of Finding Peace: A Yoga Guide for Veterans http://berylbenderbirch.com/ * Patty Townsend, director of Yoga Center Amherst, developer of embodyoga teacher training programs and co-creator of the CD: Deep Relaxation with Yoga Nidra, donated as part of the Give the Gift of Yoga to Vets Campaign: http://www.yogacenteramherst.com/teacher_patty.html *Rod Stryker, Para Yoga: Founder of Para Yoga, author of the Four Desires, and co-creator of the CD: Deep Relaxation with Yoga Nidra, donated as part of the Give the Gift of Yoga to Vets Campaign: http://www.parayoga.com/
*Suzanne Manafort: serves as a board member of the Give Back Yoga Foundation, co-founder of the Veterans Yoga Project, co-leads trainings for teachers interested in working with veterans and is the creator of the CD: Breathe In, Breathe Out: Quick and Easy Breathing Practices to Help Balance the Nervous System, donated as part of the Give the Gift of Yoga Campaign. https://www.mindfulyogatherapy.org/suzanne-manafort Judy Weaver: Co-founder Director of Education of Connected Warriors, a program based in South Florida that co-ordinates veterans and provides free yoga classes. As well as offering classes that blend the Ashtanga, Anusara, Iyengar and Yin tradition, Judy offers a 200 hour free teacher training program for veterans. *Daniel Hickman, Nosara Yoga: Creator of For VetsYoga, an introductory yoga dvd for veterans, featuring interviews with vets who have found yoga to be essential for their healing process . https://www.nosarayoga.com/faculty-bios/daniel-e-hickman *Robin Carnes, Walter Reed Army Medical Center: The yoga and iRest yoga nidra meditation instructor for a multi-disciplinary PTSD treatment program and the CEO of Warriors at Ease. http://yoganidranow.com/ *Karen Soltes, LCSW. Washington DC Veterans Hospital, War Related Illnesses and Injuries Study Center (WRIISC). iREst Yoga Nidra Teacher for several groups of Veterans with a range of challenges, including PTSD, Substance Abuse, and traumatic Brain Injury. Creator of the CD “iREst Yoga Nidra: Easing Into Stillness” *Dr. Daniel J. Libby- 

a licensed clinical psychologist who conducts clinical research and psychotherapy with Veterans suffering from PTSD and other trauma-related psychiatric disorders in the Connecticut VA Healthcare System. He conducts several weekly mindful yoga therapy groups for Veterans suffering from PTSD and chronic pain as well as co-teaches the Embodyoga teacher trainings with Suzane Manafort. http://veteransyogaproject.org/about-us/ *Sue Lynch- Executive Director of There and Back Again,- Sue began her yoga practice in 2001 in her efforts to manage symptoms of PTSD. Based on her personal experience, Sue is passionate about offering a comprehensive approach to healing to her fellow veterans now, not 10 years from now, so that they too can find relief. Sue works with the Veterans Administration, Vet Centers, Yellow Ribbon Program, Warrior Transition Program and Department of Veteran Services to educate and train staff and veterans on techniques to facilitate self-care.

Online Tools to explore and practice anywhere, anytime!

* https://www.exaltedwarrior.com/practice-yoga-nidra.html Exalted Warrior Foundation provides weekly updated Yoga Nidra (iRest) and also offers a chair yoga (adaptive Class) lead by Annie Okerlin and a yoga to relax by Nicholas Caris (ALL ONLINE) * http://warriorsatease.org/mind-body-practices/ Warriors At Ease offers iRest and a few other physical and meditation practices on their website for anyone to access! * https://givebackyoga.org/military/ The Give Back Yoga Foundation offers a large assortment of physical and meditation practices on their website! *http://www.emotionaltuning.com Videos of PTSD protocols: In my experience as a yoga instructor and psychotherapist, self-help videos that can be accessed anonymously are the best first step towards healing PTSD.Additional private help can be arranged during free Skype chats. Frank Pasquill frank@emotionaltuning.com *https://www.mindfulyogatherapy.org/tools/ Mindful Yoga Therapy has an assortment of tools, practice diagrams and soundtracks to help you develop your yoga practice and mindful awareness. *https://www.veteransyogaproject.org/practice Veterans Yoga Project In this library you will find streamable and downloadable audio files of each of the five tools of Mindful Resilience Training

Community Recommended Readings

*Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, 3rd Edition: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships (Nonviolent Communication Guides) 3rd Edition, Kindle Editionby Marshall B. Rosenberg *Yoga Anatomy-2nd Edition Kindle Editionby Leslie Kaminoff *Emotional Intelligence: A 21- Day Step by Step Guide to Mastering Social Skills, Improve Your Relationships, and Boost Your EQ (Emotional Intelligence EQ Book 2) Kindle Editionby David Clark (Author) *Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging Kindle Editionby Sebastian Junger (Author) *The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself Micheal Singer *Autobiography of a Yogi Paperback – May 4, 1955by P. Yogananda (Author) *Waging Inner Peace Paperback – June 8, 2016by Eric Walrabenstein (Author) *Messages from the Masters: Tapping into the Power of LovePaperback – April 1, 2001by Brian Weiss (Author) *Meditations from the Mat: Daily Reflections on the Path of Yoga Paperback – December 3, 2002by Rolf Gates *Yoga for Warriors: Basic Training in Strength, Resilience, and Peace of Mind Paperback – October 1, 2014by Beryl Bender Birch eRYT (Author) *How Yoga Works Paperback – September 1, 2005by Michael Roach (Author), Christie McNally (Author) *Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday LifePaperback – March 1, 1992by Thich Nhat Hanh *The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary LivingPaperback – May 29, 2007by Stephen Cope (Author) *The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book) Paperback – November 7, 1997by Don Miguel Ruiz (Author) *Once a Warrior--Always a Warrior: Navigating the Transition from Combat to Home--Including Combat Stress, PTSD, and mTBI Kindle Editionby Charles Hoge (Author) *Far and Wide: Bring That Horizon to Me! Hardcover – September 13, 2016by Neil Peart (Author) *Struggle Well: Thriving in the Aftermath of Trauma Kindle Editionby Ken Falke (Author) *Yamas & Niyamas: Exploring Yoga's Ethical Practice Kindle Editionby Deborah Adele (Author) *Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life Paperback – January 5, 2005by Jon Kabat-Zinn (Author) *

What is Meditation & How to Practice it!