Gardening can be a form of exercise and it’s a lot easier to keep up than going out to the gym.

Yard work can burn the same number of calories as running, jogging or cycling.

This full body workout stretches and strengthens your muscles and joints. It also improves flexibility and helps you to avoid muscle pain or injury from inactivity.

Yoga is a mind and body practice with origins in ancient Indian philosophy. It combines physical posture, breathing and meditation techniques, which have demonstrated improved mental health, sleep and quality of life outcomes for Veterans suffering from PTSD.

According to the National Center for PTSD, approximately 7 out of every 100 Veterans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Some also struggle with chronic pain, depression and anxiety. These challenges can make it difficult for Veterans to transition back to civilian life and find ways to manage their symptoms.

Dr. Daniel Libby recognized the potential benefits of yoga and mindfulness while providing psychotherapy for Veterans recovering from PTSD. “One of my Veterans approached me and told me that he had stopped taking his sleep medications because now he could meditate to go to sleep. That moment was profound,” he said.

Dr. Libby began offering free yoga classes to Veterans in his community, which quickly grew into a larger organization dedicated to serving the unique needs of the Veteran population. In 2014, he founded the nonprofit organization Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) with the aim of providing accessible and effective healing practices for Veterans and their families. Today, VYP provides yoga and mindfulness resources, teacher training programs, and community building opportunities to support recovery and resilience among Veterans and their loved ones.

On the journey to recovery and building resilience, the first step can be the hardest one. VYP has several ways to help Veterans get started:

Learn about Yoga and Mindful Resilience

Access a practice library with a wide variety of resources for you to learn about yoga poses, experience a guided meditation or practice mindful movement. Explore the library to see what you could integrate into your daily routine.

Find a free online yoga class

Search the schedule of yoga classes specifically for Veterans, their families and caregivers. Classes are offered daily and cover stretching, breathwork, and stress management from beginning to advanced levels.

Attend an in-person class

Search the class locator to find free, in-person classes. Classes are taught throughout the country by graduates of VYP’s Mindful Resilience Training for Trauma Recovery program.

Get training to teach Mindful Resilience

VYP’s goal is to make mindful resilience techniques available to all Veterans. To accomplish this, they offer no-cost access to their training programs through scholarship programs for those wanting to teach in their community.

The sharing of any non-VA information does not constitute an endorsement of products and services on the part of VA. Veterans should verify the information with the organization offering.

Source: news.va.gov