5 Ways Yoga Helps Veterans with PTSD

Practice of yoga has been known to help in the relieve of stress and anxiety and also relaxing the body and mind, this makes it quite helpful for veterans battling with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder)

It is no longer news that a great number of veterans are battling with PTSD. Putting aside the fact that they might not necessarily get to the front line but these veterans have left their entire family and have worked tirelessly on aircrafts getting bodies home and doing a lot of paper work.

Here are 5 great ways yoga can helps veterans battling with PTSD start the healing process.

It calms the nerves.

Breathing helps greatly in regulatory functions. People battling with PTSD have limited capacity to regulate the central nervous system. PTSD hyper vigilance suggests that patience is on alert at all times. The sympathetic nervous system is totally jacked up consistently. The body is so bombarded with stress hormones that all it could possibly do is keep itself in such a heightened condition. Breathing is a genuine way to self-regulate and relax without medical treatment. It can bring the parasympathetic nervous system to position before the sympathetic system which would greatly help in regulating the central nervous system.

It helps therapists start treatment.

Veterans suffering with severe PTSD are struggling really badly – most of them could be suicidal and in extreme levels of discomfort. But therapists are making use of yoga class in an effort to help them effectively deal with stress. Even the stress of balancing will is greatly evident. When they all wiggle in Tree Pose most of them become upset at themselves which implies that there could possibly have deeper problem in self-regulation that must be sorted out. Those who are seriously reactive would be taught how to become much more sensitive or respond more in soothing ways.

It can help with social re-integration.

Yoga exercise can help patients with social re-integration. There’s great comfort in people realizing that they are going to do yoga and have to get themselves ready to enter a van and get going. Having coffee after class where veterans can talk to each other creates a great sense of community because most veterans struggle with loss of community life after leaving the military.

It uncovers the body’s habits.

There could have some negative habit patterns in your body for keeping stress and pain. Yoga uncovers these habits and helps you get rid of them.

It brings you back to your body.

Veteran who have experienced very severe trauma, could disassociate from their body. Yoga brings them back to their body helping them understand that it’s still OK. Yoga additionally provides them room to experience flashbacks or whatever has to show up, to welcome depressing feelings and thought without freaking out, being aware that it is going to pass. Or it might stay and they’ll be gentler with themselves along the way.