Yoga Warriors Training

This past weekend was a particularly exciting one for me! I spent the weekend participating in a yoga certification program- Yoga Warriors.

The Yoga Warriors program was designed specifically to benefit soldiers and veterans experiencing combat- related stress and PTSD. Yoga Warriors International was founded in 2005 by Lucy Cimini of Central Mass Yoga and Wellness Center in West Boyleston, MA. Her goal is to train yoga instructors and health professionals to help heal veterans through yoga.

The weekend flew by! I was a part of a small class with 6 other individuals, which was wonderful because we all had a chance to learn from Lucy as well as from each other's experiences. One of my fellow classmates was a veteran who had served 26 years in the Army; one was a nurse who works at a Vet Center; one came from a military family. My husband returned his deployment to Afghanistan in January. Everyone had insightful knowledge to share. I felt a strong connection to the purpose of the program, and I was glad to be around like-minded individuals. The YW class format is definitely different than I'm used to, but it's been developed through feedback from veterans for several years, and the program was part of research study published in the American Journal of Occupational Therapy in January. I can't wait to start holding Yoga Warriors classes!

A new crop of Yoga Warriors teachers!