Being the child of a retired Navy Veteran, the grandchild of two Army Veterans, & a relative to many other family members in the military, supporting our Vets is near and dear to my heart. I was raised to always thank & shake the hand of a man/woman in uniform when you see them, & to respect & honor those who serve this country & sacrifice their lives for our freedom. Its a very powerful thing when you think about it, & the least we can do is support the troops who are committed to protecting us every day.
As you may have seen, I have been teaching yoga to Veterans most recently. This has been a goal of mine since I started teaching yoga. The one thing that I learned most from these specialized practices is that it’s not about the poses, it’s not about the sequence of the class, it’s not about the music, it’s not about what anyone can do, but its about the connections that are formed in the midst of it all. And by connections, I mean with one another as a community, but also connections to inner self and mechanisms of healing. Sharing energy has such a powerful impact, & this practice really facilitates those connections. Just the simple of act of sharing a common ground, a sense of community, a starting place, a story that can continue on with a positive light. To be able move as unit through the practice, with yoga as a vehicle for it all, & promotes healing all around. It is my absolute honor & privilege to be able to offer yoga to Veterans, with the pure intention to just bring the connection; the connection to whatever is needed & the accessibility to get to it from wherever you are.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to provide these moments of practice with Veterans. My training from Transformation Yoga Project to provide accessible class structures & the very fact that my family’s military service has a big place in my heart influences much of where the root of my teaching stems from. However, it is also the interaction from the lovely souls I’ve met who have directly benefited from practicing yoga in their service. It is the people like this that fuel my passion to offer these sessions & to always continue the work I am doing to develop more programs in this field. I truly thank you for your service, dedication, & openness!
The best part about yoga is that I’m allowed to be present in the moment, with my breath. So often, I have a to-do list a mile long and while I’m tackling the first few, many more tasks are added. I have to track past actions for 65 people and forecast their capabilities. It’s a lot to juggle. At least with yoga, I take time to set all that down.
- A. Golindano, US Army
Yoga helps me settle into myself. Sometimes I just need to refresh and regroup. With so much going on, and being pulled every which way with work and personal life, I have to take that time for myself. Yoga gets me there.
-E. Ramos, US Coast Guard
I look forward to bringing more Veterans sessions, working more with Veterans Yoga Project , & I am working on a project to bring a regular class to the YMCA of Lansdowne, which is local to my community. If you are a Veteran or know of any Veterans who could use yoga as an alternative for healing & could benefit from the practice, please contact us at your earliest convenience. Any collaborations or partnerships are welcome.
With greatest gratitude,
Lee-Ann