At first glance, yoga and the military do not go together. But when we look beyond the surface, yoga can be adapted for everyone, even for those seemingly removed from yogic teachings. Veterans and those in the military community relate to yoga in a special way. Yoga and meditation have been scientifically proven to initiate the relaxation response, allowing helpful brain changes to occur. Studies show veterans healing from psychological trauma and experiencing healthy transformation in various parts of the brain. They sleep better, learn to manage difficult emotions, and deal with life’s challenges with more ease.

The Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat hosted the first in-person Warriors at Ease training, with the mission to increase awareness about the power of yoga and meditation, as well as educate a network of teachers in sharing these evidenced-based practices. The training was co-led by Molly Birkholm, Sivananda Yoga teacher and co-founder of Warriors at Ease. In the first training at the ashram, there were six participants, leaving much room for growth.

The following year, the course attracted seven trainees — little improvement in enrollment from the previous year. “We started to feel disillusioned that all of the effort wasn’t working,” Molly says. She remembers going to Swami Swaroopananda, the acharya and ashram director, acknowledging the possibility that she may close Warriors at Ease. But he told her not to give up. Molly recalls, “In the most empathetic voice I’ve ever heard him use, he told me, ‘You cannot quit! This is too important. You may not see it now, but this work will grow in many ways. You have to keep going.” So they did. Now there are over 800 Warriors at Ease graduates — at 65 bases and VAs.

Yoga programs for veterans continue to blossom at the ashram, growing each year. On one of Molly’s trips to the ashram, two other special guest presenters, Nathan Katz and Stephen Kaplan, were offering a program during the same time as the Warriors at Ease program.

Stephen then had the idea to bring veterans from Manhattan College to the ashram, as part of their religious studies experience. Veterans have one of the highest dropout rates of any population at universities, so he was looking for more ways to support them in the educational process. Stephen thought that if they studied yoga and meditation during the year, it would empower them to form a community and feel supported to stay in school.

As a result, the Sivananda Ashram Yoga Retreat and Warriors at Ease joined forces for the Manhattan College veterans. Veterans came to the ashram, learned yoga and meditation in a nurturing environment, and felt supported to continue on-campus. The program was a success, and is now expanding to other universities.

As Swami Sivananda said, “Within your biggest weakness resides your biggest strength.” Yoga teaches that wisdom resides in life’s greatest challenges. No matter the degree of trauma, healing is always possible.