TUCSON, Ariz. — Alternative treatments at the Southern Arizona VA are helping veterans cope with mental and physical traumas.
Yoga classes have been offered at the VA for just over a year through the Veterans Yoga Project. The classes aren't designed to cure anything, but rather help veterans when they also go through other therapies.
The classes are a little different from traditional classes because the movements are simplified.
One veteran said after having four strokes in 2015, he had a hard time doing simple things, like standing up and walking. He's been practicing yoga since January, and has seen the benefits.
"For me, this is stretching my connective tissue, my muscles," Charles Tisdale said, "When you get 70, you get tight. And I think that it's probably going to help me in the long run. And it has helped me."
Other veterans say they leave the classes feeling relaxed, more flexible, and stronger.
Yoga at the VA is part of the Whole Health Initiative, which expands healthcare for veterans to include more than just the physical body.
Find classes offered through the Veterans Yoga Project here.
