In 2008, The Washington Post reported that the cost of PTSD and depression caused by combat stress in recent wars could run as high as $6 million in two years. Yoga for post traumatic stress disorder not only has the potential to eliminate many of the symptoms of PTSD; but it, also, shows promise in offering sufferers a future filled with peace and joy.
As a capstone to the program, participants were invited to two yoga workshops each, in which they explored practices for stress reduction, back health, emotional regulation, and relaxation. Activities were taught in a way that encouraged participants to take ownership of the practices they deemed most helpful and continue practicing them at home. At the end of the second session, each family was awarded a yoga mat, strap, and photo-guide to take home. As one participant commented after her first session, “Yoga is really good because we feel a lot of stress. Yoga helps us alleviate the pain we feel, and we feel better mentally too.”