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Yoga Warriors International (YWI) Helps Symptoms of PTSD
America has been at war since 2003. The US Department of Veterans Affairs reports that
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs in about 12 to 20 percent of veterans of the
Iraq war, and these veterans face a host of readjustment problems including suicide,
substance abuse, incarceration, homelessness, and problems within the family. The VA
also reports that PTSD has occurred in about 30% of Vietnam veterans, 10% of Gulf War
(Desert Storm) veterans, and about 6% to 11% of veterans of the Afghanistan war. The
symptoms of PTSD can be so severe that it impairs daily life, and while there are a
number of treatment options, one in particular is emerging to the forefront with
astounding success—yoga.
Lucy Cimini, the founding director of Central Mass Yoga And Wellness, Inc. in West
Boylston, Massachusetts, has pioneered a program called Yoga Warrior International that
is designed to help veterans who suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The
Worcester Vet Center in Worcester, Massachusetts offers counseling to veterans as part
of the Yoga Warriors program. This wonderful and highly successful program gives the
veterans of our country, as well as anyone who suffers from PTSD, a chance to heal the
wounds that trauma has inflicted while easing the emotional and physical symptoms of
this very debilitating disorder.
Who is Lucy Cimini?
Lucy has a background in Education and Social Rehabilitation with over 20 years of
experience teaching therapeutic to advanced yoga classes. She has received national
media coverage for her yoga work with combat veterans who have been diagnosed
with PTSD. She has been invited to present workshops in different locations around the
country, and she has recently integrated formal instruction on PTSD in the Yoga Warriors
teachers training program. The veterans yoga program has been the subject of local,
national and international yoga news articles, and you can see Lucy in the enlightening
documentary “Taking the Hill: A Warrior’s Journey Home” (2008).
What is PTSD?
PTSD is described by the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as being “an
anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A
traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you.
During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives are in danger. You may
feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening.”
Anyone who has been through a traumatic or life-threatening event can develop PTSD.
These events can include natural disasters, car accidents, terrorist attacks, physical
assaults, abuse, rape and many other types of events. Some common symptoms
associated with PTSD include reliving the event over and over, nightmares, avoiding
thoughts or people associated with the traumatic event, numbing, feeling keyed up,
difficulty sleeping or staying asleep, a feeling of detachment, irritability, difficulty
concentrating, an exaggerated startle response, headaches, and chronic pain.
How can yoga help?
Yoga’s physical postures
promote healthy, flexible
bodies and often provide
relief from pain. The
class is so gentle that
veterans, many of whom
have other health
conditions or serious
physical limitations, find
the postures comfortable
and easy to do. Yoga
directly addresses the
fight-or-flight response,
which is at the heart of
PTSD. The fight-orflight response is a
reaction that prepares the
body to fight or flee from
perceived threat. Because
yoga deals directly with
the mind-body
connection, it helps
veterans retrain the fight-or-flight response. Many trauma survivors can't "feel" their
bodies, and yoga helps to reintegrate body and mind. Now, when they confront a
situation that triggers their memories, instead of resorting to aggression or drowning in
fear, they have other options: deep breathing, for example, as a means to self-calm.
Other benefits include:
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The release of emotional issues.
Help towards relaxing and strengthening the body.
Unfreezing bad memories and creating new bodily memories.
Giving feelings of joy and personal empowerment.
The mind becomes more clear and open.
It produces acceptance of the self.
Life feels better balanced.
It allows one to safely express stored emotions such as guilt, shame, anger,
sadness and grief so those feelings can be understood and integrated.
o A regular yoga practice helps alleviate symptoms of PTSD including anger,
anxiety, depression, guilt and paranoia.
Many veterans report feeling so much better after participating in aYoga Warriors class
that they are requesting more classes, and yoga instructors from around the country are
seeking Lucy out for training so that they can offer this program in their communities.
She hopes to expand the program to include a yearly retreat, workshops on meditation,
diet and nutrition, breathing exercises and journaling.
What our Veterans have to say about Yoga Warriors International
"Sometimes after a yoga class, for a few hours, I am absolutely free of anguish in my
mind and free of physical pain. There is this realization that I can do something about my
problems, and I can do it through yoga." Paul Malboeuf
"It makes you feel more relaxed. It gives you a different outlook on life. It gives you a
chance to reflect and be aware of yourself." Michael Dziokonski
“Yoga is therapeutic, because it isn’t therapy. There is no analyzing, no talking, no
remembering.” Mark-PTSD survivor
You can contact Lucy Cimini with other questions at:
Central Mass Yoga And Wellness, Inc.
45 Sterling Street #28
West Boylston, MA 01583
508-835-1176
www.centralmassyoga.com