Yoga For Warriors 'Buy One, Give One' Campaign Gives Back to Veterans

Boulder, CO

Today, an increasing number of United States veterans who struggle with post-deployment issues such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), brain injury, sexual trauma and marital difficulties are using yoga to deal with physical and invisible wounds. The Give Back Yoga Foundation is strongly committed to sponsoring yoga programs and resources that support our veterans, providing tools to help them transition back to civilian life and reconnect with themselves, friends, and families. This Boulder-based national non-profit offers a gateway to yoga service trainings, resources and partnerships to support at-risk teens, veterans, prisoners, and those struggling with disordered eating and negative body image.

The latest resource to be sponsored through the organization is Yoga For Warriors, a new book released in October 2014 by publishing company Sounds True. Written by Give Back Yoga co-founder Beryl Bender Birch, Yoga For Warriors contains numerous tools to help individuals suffering from PTSD find inner calm and serenity. The specialized techniques featured in the book were developed by the author through her work with first responders in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and chosen for their immediate usefulness in offering current and former military personnel a method of finding strength and relaxation even in the most difficult of circumstances.

Through December 31, 2014, for every copy of Yoga For Warriors purchased through the Give Back Yoga Foundation, the organization will gift a free matching copy to a veteran or active duty service member. By buying a copy of the book for themselves or a veteran they know and love, supporters can put this valuable resource in the hands of a warrior who can benefit - doubling the impact of this valuable practice guide.

"A wide range of issues come up as a result of combat for our troops," says Rob Schware, Executive Director of Give Back Yoga Foundation. "Yoga For Warriors helps veterans and active duty service members to work through challenges related to combat stress, improve mental attitudes and physical well-being. And now everyone can help our troops navigate life after service through our Buy One Give One book campaign."

The campaign is made possible through the generous financial support of private donors and socially responsible corporations like ORGANIC INDIA and WhiteWave Foods, who are helping to underwrite the printing costs of bringing free copies of Yoga For Warriors to veterans and military personnel.

For more information on how to support the Give Back Yoga Foundation's "Buy One, Give One" Campaign for veterans this Veterans Day and holiday season, please visit their website at: http://givebackyoga.org/yoga-for-warriors-campaign.

The author, world-renowned yoga teacher Beryl Bender Birch, is the co-founder of the Give Back Yoga Foundation, the founder and director of The Hard & The Soft Yoga Institute, and the author of the bestselling books Power Yoga, Beyond Power Yoga, and Boomer Yoga. She takes her practice very seriously. In the words of Rear Admiral (ret.) and former Navy SEAL Tom Steffens: "Beryl never takes any subject lightly, trust me, and her insight into the mind-body-spirit connection for military members and veterans results from an in-depth study that she undertook to get this right."

Those who choose to serve their country in the military honor themselves and their communities, but often return from their service with ongoing challenges to their physical and mental wellbeing. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly referred to by its acronym PTSD, is an all too common condition facing military personnel and veterans. Yoga For Warriors contains numerous tools for individuals suffering from PTSD that will help them find inner calm and serenity through various exercises and meditation.

Adapting to civilian life after military service can be a difficult transition. Warriors do not stop being warriors simply because they leave the battlefield. The necessary austerity of serving in the armed forces will be with veterans for their entire lives. Yoga for Warriors can help service members to stretch their bodies and their minds by harnessing their well-honed discipline to their advantage. By focusing their martial instincts toward improving their mental well being, Yoga for Warriors seeks to promote healthy adaptation into civilian life.

Meditation, breathing exercises, and yoga postures might not be the first thing an instructor covered during basic, but it can be a helpful addition to anyone's daily PT. Yoga for Warriors will be an excellent addition to any serious yoga practitioner's bookshelf.

While the book is available through Sounds True, the multimedia publishing company behind Yoga for Warriors, the special initiative by the Give Back Yoga Foundation in November and December 2014 centers around the concept that when someone buys the book through Give Back Yoga Foundation, a free copy will be donated to a vet or service member, giving them a tool to manage traumatic stress. The Give Back Yoga Foundation is a national non profit yoga organization that helps certified yoga teachers to share the extraordinary gift of yoga therapy with the underserved corners of their communities. Learn more about the yoga initiatives of Give Back Yoga Foundation on their website at http://givebackyoga.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.