Yoga and Mindfulness

I believe that it is crucial that practitioners continue to offer diverse trauma treatments and adjacent treatments as numbers of PTSD within CAF and veteran populations continue to grow. To maximize the effects of trauma treatment, and minimize barriers, clinicians are looking to offer therapies that enhance the effects of existing approaches, act as a gateway into effective treatment, or provide an alternate pathway to reduce symptoms and improve functioning (Wells & Lang, 2016). 

Yoga is one of the more non-conventional treatments that I use to further trauma treatment. There is a growing body of evidence indicating that yoga, when used as an adjacent therapy, can address cognitive concerns and strengthen daily functioning (Jones, 2019). Yoga as a treatment modality has been found to reduce PTSD symptoms such as re-experiencing, hyperarousal, hypervigilance and avoidance (Wells et al, 2016). In my experience, yoga has been recommended when other treatments do not work, as there is evidence that it helps with symptom reduction in many veteran populations (Jones, 2019). However, I would argue that yoga can be used in several different ways, such as being a precursor to treatment to help stabilize a veteran, allowing them to engage more fully in trauma treatment. Another use for yoga is as an adjacent treatment that can strengthen the effects of the trauma treatment modality used.

Mindfulness is another technique that I use as both an adjacent treatment, and a direct treatment for PTSD. Mindfulness can be defined as self-regulation, where an individual is able to live in the present moment and experience the emotions that come with living day to day (Dahm & Meyer, 2015).Teaching mindfulness is another way of teaching someone to relate in a healthy way to emotional distress (Dahm & Meyer, 2015). There is evidence that mindfulness practices are able to decrease PTSD symptom severity (O’Malley, 2015). Individuals who practice the art of mindfulness are able to gain insight into their thoughts and emotions, and this is associated with greater quality of life and less emotional dysregulation and physical distress (Stephenson et al, 2017). 

​

Below I have included Heart Math which is one of the mindfulness treatments I have found works best in veteran and RCMP populations.  Currently, it offers free educational sessions. Second, I have included my favorite trauma informed yoga instructor. I have learned a lot of my own yoga practice from her and recommend her videos to clients as I find them well informed and a good starting point for beginners. I have also included the paper I completed on the subject of using yoga and mindfulness within veteran populations.