by Deb Cupples | On Veterans Day, I cannot help thinking of the thousands of Americans who have returned home from foreign soil suffering injuries. When I think of wounded veterans, I cannot help thinking of the
Exalted Warrior Foundation, founded by Annie Okerin -- a fantastic yoga instructor and proprietor of
Yogani Studios in South Tampa, Florida.
For some years now, Yogani has been offering free yoga classes to veterans outside the hospital, in partnership with the Exalted Warrior Foundation. Here's a bit about Okerlin's work with Veterans:
"The Exalted Warrior Foundation facilitates a yoga instruction program that is designed for wounded soldiers in military and veteran hospital facilities.
"Faced with the demands of both a physical and emotional recovery, yoga allows newly disabled veterans to reconnect both with themselves and their loved ones. Soldiers with amputations, traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries have benefited greatly since the program began.
"The gentle movements of a yoga practice support the restoration of the body-mind connection. Practice varies from subtle breath work, accompanied with gentle stretching postures, for beginners to intense exertions, as the patients’ comfort with these healing techniques increases. Through practice, the soldier will begin to release the 'issues from the tissues....' "
There have been a lot of write-ups about Okerlin's work with vets and some news coverage (see videos at EWF home page). If you'd like to donate to this non-profit foundation, click here.
Since 2006, Okerlin and staff have also been traveling to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to work with severely wounded veterans, including amputees. Okerlin's team has also started working in veterans' hospitals in Tampa and Brooklyn.
Another site worth checking out is Yoga for Vets, which has a list of yoga studios nationwide that offer at least four free classes to vets.