June is National PTSD Awareness Month: Here’s How Yoga Can Help

June is National PTSD Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness and deepening our understanding of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), PTSD treatment options, and ways we can help our loved ones - or ourselves - cope with the long-term effects of PTSD.

What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

According to the National Center for PTSD, a research and educational organization of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), PTSD is a mental health condition some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, such as combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or a sexual assault.

There are many forms of PTSD treatments available, each with remarkably high coping and success rates in recovery. The PTSD Center has lots of educational resources on treatments available, how to choose a treatment, how to find a therapist, medication options, and how to support loved ones dealing with feelings of PTSD. I encourage you to explore this important resource this month, get educated, and even take the PTSD Pledge to raise your awareness this month. (I am!)

Yoga for PTSD

Alongside my work as a mortgage broker and my personal interest in helping Veterans navigate the VA loan process, I’m an experienced 500-hour-certified yoga instructor. I’m passionate about introducing the healing art of yoga as a way to cope for those who are suffering from trauma and PTSD - particularly for our Veterans.

A recent research study found that mind-body therapy such as yoga can help reduce symptoms of combat-related PTSD. Trauma recovery yoga, as it’s called, has been proven to help reduce the severity of PTSD symptoms, ease anxiety, reduce feelings of depression, and overall, help cope with the stresses of daily life.

YogaForVets and the Veterans Yoga Project are great resources discussing the value and effectiveness of yoga and mindfulness for Veterans of all ages and experiences. Check them out!

Yoga for Special Needs

As a yogi, I’ve also focused my teaching in working with children who have special needs as well as in working with those who have neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. The mind-body work in developing a regular yoga practice can truly ease physical symptoms and make it easier to cope with these conditions day-to-day.

A Few Great Introductory Yoga Resources

There are many resources out there that introduce the art of yoga and that can be done easily at home or even at work if you’re interested in starting a regular yoga routine. Here are some of my favorites:

Feel free to contact me anytime for more recommendations and if you’d like to talk yoga (or mortgages!).

Yoga and Mindful Money

I started Mindful Money because I believe that buying a home is part of a whole life financial plan. I also believe that mindfulness is part of a successful and rewarding whole life financial plan. This includes mindfulness in budgeting, saving for college, saving for retirement, being prepared for emergencies, acquiring good debt, getting out of bad debt, purchasing assets, and leading the next generation into financial literacy.

Yoga as a practice helps teach whole-body mindfulness and patience with yourself - and this practice can be extended to all areas of your life, including your finances and especially in buying a home. I’m proud and grateful to help guide my clients throughout the loan process using concepts of mindfulness and a holistic approach to their financial health. It’s a win-win for all of us.

Contact Me!

Looking to buy a home or refinance? I’d love to partner with you with a mindfulness approach as we step toward achieving your goals. Contact me anytime!

I’m also a VA loan specialist with a personal link to Veterans and a deep understanding of the VA loan process. I am honored to work with Veteran clients to ensure they get the honest service they deserve after they so selflessly served our country.


* Specific loan program availability and requirements may vary. Please get in touch with your mortgage advisor for more information.