Our research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Stanford showed that the week-long Project
Welcome Home Troops intervention was successful, with our analyses showing significant decreases in PTSD and anxiety. Improvements remained one month and one year later, suggesting long-term benefit. More telling even than the data are the veterans’ words; with a veteran of the war in Afghanistan writing:
"A few weeks ago shooting, cars exploding, screaming, death, that was your world. Now back home, no one knows what it is like over there so no one knows how to help you get back your normalcy. They label you a victim of the war. I AM NOT A VICTIM… but how do I get back my normalcy? For most of us it is booze and Ambien. It works for a brief period then it takes over your life. Until this study, I could not find the right help for me, BREATH’ing like a champ!"
The Project Welcome Home Troops program teaches a specific breathing practice – Sudarshan Kriya Yoga – taught by certified instructors. (To learn more about the science why breathing can help us overcome anxiety and trauma, see this post on the science of breath.) Research in non-veteran populations shows that it’s helpful for anxiety, depression, stress, and even gene expression for immunity. An award-winning documentary filmmaker, Phie Ambo, shadowed our entire study and filmed the veterans’ transformation. It is called Free the Mind, and you can see trailers on my website.
https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2014/01/31/the-remarkable-impact-of-yoga-breathing-for-trauma/
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