Yoga Can Help Veterans Deal With Stress

Yoga Helps Vets Find Balance 01/13/10.  For Roslyn Reesemoran, a horrible accident in the early days of the Iraq war remains fresh in her mind. A platoon sergeant in 2003, Reesemoran was in an Army transportation company, responsible for refueling trucks that carried critical supplies to Soldiers.      One day while out on a mission, as usual, small children ran up to the trucks and asked for food and water.  But on this particular day, one of the trucks accidentally ran over a small child.  "To see that kid die just tore my heart out," said Reesemoran, who is now retired from the Army. "I had a real problem after that being around kids. When I got back, I was really angry."  
     She went to the Veterans Administration seeking medical care in 2008 after her retirement and, like 20 percent of today's combat veterans, was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Specifically, she was suffering from bereavement and anxiety, doctors told her.
     "I had been suppressing all my memories," Reesemoran said.  That's when she was invited to try a new program at Fort Jackson, one that uses the ancient practice of yoga to help Soldiers who have been diagnosed with PTSD decrease physical and mental tension.  Military Health System