The gift of yoga
February 5, 2015
The full recognition of the impact of trauma on human functioning grew in the U.S. from studies of Holocaust survivors, Vietnam veterans, battered women, abused children, disaster survivors, refugees, sexual assault and other crime victims. More effective treatment interventions are needed. A growing body of research-based evidence is showing that Yoga practices can reduce physical symptoms and emotional distress associated with trauma related difficulties and increase quality of life.
Many of the samples reviewed for this paper are published in non-scientific journals or are small and nonrandomized with study periods being short with confounding variables. However, results of these studies indicate promising possibilities for further study. This paper presents four recent evidence-based research articles regarding applications of Yoga in the treatment of trauma related issues, primarily post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), in adult men and women military veterans, active and in-active duty military personnel, and civilians.
