U.S. Looks At New Age, Holistic Therapies For Veterans

U.S. Looks At New Age, Holistic Therapies For Veterans
Alternative Therapies In Play As Government Tackles Damaged Psyches Of Vets
By ANN MARIE SOMMA | Courant Staff Writer
August 25, 2008
The U.S. military is spending $4 million to figure out whether New Age practices and holistic therapies can mend the wounded psyches of its troops.

Concerned with the high number of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and brain injuries, the government is handing out grants to conduct clinical studies on everything from yoga, to Reiki, to animal assisted therapy, to transcendental meditation.

The Department of Defense says it "supports the use of alternative therapies if they are proved efficacious," according to its request for proposals, which closed May 15.

Lola Scarborough, owner of Yoga Lola Studio in League City, Texas, applied for a $300,000 research grant to document the benefits of Kundalini yoga on veterans


Kundalini yoga, Scarborough said, awakens an untapped reserve within each of us — envisioned as a sleeping serpent in the base of the spine, whose power can help veterans deal with anger, flashbacks, depression and anxiety, symptoms often associated with PTSD.

"There is a big problem with people coming back from war. They are able to survive physical wounds through body armor, but they are blowing up their brains," Scarborough said.

In Connecticut, yoga therapy isn't offered at the VA hospital in West Haven or clinic in Newington, but veterans can take classes outside the VA network at their own expense, said Pamela Redmond, a VA spokesperson.

Many yoga studios, understanding that PTSD is chronic, are offering free yoga classes to veterans. Recently, the New York Sports Clubs in Queens organized a free weekly veterans yoga class to complement the services provided by a nearby veteran center.
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