YogaFit, the largest yoga training school worldwide, has announced a new program, YogaFit for Warriors, a certification program for yoga instructors designed by Air Force Veteran Shaye Molendyke, neuroscientist Dr. Stephanie Shorter, and YogaFit founder Beth Shaw that prepares yoga teachers to bring safe, trauma-sensitive yoga to heal a warrior's body, mind and spirit.

Los Angeles, Calif. (PRWEB) March 27, 2013

After seeing rates of suicide climb so dramatically in the military, something just had to be done, said Shaye Molendyke, Air Force Veteran. I knew my Yogafit family could help heal my military family.

YogaFit for Warriors includes five two-day trainings that will equip yoga teachers to serve wounded warriors, and those who suffer from PTSD, stress, anxiety and other mental/physical issues developed from military service, as well as family members and other loved ones who have been impacted.

With thousands of soldiers returning home, I found it of upmost importance to develop a program specifically for them, said Beth Shaw. These teachings will rejuvenate and revitalize both their body and mind when they need it most.

Training includes the following:

Level 1 a foundational yoga teacher training that educates how to safely guide students through yoga poses using transformational language while encouraging letting go of judgments, expectations and competition

Yoga can help to free troubling emotions, perseverating thought patterns, and chronic somatic tension and hyper vigilance, said Dr. Stephanie Shorter, YogaFits Yoga Therapy Program Director, who has published research studies on how yoga and meditation can alleviate anxiety. New research is showing how yoga can reduce cortisol levels and calm the fight-or-flight response while also increasing the relaxation response.

Donation classes are being held to support the Wounded Warriors Project at ongoing Mind Body Fitness conferences every month. Partnerships are being formed with military bases to bring the trainings directly to military families. Military spouses will be eligible to participate in YogaFit for Warriors financial assistance through MyCAA and a YogaFit scholarship program is being created. A YogaFit for Warriors DVD is currently in production.

YogaFit for Warriors trainings will be offered at Mind Body Fitness Conferences in Minneapolis (May 29 June 2), Austin (August 1-4), Atlanta (October 31 November 3), Long Island (November 14-17) and Seattle (December 12-15).

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International Yoga Training School Brings Yoga To Returning Soldiers

A quest for healthy living has made yoga popular among schoolchildren, around 1,200 of who took part in the Dr BC Roy Memorial Committee presents Sara Bangla Atulya Ghosh Smriti Yogasana Protiyogita 2013 in association with TTIS at Bidhan Sishu Udyan last month.

Chhottu Dutta would often fall ill and miss school till the 10-year-old took to yoga. "He was weak and often had fever. We took him to many doctors but to no avail. Practising yoga has improved his health," said Rita Dutta, a resident of Belur and Chhottu's mother.

Arkajoti Rana, 13, of Arambagh had been suffering from gastritis and eight years of regular yoga has almost cured him.

Sanjay Chatterjee, doctor, said yoga helps check aggressive behaviour, social withdrawal and hyperactivity in children. "Yoga is considered as a mainstream therapy for autism and hyperactivity," he said. Yoga plays a role in muscle and joint flexibility, strengthens the abdomen and spine, Chatterjee said. It also helps improve the sense of balance and focus.

Swagata Banerjee, 11, has found relief from severe asthma through yoga. "It was tough for me and my husband to see our son suffer so much. No medicines seemed to help. It was only after he joined yoga, that things slowly improved," said Lima Banerjee.

Rina Laskar, yoga specialist and one of the judges, recommended yoga from a young age. "Yoga can be useful in many ways. In my years of teaching, I have seen kids joining yoga classes for various reasons. There have been kids with asthma, aches and pains who have got relief," she said.

Not all turn to yoga for its healing powers. For Adbhutender Chinamna and his sister Amrutendrini Chinamna, yoga is a serious sport. Adbhutender is a silver medallist and his sister a gold medallist at School Games Federation of India. The siblings from Madhya Pradesh started practising at the age of six and dream of becoming yoga instructors.

Shreya Dawn and Tista Das, 11-year-olds from Girish Park, too want to be yoga teachers.

"The children's performances touched my heart. Yoga is becoming popular throughout the country. We have introduced yoga at the police academy too. I strongly feel there should be a quota for those skilled in yoga for police recruitment, just like sports quotas," said city police commissioner Surajit Kar Purkayastha.

With the increasing popularity of yoga, the scope of the 37-year-old competition has expanded too. This is the first time that the event saw participants from beyond Bengal. "We began this competition with just 200 children and now we have more than 1,000 competing. This year, around 40 kids from outside Bengal also took part, making the competition tougher," said Goutam Talukdar, the secretary of Bidhan Sishu Udyan.

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Children stay fit and fine with yoga