ALL IN 4AHERO
AHERO ’ s Guest Vets and Volunteers Receive An Intro To Yoga and Mindfulness
During this year ’ s Orange Beach AHERO Warrior Hook-Up event in May , we began Friday with a discussion of meditation and a class full of Veterans . Most were apprehensive , but in true warrior spirit all gave it a try . MY RECKONING WITH CUMULATIVE PAIN
I had been 37 years in the U . S . Marine Corps in 2016 , when all those years of accumulated injuries , sheer grind and 13 leg surgeries had me at the point where standing , walking or doing a quarter squat was painful . My life had been full of action from the start . Baseball , football , martial arts , rucking , parachuting and lifting , you name it . Now I could barely move without my body giving me hell .
The prescribed solution was medication , more medication and physical therapy that allowed me to manage pain , make it through the workday , then collapse at home . I felt like my strength , health and sanity were slowly slipping away anyway . I had to do something else .
That quest for an alternative sent me walking through a fitness fair where I found a yoga school . After talking with them and a lot of hesitation about attempting yoga , I jumped in . Well , given my physical state , “ jumped ” is maybe not the right word . Let ’ s just say I began a journey that led me to discovering meditation and learning to focus . AN ENVIRONMENT OF ENCOURAGEMENT
What I learned first from Linda Osorio at the Hot Yoga Academy was that I should keep doing what I could while “ always pushing to the edge .”
I struggled through several what I thought of as tortuous classes . Then something changed . I began to understand the relationship of breathing , meditation , positive habits , yoga and the different type of body-weight exercise I was learning . The meditation was helping me prepare for the day . My pain was lessening . My mobility had increased and I felt clearer and stronger .
I was experiencing a new vitality . Now I wanted to “ pass it on .” If a crusty Marine could benefit this way , why not bring it to my brothers and sisters ? LIVING PAIN FREE
I now teach yoga , meditation and breathing . I understand what ’ s true and what ’ s not about
72 AHERO MAGAZINE SUMMER 2021
By COL Doug King , USMC ( Ret )
this path I ’ ve taken , and I want to pass it on :
• Untrue : Yoga is a cultist religion True : Yoga advocates spiritual health through your own religion
• Untrue : Yoga is only for lean super models with great flexibility . True : Yoga teachers have a foundational understanding of anatomy requiring alternatives for each exercise or sequence of exercises based on body type , conditioning , bone structure , previous injury and skill .
• Untrue : If you can ’ t do the postures within Yoga you don ’ t belong True : Yoga is a non-competitive mind , body , and spirit designed to improve fitness using the positive energy of the entire group to achieve results .
• Untrue : I won ’ t get a worthwhile workout in a Yoga class True : Yoga is “ self-paced .” You can challenge yourself to quickly achieve extremes , practice patience and ease into pursuit of your goal , or pace yourself somewhere in between .
Mindful breathing . Yoga relies heavily on mindful breathing . Do you take a deep breath when getting ready to swing a bat or golf club ? Why ? It ’ s because breathing helps calm and center the mind . It supports your focus , strengthens your base , and readies your body for action . Imagine focusing on your breathing through a series of exercises . This invigorates your body ’ s ability to cleanse its toxins . Yoga ’ s breathing exercises can be used to help power your workout and strengthen you through the day ’ s activities .
Meditation . So many of us have minds that race all over the place – often to the point of finding it difficult to focus . But without focus , how well can we achieve ?
You just finished working out and you ’ ve stepped into the shower . It feels great as you relax in the water . But now your mind is racing to the next event in the day . Do I have enough time to drive or is the traffic too heavy ? What if there is an accident ? Now you ’ ve lost the enjoyment of being present within that welcome shower . The solution to this recurring type of dilemma truly can be simple , requiring only two things :
• The desire to learn how to work around the stress we all experience .
• The willingness to steadfastly practice the simple steps of this skill .
Start with five minutes of sitting , lying or standing in a comfortable position . Find some “ brainwave ” music like Delta or Theta to help you relax . Close your eyes thinking of a single idea or taking in your environment to choose one point to focus on . Continue to relax as you take deep breaths . Clear your mind with an intent to center by keeping your focus only on that idea or point . Try that each morning and night . You ’ ll notice the difference in days . THE UPSHOT
Yoga is based on a holistic and therapeutic vision . My yoga classes each begin with a warmup routing then build in movements from simple to complex , increasing difficulty . In the next issue of AHERO Magazine ( Winter 2021-22 ), we will discuss the range of problems practicing yoga can address and describe the Brainwave therapeutic concept in more detail . “ As a Veteran with combat trauma , it is extremely important to prepare my mind for the adversity I will face each and every day ,” AHERO Founder Lee Stuckey said after the May event . “ Practicing yoga and mindfulness with Doug was a great reminder of how important taking care of my mental wellbeing should be . As the president of AHERO , I was excited to have Doug teach the class . I ’ m looking forward to including yoga into all our future programs .”
Colonel , Sir – did you noitice the half-hearted style of the guy hiding in the corner over there ?