Heart2Heart plans campaign for veterans’ trauma-sensitive yoga sessions

Israel Heart2Heart plans a fundraising campaign starting November 9 to support weekly trauma-sensitive yoga sessions for veterans with PTSD. The organization reports over 200 applications for 17 places per cohort. A participant describes using breathing techniques in daily life. The article notes the US Department of Veterans Affairs says evidence is insufficient to recommend yoga as PTSD treatment.

Israel Heart2Heart plans to launch a fundraising campaign on Monday, November 9, to support weekly trauma-sensitive yoga sessions for Israeli veterans living with PTSD. The campaign, called 'Breathing Again, Living Again,' aims to fund regular sessions within a broader support program that includes community activities, body-mind practices, personal mentoring, and help returning to work and studies. The organization said its program is expanding from two annual cohorts to four, but demand still exceeds capacity, with each cohort attracting more than 200 applications for 17 places. Shmil Atlas of Israel Heart2Heart said the hard moment is not the retreat itself but two days later at home, when the group is no longer there. A participant identified as A., a 31-year-old reservist and father of two, described using breathing techniques learned in sessions to manage anxiety in daily life. The article notes that the US Department of Veterans Affairs says evidence remains insufficient to recommend yoga as a treatment for PTSD, and that trauma-focused psychotherapies remain the most strongly recommended treatments. Atlas said the tools do not cure PTSD but help people live with it.