Good morning. I’d like to wish you a Happy Veterans Day today, as well as (a day late) a Happy 238th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps.

 

I also want to remind you to please take a moment out of your day to thank a Veteran for their service.

 

If you have a family member, loved one, or friend who is a Veteran, they may be struggling with some invisible wounds.

 

Many are now familiar with the terms “PTSD” or “TBI”…but are still unfamiliar with the true repercussions of such conditions.

 

I invite you to watch this 15min TEDx talk from Dr Amen (above), a leader in the brain health field who says he has the single most important lesson learned after studying 38,000 brains!

Pretty compelling, right?

 

I also wanted to share with you that just this past Friday morning, I was testifying to the Response Systems to Adult Sexual Assault Crimes Federal Advisory Committee. The panel was created by Congress as part of the National Defense Authorization Act to:

(1) get recommendations on role of commanders in military justice system

(2) examine civilian systems to compare

(3) assess adequacy of system to support victims throughout all phases

 

The panel operates under a law called Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) which allows the public to be aware of and participate in outside advisory committees for U.S. Government. This allows people outside of the government to provide information. The Meetings on November 7th and 8th were focused on victim services. The panel wanted to hear our stories and what we think can be done to better protect victims.

 

It allowed me the opportunity to share part of my story but more importantly to speak on behalf of others who had similar experiences. I also emphasized the need for increased availability of alternative health care options with empirically validated benefits for pain management, TBI, and PTSD like chiropractic care, yoga, meditation, and holistic health counseling both for veterans as well as for US citizens across the board.

 

My hope is that more and more people have consistent and congruent access to better care beyond the latest pills and surgeries. When the time calls for those methods, great, use them, do it; but when alternative therapies are available, too, people should have those options via a system that educates, treats, and supports people on a human to human level.

 

Sustainable health is not only possible, it’s accessible and it is why I am so passionate about brining yoga and holistic health care not just to military members and veterans, but to the entire community in which we live.   The DoD has released multiple reports recently which reveal that suicide rates far outpace combat deaths.  Yoga is one very powerful toolset available to mitigate the effects of PTSD that often lead to suicide.

 

Please, if you haven’t already, at least try it.  What do you have to lose? If you’re already doing it, share its healing properties with others.

 

Be a part of a positive ripple effect within your community of creating better, and lasting, health for yourself and your loved ones.  Whether you are a veteran suffering from PTSD or a stay at home parent trying to handle the stress of raising little ones, yoga is something that can transform anyone’s life for the better, or take an average life from good to great.

 

Thank you for you prayers and support during this on-going journey to better health for others as well as for myself.

Please be a light to others today and always.

Semper Fi and Namaste