VANCOUVER, Canada -- After two days of alpine and Nordic skiing followed by an introduction to sledge hockey, wounded, ill, and injured service members from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Canada participating in the Allied Winter Sports Camp, Soldier On, were introduced to a Yen style yoga taught by former Royal Canadian Air Force officer Cpl. Laura Brophy.
Brophy participated in a previous Solider On event which she says saved her life. She then separated from the Canadian Royal Air Force, and moved to Whistler, British Columbia. She began yoga, and though she only took further yoga classes to deepen her own practice, after she received her certification as a yoga instructor Brophy now uses her certification as a volunteer in support of the Soldier On Program.
Suffering from complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Brophy uses yoga to help realign her thought patterns to overcome self-doubt. "I wanted to return college and resume my studies but the anxiety was too much," said Brophy. "Today, I'm using the medication and breathing techniques of yoga to help me and I want to show others that the physical aspect of yoga is only a small portion," she said.
During two, one-hour sessions, Brophy started with a brief introduction of herself and asked each participating service member to do the same while sitting in a relaxed position on yoga mats in a low light and quiet room.
Army Sgt. Rudy Gomez, currently assigned to the Fort Bragg Warrior Transition Unit, stated that he enjoys the sessions that he participates in at Fort Bragg to support his recovery. "I enjoy waking up, putting on my slippers and walking down to the exercise room every morning for yoga class," he joked when asked was it his first time.
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