Veterans Yoga Project

Join Suzanne Manafort and Daniel J. Libby as they share their experience working with Veterans with PTSD.

 In this three day teacher training, we will explore:

• The development, course, and consequences of trauma-related disorders
• The psychotherapeutic treatment of trauma-related disorders and how yoga fits into a integrative treatment approach
• Special considerations and cautions when providing yoga therapy to trauma-affected individuals
• Specific practices and guiding principles found to be helpful for Veterans coping with trauma, including a detailed treatment manual with 12-week protocol

At the end of the workshop, participants will understand the symptoms of PTSD and other trauma-related disorders, how those symptoms are related to underlying neurobiology, and how to use this understanding to inform the approach and the choice of practices used when providing therapeutic yoga for Veterans with PTSD.  



*15 CEUs available for yoga teachers registered with Yoga Alliance

Suzanne Manafort, ERYT-500, Director of Newington Yoga Center, is a member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She studied at Yoga Center Amherst with Patty Townsend, completing her 200 hour and 500 hour programs in Embodyoga™. She also completed 200 hour and 500 hour programs with Beryl Bender Birch and a teacher training with David Swenson.

Suzanne has taught yoga to Veterans coping with combat-related PTSD in a PTSD Residential Rehabilitation Program for several years.  In 2009, she was designated a Wells Fargo Second Half Champion℠ for her work with Veterans.  Suzanne also serves on the board of directors of the Give Back Yoga Foundation.

Daniel J. Libby, PhD is a licensed clinical psychologist who conducts research and psychotherapy with Veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related psychiatric disorders in the Connecticut VA Healthcare System, West Haven as a Postdoctoral Fellow for the Department of Veterans Affairs and Yale University.

He conducts several weekly mindful yoga classes for Veterans at the Connecticut VA Healthcare System, West Haven, and conducts research for the Evaluation Division of the National Center for PTSD examining the use of yoga and other “complementary and alternative medicine” practices in VA Specialized PTSD Treatment programs.

Daniel recently completed the embodyoga™ Teacher Training and serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Feathered Pipe Foundation, the nonprofit educational foundation and yoga retreat center.