VYP Family Stories - Veterans Yoga Project

Studio Spotlight: 18th Element Yoga

Studio Spotlight: 18th Element Yoga in Colorado Springs Written By: Abby Rosmarin Imagine working for 60 hours straight. Imagine being a yoga teacher and being part of something that goes on, without stopping, for 60 hours. This is what Lara of 18th Element Yoga does, every year, for Veterans Gratitude Week supporting Veterans Yoga Project. “We begin prior to sunrise on Friday and stay open teaching classes, running workshops and building a community until 30 minutes…

Veteran & Teacher Profile: Mark Ballinger

Veteran & Teacher Profile: Mark BallingerA Marine's Resilience after a Helo Crash Written By: Abby Rosmarin In 2011, everything in Mark’s life changed. A helicopter crash would affect him in profound and irreversible ways – but also get him on the path to yoga, both as a student and as a teacher. Before the crash – before he even enlisted as a Marine – Mark Ballinger was a child of the 60s, having full run of…

Veteran & Teacher Profile: Why I Practice Yoga with a Community

Veteran & Teacher Profile: Why I Practice Yoga with a Community Nobody teaches you how to process your buddy’s suicide. So I shoved all the emotions in. I buried them down. I just numbed it all. There is no time to come to grips. Continue mission. Just keep going as if these things never happened. With time, all things heal, right? Wrong. Command made general announcements that chaplain services and mental health appointments were available. But…