By Noriko de Guzman

My role teaching yoga to military personnel in a mental health clinic on a U.S. base represents a unique opportunity that requires sound knowledge as well as sensitivity. Understandably, the rigorous training, operational deployments, and inherent stressors of military life can lead to mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and even symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Multiple sources confirm troubling trends, with increased cases of military sexual assaults (both men and women), suicidal ideation, witnessing suicide, and potential issues related to gender dysphoria disorder among active-duty people. (See, e.g., the U.S. Department of Defense 2023 Annual Report on Suicide in the Military and a report from the American Psychological Association’s Monitor on Psychology based on the 2021 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey of Military Members.)

At the intensive outpatient program where I work, therapeutic yoga sessions are incorporated into the curriculum, and everyone is expected to participate to their own comfort level. Folks in the military may suppress, disconnect, and numb their own emotions as coping mechanisms. In my classes, they are instead invited to open and connect with their own sensation of their bodies through breathwork, slow movements, and being present in the moment.

Nonjudgmental foundations for yoga therapy

Creating safe and nonjudgmental space is the key to beginning the therapeutic yoga process. I take care to set an inviting tone for our sessions. Many participants have been trained to be hypercompetitive, with a “no pain, no gain” mindset that encourages always being the best, so I remind them that yoga is self-care, just for themselves.

I sprinkle psychoeducation throughout the sessions to support an understanding of what’s happening on multiple levels. For example, I might share that certain poses can balance the nervous system and promote relaxation, or that certain movements could bring up unwanted memories. Normalizing the participants’ experiences and giving them permission to feel whatever comes up is a vital part of therapy.

I also focus on the process rather than naming the final poses. For example, instead of saying, “Come into plank pose,” I might guide participants by describing the positions of parts of the body: “Place your hands on the yoga mat with your shoulders aligned on top of them, feeling supported.” This cuing to mindful movement allows people to connect with their own body sensations and emotional awareness.

Using yoga therapy to support mental health in military populations often involves creating ways for people to notice their own thoughts and emotions, which many times may be negative. Our work together is about providing a space for self-care, fostering a sense of community, and empowering individuals to connect with their inner strength and resilience.

Authentically tailored sessions for self-connection

I lived in Japan until I was 20 years old. And although I sometimes wish I didn’t have an accent, participants tell me they appreciate it, saying my speech “softens things” even when I present challenging poses. I also have a quiet voice, so I had to learn to speak up so military people would take me seriously: I learned to use theatrical expressions, such as making big sighing noises or grunting loudly when we sit down or stand up. (Many participants in my sessions have wear and tear from day-to-day military training, so they really resonate with this one!) I like to use a bit of humor during the yoga sessions to lighten things up, too.

I also present exercises in different ways depending on the population I’m teaching: You can imagine that someone dealing with combat trauma would need a different approach to poses than someone who has experienced trauma from sexual assault, for instance.

Our bodies constantly send messages—positive, negative, and neutral. And often those messages can be more honest and insightful than our unavoidably biased thinking, which is filtered through so many lenses put in place by our experiences. Yoga therapy helps us to connect with our own sensations to enhance our own lives, regardless of whether our occupation is military service or something else entirely.

Noriko de Guzman, C-IAYT, LMHC, is an employee of the U.S. Department of Defense who has been providing yoga therapy to patients at a behavioral health clinic for 20 years. A former race-car driver, she commutes 100 miles every day so her son can access a bilingual Japanese-English education.