Report: Ukrainian soldiers on the war front rely on yoga for healing, well-being and recovery

On the front lines of the Ukraine war, the country’s soldiers were seen rolling out their mats to practice yoga, according to a report by The Times of India.

The 37-year-old commander of the 225th Independent Assault Brigade claims yoga helped him change his life. “Before the start of the full-scale war in 2014, I was drafted into infantry operations and injured my spine,” he said.

Accordingly TOIHe further said, “I started practicing yoga regularly in 2016. All my problems disappeared,” adding that yoga helps him in his duties during the war.

The young commander also said, “I always try to do asanas and pranayama and I read the ‘Hare Krishna Mahamantra’. It helps me to control my emotions better and plan things better while discharging my duties.”

In war-torn Ukraine, awareness of yoga as a means of better healing, well-being and recovery is growing among the population.

Since some special units of the Ukrainian Army have included yoga in their training, several projects have been launched to support Ukrainian yoga teachers and help people suffering from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

At the initiative of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Healthy Ukraine program was launched in 2021 to promote this ancient physical, mental and spiritual practice.

As part of “Active Parks”, a project of the initiated program, public parks were converted into fitness clubs where trainers or teachers organize and hold free yoga training classes.

Accordingly TOIElena Siderska, who was responsible for promoting yoga in the project, said: “The response to yoga has been overwhelming. Active Parks now supports studios and clubs that deal with trauma, PTSD and soldier rehabilitation.”

According to the publication, Andrii Siderskyi, a yoga master and Elena’s father, claimed that yoga has long been rooted in his country. He said: “In fact, people in Ukraine came into contact with yoga as early as the 19th century. However, after the 1917 revolution and the Ukrainian Republic, it was somewhat lost. However, after World War II, Kyiv, Odessa and Kharkiv became some of the most important yoga centers of the Soviet era.”

Siderskyi also said, “We combined specific pranayama sequences with asana sequences that we found most effective for our ailments. I believe this has saved thousands of lives and helped people recover quickly during Covid.”

A person named Yullia Denisova, who has cared for injured Ukrainian comrades in four different rehabilitation centers and also works at Fierce Calm, says: “Yoga Nidra and Pranayama have proven to be enormously helpful for war veterans with sleep disorders, PTSD and amputation problems.”

According to the publication, while describing how the medieval practice helped a soldier with two amputated legs, Denisova said: “Nazar was initially unsure about yoga. He said I just came to watch. But with each session he got the hang of it. Finally, after one session of Yoga Nidra, he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, he said it was the best sleep he’d ever had.”

She added: “As a Ukrainian, I cannot thank India enough for giving and preserving this wonderful ancient knowledge to the world.”

Accordingly TOIAnother person named Velaeria Samborskaya, who runs a crowdfunding project to promote yoga for trauma-sensitive people in Ukraine, says: “We have experienced that affected soldiers were afraid to go near parks because they were injured in forest areas on the front line. But after a few sessions of yoga, especially pranayama, they are able to overcome their psychological trauma.”

Samborsakaya also said, “In the first year of the war, we needed material things, good accommodation, etc. Now, after two years, we have to deal with the psychological effects of this war and its impact on our society. Yoga exercises, especially pranayama, are a great blessing for us now.”