On the front lines of the Ukrainian war, Ukrainian soldiers have been seen rolling out mats and taking part in yoga. Times of India.
Among the soldiers, a 37-year-old commander stationed at the 225th Independent Assault Brigade garrison claimed yoga helped him change his life, saying, “In 2014, before the full-scale war started, I was drafted into infantry operations and injured my spine.”
according to table of contents“I started doing yoga regularly in 2016 and all my problems disappeared,” he said, adding that yoga was helping him discharge his war responsibilities.
The young commander also said, “I always try to practice asanas, pranayama and read ‘Hare Krishna Maha-mantra’. It helps me control my emotions better and plan things during missions.”
In war-ravaged Ukraine, citizens are turning to yoga for better healing, health and recovery.
Some special forces of the Ukrainian army have incorporated yoga into their training, and several projects have been launched to support Ukrainian yoga teachers and help people suffering from trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Launched in 2021 by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the “Healthy Ukraine” program was launched to encourage ancient physical, mental and spiritual practices.
Under the program, the project “Active Park” transformed public parks into fitness clubs, where instructors and teachers organized and held free yoga training classes.
according to table of contents“The response to yoga has been overwhelming. Active Parks now supports studios and clubs that address trauma, PTSD and rehabilitation for soldiers,” said Elena Siderska, who facilitated the yoga part of the project.
According to the magazine, yoga teacher and Elena’s father, Andriy Sidelsky, claims that yoga has ancient roots in Ukraine. “In fact, Ukrainians were exposed to yoga as early as the 19th century. But after the 1917 revolution and the establishment of the Ukrainian Republic, yoga was gradually lost. However, after World War II, Kiev, Odessa and Kharkov became some of the main centers of yoga in the Soviet era,” he said.
“We combined specific pranayama and asana sequences that we found to be most effective for our symptoms, and we believe this has saved thousands of lives during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped people recover faster,” Sidelsky said.
“Yoga nidra and pranayama have been extremely effective for veterans with sleep disorders, PTSD and amputation-related issues,” says Yulia Denisova, who helps wounded Ukrainian comrades at four different rehabilitation centers and also works with Fierce Calm.
Describing how medieval yoga helped a soldier who had lost both legs, Denisova said, according to the magazine, “Nazar was apprehensive about yoga at first, saying he just came to watch. But with each session he became more and more absorbed. Finally, after a yoga nidra session, he fell into a deep sleep. When he woke up, he said it was the best sleep he had ever had.”
She further added, “As a Ukrainian, I cannot thank India enough for giving and preserving this wonderful ancient knowledge to the world.”
according to table of contentsMeanwhile, someone named Belaria Samborskaya, who runs a crowdfunding project to encourage yoga among trauma-sensitive people in Ukraine, said, “I have seen that affected soldiers, injured in forested areas on the front line, are afraid to go near parks. But after a few sessions of yoga, especially pranayama, they are able to overcome the psychological trauma.”
“In the first year of the war, we needed material things, good housing and so on. Two years have passed and we now have to deal with the psychological impact of this war and how it is affecting our society. Yoga practice, especially pranayama, has been a great boon to us now,” Samborsakaya added.
Published June 22, 2024 09:14 IST
