resources Archives - VETOGA

VETOGA Monthly Newsletter May 2024

VEToga — Thu, 02 May 2024 00:00:18 +0000

Upcoming Events + Teacher Trainings + Retreats

Mental Health Awareness Month

Join us this May as VETOGA partners with Amazon Global Military Affairs, Mala for Vets and Mates4Mates to help bring awareness to Mental Health. We will be hosting a 14-day Wellness Challenge lead by VETOGA instructors. Click the link below to sign-up and join us for this challenge, running from May 13 – 27.

Our intention behind this year’s challenge is to bring awareness to Mental Health in the United States. Please help us spread this message by sharing this challenge with your friends and families using the following link: Vetoga.org/AmazonVetogaChallenge

What you can expect…
During the 14-day challenge, there will be daily meditation, pranayama (breathing), asana (movement), and yoga Nidra (guided relaxation). You will start the first five days with 5-mins of practice in each category and work your way up to 15-mins by the end of the challenge.

Winning prizes!
For those who complete the 14-Day challenge and upload their personal video describing their transformation and awareness during this challenge, there will be a top prize of FREE tuition to an upcoming VETOGA Teacher Training. Other prizes include: beautiful Mala Beads from MalaforVets, and other VETOGA swag.

By participating in this challenge, you are making a commitment to increase awareness of mental health in communities.

This will be fun and challenging and we are excited to invite you into our community to spread awareness for Mental Health.

Thank you & Namaste,
The VETOGA Family

Veteran Resources

The following resources are available from Veterans Affairs:

Veterans Crisis Line — If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-273-8255, then PRESS 1 or visit veteranscrisisline.net. For emergency mental health care, you can also go directly to your local VA medical center 24/7 regardless of your discharge status or enrollment in other VA health care.

Vet Centers — Discuss how you feel with other Veterans in these community-based counseling centers. 70% of Vet Center staff are Veterans. Call 1-877-927-8387 or find one near you.

VA Mental Health Services Guide — This guide will help you sign up and access mental health services.

MakeTheConnection.net – Information, resources, and Veteran to Veteran videos for challenging life events and experiences with mental health issues.

RallyPoint — Talk to other Veterans online. Discuss: What are your feelings as the Taliban reclaim Afghanistan after 20 years of US involvement?

Download VA’s self-help apps — Tools to help deal with common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.

Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) — Request a Peer Mentor.

VA Women Veterans Call Center — Call or text 1-855-829-6636 (M-F 8AM – 10PM & SAT 8AM – 6:30PM ET).

VA Caregiver Support Line — Call 1-855-260-3274 (M-F 8AM – 10PM & SAT 8AM – 5PM ET).

Together We Served — Find your battle buddies through unit pages.

George W. Bush Institute — Need help or want to talk? Check In, or call: 1-630-522-4904, or email: checkin@veteranwellnessalliance.org

Elizabeth Dole Foundation Hidden Heroes — Join the Community.

American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network — Peer Support and Mentoring.

Student Veterans of America — Find a campus chapter to connect with.

VETogi of the Month

Russ Owens

United State Navy

Russ is a recent graduate of the VETOGA 200-hour teacher training. Since certification, he has shared yoga in a variety of settings, including the local studio, at which he regularly practices and at several veteran service organizations. Teaching yoga and meditation in the veteran community has been an incredibly rewarding experience. He has had the privilege of guiding veterans through practices designed to transform struggle into strength, using yoga as a tool for post-traumatic growth. He has witnessed the profound impact of yoga and meditation on veterans managing PTSD, anxiety, and depression. He is honored to support these heroes on their journeys toward healing and self- discovery.

“James Baldwin wrote, ‘The longer I live, the more deeply I learn that love — whether we call it friendship or family or romance — is the work of mirroring and magnifying each other’s light. Gentle work. Steadfast work. Life-saving work in those moments when life and shame and sorrow occlude our own light from our view, but there is still a clear-eyed loving person to beam it back. In our best moments, we are that person for another.’ VETOGA and those who represent it have been that light for me.”

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Donate to VETOGA’s Mission

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The post VETOGA Monthly Newsletter May 2024 appeared first on VETOGA.

VETOGA Newsletter September 2022

VEToga — Fri, 02 Sep 2022 01:31:47 +0000

Upcoming Events + Teacher Trainings + Retreats

Suicide Awareness Month

Join the Well-Being Challenge (Sept. 12-26)

Amazon Global Military Affairs and VETOGA are joining forces for National Suicide Prevention in September by offering a Mental Health and Well-Being 14 Day Challenge September 12-16, 2022.

Our intention behind this year’s challenge is to bring awareness to Mental Health and Suicide Awareness in the United States.

Please help us spread this message by sharing this challenge with your friends and families using the following link: vetoga.org/AmazonVetogaChallenge

Suicide is a national public Mental Health challenge that causes tremendous pain for individuals, families and communities across the country.

On average, 132 Americans die by suicide each day accounting for 47,511 suicide deaths in 2019
In 2019, there were an estimated 1.38 million suicide attempts
The average number of veteran suicides per day was 17.6 in 2018
Suicide is also the 10^th leading cause of death among all ages and the 2^nd leading cause of death among those ages 10-34 in the U.S

What you can expect…

During the 14-day challenge, there will be daily meditation, pranayama (breathing), asana (movement), yoga Nidra (guided relaxation), and journaling. You will start the first five days with 5-mins of practice in each category and work your way up to 15-mins by the end of the challenge.

Winning Prizes!

For those who complete the 14-Day challenge and upload their personal video describing their transformation and awareness during this challenge, there will be a top prize of FREE tuition (sponsored by Amazon Global Military Affairs) to an upcoming VETOGA Teacher Training. Other prizes include: beautiful Mala Beads from MalaforVets, and other VETOGA t-shirts and swag bags.

By participating in this challenge, you are making a commitment to increase awareness of mental health issues in general and prevent suicide for all Americans.

Become and advocate for suicide prevention: Click here!

This will be fun and challenging and we are excited to invite you into our community to spread awareness for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention.

Handcrafted Candles

Who doesn’t like candles? The meditation practice on the second day of the challenge focuses on candle gazing. You can use any candle or check out our new VETOGA candle made by LUX ILUME.

As the warrior begins to heal, a new awakening is born. To honor the transformation of the warrior we’ve blended eucalyptus, sage, lavender and honey to anchor new beginnings. This is the signature scent for the VETOGA Community. A portion of the profit from the sale of this candle will be donated to VETOGA.

PURCHASE CANDLES

Sponsor a Veteran

This September we will be hosting our 2nd VETOGA Wellness Retreat at Ojas Retreat Center in Murrieta California. This retreat offers a serene environment where veterans and their families can fully immerse in a holistic healing environment to find nutrition, mindfulness, movement and community.

The cost to sponsor a veteran to attend this retreat is $500. If you would like to sponsor a veteran to attend the upcoming retreat, please consider donating or creating a Fundraising Page by clicking the link below.

Help sponsor a veteran to attend the Fall VETOGA wellness Retreat (Sept. 22 – 25). Contribute here

SPONSOR A VETERAN

Watch Video

VETogi of the Month

Dorothy Moore

United States Navy Veteran

Dorothy retired from the Navy Reserves and Civilian Service in 2015. She served 29 years in the Navy and 41 years in Civilian Service. She was looking for something that she could be a part of to help people cope and feel good about themselves. A friend recommended that she try VETOGA. She then researched and found information that led her to become a 200-hr VETOGA yoga instructor. Dorothy teaches Yoga at the Whitaker YMCA in Lexington, KY on Tuesday and Thursday regularly. She offers free VETOGA yoga classes and also teach Aqua Aerobics classes and volunteers at her local Veterans Hospital to help Veterans learn how to navigate the MyHealthyVet program.

“The VETOGA training experience changed my life! I have always been a fitness enthusiast but as I aged not so much. I was looking for something that I could do at my age and share with others in and above my age group, active aging adults like me! There are hundreds of us! I am a baby boomer and although I love a good solid impact workout my body does not. I was grateful my instructors at VETOGA developed a Simple Yoga Practice that I could bring back to my students, at the YMCA. I am grateful that I found VETOGA.”

Veteran Resources

The following resources are available from Veterans Affairs:

Veterans Crisis Line – If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-273-8255, then PRESS 1 or visit www.veteranscrisisline.net
For emergency mental health care, you can also go directly to your local VA medical center 24/7 regardless of your discharge status or enrollment in other VA health care.
Vet Centers – Discuss how you feel with other Veterans in these community-based counseling centers. 70% of Vet Center staff are Veterans. Call 1-877-927-8387 or find one near you.
VA Mental Health Services Guide – This guide will help you sign up and access mental health services.
MakeTheConnection.net – information, resources, and Veteran to Veteran videos for challenging life events and experiences with mental health issues.
RallyPoint – Talk to other Veterans online. Discuss: What are your feelings as the Taliban reclaim Afghanistan after 20 years of US involvement?
Download VA’s self-help apps – Tools to help deal with common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) – Request a Peer Mentor
VA Women Veterans Call Center – Call or text 1-855-829-6636 (M-F 8AM – 10PM & SAT 8AM – 6:30PM ET)
VA Caregiver Support Line – Call 1-855-260-3274 (M-F 8AM – 10PM & SAT 8AM – 5PM ET)
Together We Served – Find your battle buddies through unit pages
George W. Bush Institute – Need help or want to talk? Check In or call:1-630-522-4904 or email: checkin@veteranwellnessalliance.org
Elizabeth Dole Foundation Hidden Heroes – Join the Community
American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network – Peer Support and Mentoring
Student Veterans of America – Find a campus chapter to connect with.

GET HELP

Support All Our Programs!

Donate to VETOGA’s Mission

MAKE A DONATION

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The post VETOGA Newsletter September 2022 appeared first on VETOGA.

Letter from the CEO: Given recent events in Afghanistan

VEToga — Thu, 19 Aug 2021 03:20:14 +0000

VETOGA family,

I write to you tonight with great sadness and so many emotions that I don’t know what to do with since hearing about recent events in Afghanistan. These tragedies have brought up past and present anxieties, stress and emotions in many of our military, veteran, and their families. I personally had countless temporary duty travel (TDY’s) to dozens of regions in Afghanistan. I spent years working with the local Afghans on a daily basis and made many friends and relationships with so many of them. Today sadly, a lot of them and their families are being hunted down by the Taliban for working with the U.S. as you read this letter. And I fear the worst is yet to come. Please pray for the good people of Afghanistan.

I would also like you all to take a moment to realize that there is still evil in the world and innocent people are suffering. Our military and forces continue to fight the good fight to protect this great nation and our loved ones.

Remember… FREEDOM IS NOT FREE.

Please take time in your life in the next 24 hours to reach out to anyone you know that may be affected by these events. Just a simple “Hey, I’m thinking about you given the recent event… I’m here if you need me” will go further than you can ever know.

To my brother and sisters that served in this war with me:

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

It is okay that you are not feeling okay. It’s okay to feel sad, frustrated, and even angry. Take time for yourself over the next few days to reach out to your support system and make time to find a form of self-care like yoga, meditation, a walk, a ride, a hike… or whatever calms your mind.

If you need to talk to someone, call me directly any time of the day or night: (703) 628-7464.

Also please use the VA resources below if needed:

We are proud to all that served and continued server our great country and the sacrifices you have made.

Semper Fidelis,
Justin Blazejewski
CEO, VETOGA

Current Resources from the Veterans Administration (VA)

If you need help, PLEASE reach out for support. Here are some places you can seek help for a friend or for you.

From the VA: “Veterans from all eras are reacting to the events in Afghanistan. They may feel distressed about experiences they had during their service. The Department of Veterans Affairs wants you to know that it’s normal to feel this way and there are resources out there for you. They suggest talking with friends and family, talk to fellow Vets or maybe reach out to someone in mental health services.” Find support | VA homepage

The following resources are available from Veterans Affairs:

Veterans Crisis Line – If you are having thoughts of suicide, call 1-800-273-8255, then PRESS 1 or visit http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/. For emergency mental health care, you can also go directly to your local VA medical center 24/7 regardless of your discharge status or enrollment in other VA health care.
Vet Centers – Discuss how you feel with other Veterans in these community-based counseling centers. 70% of Vet Center staff are Veterans. Call 1-877-927-8387 or find one near you.
VA Mental Health Services Guide – This guide will help you sign up and access mental health services.
MakeTheConnection.net – information, resources, and Veteran to Veteran videos for challenging life events and experiences with mental health issues.
RallyPoint – Talk to other Veterans online. Discuss: What are your feelings as the Taliban reclaim Afghanistan after 20 years of US involvement?
Download VA’s self-help apps – Tools to help deal with common reactions like, stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) – Request a Peer Mentor
VA Women Veterans Call Center – Call or text 1-855-829-6636 (M-F 8AM – 10PM & SAT 8AM – 6:30PM ET)
VA Caregiver Support Line – Call 1-855-260-3274 (M-F 8AM – 10PM & SAT 8AM – 5PM ET)
Together We Served – Find your battle buddies through unit pages
George W. Bush Institute – Need help or want to talk? Check In or call:1-630-522-4904 or email: checkin@veteranwellnessalliance.org
Elizabeth Dole Foundation Hidden Heroes – Join the Community
American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network – Peer Support and Mentoring
Student Veterans of America – Find a campus chapter to connect with.

The post Letter from the CEO: Given recent events in Afghanistan appeared first on VETOGA.