Iyengar Yoga on a Military Base Diana Martinez

IYENGAR YOGA ON A MILITARY BASE

HOW ACTIVE DUTY SOLDIERS, VETERANS, AND RETIREES ARE TRANSFORMING THEIR FITNESS ROUTINES—AND THEIR LIVES

BY DIANA MARTINEZ

F

rom the beginning of my yoga studies, the sloka at the top of the next page has been ingrained in my memory. The remembrance of its truth has helped me overcome obstacles, both spiritual and practical, in my yoga path, and has helped me stay focused so that I might persevere to see the results of my passion for the art of yoga.

When I first began my journey as a yoga instructor in 1998, my classes were held at Fort Lee, Virginia, a military installation, teeming with soldiers and their immediate families. These first classes had an attendance of two students. I persevered through those humble days, refined my craft, and worked to foster a new community. Now I teach three classes per week with an average of 18 students per class. The classes are a mixed group: active duty soldiers, retirees, veterans, spouses, and civilians. Fort Lee is the home of the U.S. Army Quartermaster School, the U.S. Army Ordnance School, the U.S. Army Transportation School, and the Army Logistics University. Many of the soldiers stationed here don’t stay for long. Within this transient community, I have seen scores of my students depart Fort Lee, but many return to my yoga classes when they are restationed

at Fort Lee to further their military education. On Aug. 12, 2015, I had the great opportunity to teach about 1,100 soldiers as part of a Fitness Awareness week in conjunction with former Lakers’ basketball player, John Salley.

Preparing for Urdhva Hastasana: Diana Martinez teaches, and John Salley follows instructions.

“ Reshape yourself through the power of your will; never let yourself be degraded by self-will. The will is the only friend of the Self, and the will is the only enemy of the Self.” —The Bhagavad Gita, VI.5

As a result of this event, the interest and curiosity about yoga has increased so much that I now receive a great number of inquiries and requests to teach yoga classes as part of the physical training at Fort Lee. The experience has been more than rewarding. Many of the soldiers tell me that the class is challenging because they are using different muscles than they are used to in their standard training but that they feel great afterward. Some of them have even said that their aches and pains have diminished, helping them to focus on the other tasks they have to perform in their line of duty.

THE FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF THEIR STORIES:

Major Alexia N. Fields, Active Duty and Active Reserve “I have been practicing yoga since 2005 when I first came to Fort Lee, through two deployments and moving and returning to Fort Lee. I even met my husband in yoga class. I was able to practice yoga all the way leading up to and through the delivery of two full-term healthy children. I continue the practice at home with DVDs— a gift from my wonderful instructor, Diana, many years ago during my first pregnancy. When I cannot get to a class I use a DVD at least once a week. While I practice at home, my boys, ages 3 and 1, practice with me, so I am teaching them healthy habits that will last them a lifetime.

“Yoga, for me, was part of the journey of self-discovery. I always enjoyed exercising and I was searching for something to balance out the running that I was doing in the Army. Iyengar Yoga is where I found my niche because the strength training and poses were the right balance for my muscles and my body. My yoga practice has had long-lasting and long-reaching benefits to my Army Physical Fitness Test. My body is capable of so much more than I ever thought possible.

“My goal is to age gracefully and soundly in this body that I have been gifted, and Iyengar Yoga is part of my journey. For a good portion of my life I have practiced, and my goal is to continue to practice for the rest of my life. I continue to serve my nation as a soldier in part because of my continued yoga practice.”

Richard Nelson, Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer “My wife and I have been taking yoga classes for the past 12 months at Fort Lee. Multiple things brought me to yoga. The main one was to get more flexibility and help with some of my medical disabilities: back and knee issues. I also wanted to understand my mind and body through the use of yoga. Besides this, I wanted to offset my other exercise routines: road bicycling, walking, and working out on weight machines.

“Since I started taking classes, I have more energy and my joints do not bother me as much. I used to have a constant pain in my back, knees, and other joints around a pain scale of 7 (Scale 0–10). Now it is usually around 3 and mainly for my lower back as I have arthritis in my back and 2 degenerative discs.

“I have tried other disciplines of yoga, and the one thing I enjoy about Iyengar Yoga is the focus on proper positioning for all the poses and the variations if there are physical limitations. In some of the other yoga classes I have taken, the instructor tells us what we are supposed to do but doesn’t make sure we are in the correct position. I feel our Iyengar Yoga instructor wants to ensure that we get the most out of the practice, teaching why we do certain poses and being aware of what is happening physically and mentally.

“Since my wife and I have been taking yoga, it has helped us understand our bodies and what affects them. We have learned to control our minds when we have had a stressful day. Using what we have learned helps us relax, and we sleep a lot deeper.”

Lorna King, Army Veteran “Before I started Iyengar Yoga, I had been going to a chiropractor for over a year for my back issues (three herniated discs), and my back wasn’t getting any better. I endured various injuries when I was in the service that seem to get aggravated as I get older. Besides my back, I have a slipped shoulder; a torn meniscus; and arthritis on both knees, ankles, and elbow.

“In January 2014, I invited Diana Martinez to do a yoga demonstration at my program forum, and I instantly felt the difference in my lower back and shoulders. I decided to take Diana’s Iyengar Yoga class, and within three months, I was able to walk two miles without feeling pain in my lower back. I started to alternate walking and jogging. In November 2014, I ran the Wounded Warrior 8K run in Norfolk, Virginia!”

Sergeant Jeffrey Criswell, Active Duty “I first tried yoga in college before I joined the Army, and while I felt the benefits from it, I found it difficult to keep it up on a regular basis. Since I arrived at Fort Lee in April 2014, I have been taking classes with Diana. I originally wanted to try yoga because I saw it as a low-impact exercise routine that I could use to help recover between run days. I usually run three or four days a week, running an average of 30–40 miles per week, and I thought that the stretches in yoga would help me stay loose during off days as well as offer a workout that was gentler on

“ ... Little by little, through patience and repeated effort, the mind will become stilled in the Self.”—The Bhagavad Gita, VI.24

Soldiers follow instructions on Virabhadrasana II. In the background on the stage: Diana Martinez and John Salley.

my knees and hips. After just a few classes, I realized, on a day after a long run, that my body felt noticeably better if I was able to make it to a yoga class. Not only that, but it was also a great core workout, so I decided to try and make yoga a regular part of my weekly routine.

“I enjoy Iyengar Yoga much more than other types of yoga I have tried. Specifically, I think holding the poses promotes strength not only in the major muscle groups but also in the smaller, accessory muscles. Another aspect that I think yoga has helped me with is just a general awareness of the body and how to use proper form and alignment to get a better workout outside of class. During morning PT, especially during the preparation drill and recovery drill, I often remind myself of things I’ve learned in yoga class to help ensure that I’m doing a stretch properly. There are numerous similarities between many of the stretches and exercises we do in PT and several yoga poses. In contrast, I often see other soldiers having trouble with the stretches or claiming that they are difficult, and I can immediately see that their improper form is affecting their ability to do the exercise.

“One of the biggest benefits I find from Iyengar Yoga is the psychological benefits. During and after each class, we usually take time to spend a few minutes in silent reflection. This is a very peaceful and relaxing time that, on days I don’t go to class, I often don’t get. Being in the military can be a very stressful job, and it’s no secret that many soldiers have difficulty dealing with the level of stress. I think that if more soldiers took the opportunity to come to these free classes, they would easily feel the benefits of Iyengar Yoga in their lives.”

Major Alexia N. Fields “Yoga has been part of centering me through the storm. The military reminds you that the complete soldier package is to be whole spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Iyengar Yoga has helped me to stay spiritually and physically fit through multiple deployments— both my own and my husband’s— and through the uncertainty, stress, and strain of many challenging situations. There is nothing that has helped me more, other than my faith. Yoga has been a constant companion on this journey that is the military life.”

Diana Martinez (Intermediate Junior II) works at Fort Lee, VA, where she manages the Aquatics, Arts & Crafts, and Fitness programs. She teaches yoga at Fort Lee and in her home studio. She has also served as the IYASE Membership Chair and Co-Chair for the Maitri Conference. She is currently serving as the IYNAUS Membership Chair.