(NAPSI)—To help veterans, active-duty members of the military and their families better cope with stress and trauma, the American Red Cross created a new set of workshops teaching easy-to-use skills that promote wellness through mind-body connection.
What They Do
These Mind-Body Workshops focus on the powerful ways in which emotional, mental, social and spiritual factors can directly affect health.
The first workshop, Using Mind-Body Skills for Performance, helps participants explore the use of breathing, mindfulness techniques, stretching, movement and guided imagery to aid healing.
The second workshop, Using Mind-Body Skills, guides participants through using mind-body techniques for personal growth and healing through drawing, journaling, meditation, mindfulness, body scan, progressive muscle relaxation and self-directed imagery.
Expert Opinions
“The Red Cross Mind-Body Workshops will afford service members, veterans and their families an opportunity to learn practical relaxation techniques to improve their emotional, mental, social and spiritual well-being,” said Alison M. Whitehead, MPH, RYT, PMP, VHA Office of Patient Centered Care and Cultural Transformation.
The workshops are part of the organization’s well-established resiliency program, which also includes Reconnection Workshops and Psychological First Aid courses. The extensive Red Cross presence in communities and on military installations around the world allows easy access to the new program for members of the military and veterans.
“There is no magic formula for healing both the visible and invisible injuries caused by the challenges of a military lifestyle, and that’s why the Red Cross is excited to work with the Bob Woodruff Foundation to create this complementary and integrative program,” added Koby Langley, Senior Vice President for Service to the Armed Forces at the Red Cross.
“The Bob Woodruff foundation supports programs that promote a holistic approach to healing for those recovering from the hidden wounds of war,” explained Anne Marie Dougherty, the executive director.
How To Learn More
For further information about the Mind-Body Workshops, go to www.redcross.org/mindbodyworkshops. The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. It’s a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. To discover how you can help, visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org.