Veteran helps other vets through yoga therapy

Students gathered Wednesday for a yoga class aimed at helping veterans and others cope with mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder.

The class is offered at Hot On Yoga and taught by a veteran, Jason Smiley. When Smiley got his teaching certificate for yoga, he wasn’t thrilled about the idea of teaching people who were solely focused on the physical aspect of the practice. He looked into therapeutic yoga and found a national program called Yoga For Veterans.

“Everyone can use yoga, that’s for sure, but there are so many veterans and their families that are in need of this kind of help at this point in time,” said Smiley.

Smiley collaborated with Hot On Yoga studio ownerMike Gumucio to create a class called “Mindful Resilience” focused on mental healing.

Smiley joined the Army right after high school and feels that being a veteran helps him connect with other veterans during yoga.

“I feel like it’s very easy for vets to connect with other vets and that’s part of the reason I want to be teaching these classes,” said Smiley.

Teaching the program has also benefited Smiley.

“I have some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder so I feel like this class really helped me and I believe that it has the capacity to help other people in the same way,” said Smiley.

RossFloershein first attended the class during a Veterans Day promotion that was offering free classes for active and former military.

“In the course of Friday through Sunday, I came five times and I felt better the rest of the week, so much better,” said Floershein.

Floershein served in Iraq in 2008 and 2009. When he returned, he suffered from anxiety attacks.

“Ever since that time I have had a sense that I wasn’t well, an overwhelming sense of sadness and ever since that time I have been trying to seek as many treatments as I can,” said Floershein.

Floershein has struggled to find the right treatment, but he thinks he may have found it in yoga therapy. He said it has potential to change his life.

“I know everyone says thank you to our troops but doing something like this really puts a face to it,” said Floershein.

Gumucio is happy to give back.

“We haven’t paid enough attention to our vets and I thought this was a great way to give them what they need,” said Gumucio.

The class is offered on Saturdays at Hot on Yoga at 5740 N Carefree Circle. The class is free to former and active military. Gumucio said they do ask for donations so they can expand the program.