A stretch of faith
Finding relief, vet goes from yoga student to teacher
JOHN Neib was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force in 1972, at just 22 years old, and decades later he still could not find peace of mind.
“I had anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks and anger issues,” says Neib, who served twice in Vietnam and today resides in Rocky Hill, Conn.
Later diagnosed with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder and Type 2 diabetes, Neib went on to work for the United States Postal Service for 34 years, but found himself resorting to selfdestructive methods of coping.
“The way I coped was with drinking,” says Neib, who entered into drugandalcohol treatment where he took part in groupcounseling sessions.
A psychiatrist suggested that Neib try a yoga class in Connecticut, a program being offered through Mindful Yoga Therapy for Veterans. The nonprofit group takes the ancient, healing practice to veterans in therapeutic settings.
“I thought maybe this might work. The class was offered for 12 weeks, and I never missed one,” says Neib.
Neib’s first insight into yoga’s healing was when he experienced “nidra” or “yogic sleep.” This deep state of relaxation can occur during meditation.
“I don’t normally get any sleep,” says Neib. “I average four hours a night. The first time I did [it], the guy next to me said, ‘Wow, one of us was snoring.’ I was just amazed at how relaxed I was. Now I get the rest and benefits of sleep without sleeping.”
Another unexpected benefit of yoga has been the community.
“The teachers there are so dedicated to yoga. It’s a blessing to be a part of that community. We’re family. Everyone wants everyone to get better. It’s a wonderful, healing atmosphere,” says Neib.
Having gained so much from the weekly yoga sessions, Neib was granted a year’s worth of un limited yoga classes at Newington Yoga Center studio in Newington, Conn., run by Mindful Yoga Therapy founder Suzanne Manafort.
A yoga teacher for 13 years, Manafort volunteered at a Veterans Affairs hospital in a rehab program for vets with PTSD when she developed the idea for her innovative yoga therapy.
“I realized that we needed to tailor the practices of yoga toward soothing the nervous system for those with PTSD,” says Manafort. In Mindful Yoga Therapy, “asanas, or poses, are tailored to soothe, not invigorate. Yoga nidra, meditation and the practice of gratitude are incorporated. We talk with vets about accessing something in their lives they’re grateful for. Acknowledging something once a day changes how you think about things. The positive aspects of life start to come to the fore.”
To date, Manafort’s organization has distributed its Mindful Therapy Yoga Practice Guide to 47 VA centers nationwide and she estimates that it’s reached 17,000 veterans.
Through funding from private donors, the organization has also awarded scholarships for hundreds of veterans to train to become yoga teachers themselves. Manafort also generously extended Neib the opportunity to participate in one, which he readily accepted.
While his teacher training was harder than he imagined, today Neib says he’s excited about passing yoga’s benefits on to other vets. Each morning he takes an Ashtanga yoga class and teaches as the opportunities come.
This month, Neib plans to achieve special certification to teach yoga to paraplegics and amputees. Next January, he’ll also assist in a teachertraining program at Manafort’s studio in which other veterans are slated to take part.
“I’m sensitive to people who have experienced trauma. I try to impart that yoga is personal and can be a doorway to peace through meditation. It’s a discipline,” says Neib. “Yoga isn’t for everyone, but it can change your life if you give it a chance.”