Ukrainian soldiers They are laying out their yoga mats on the front lines of the Ukrainian war. At the command post 225th Separate Assault BrigadeTheir 37-year-old commander says yoga has changed his life. “Before the start of the total war, that is, in 2014, I was drafted into infantry operations and injured my spine. I started doing yoga regularly in 2016.All my problems have disappeared,” says the young commander. Yoga now helps him with his responsibilities in the war. “I always try to do asanas, nauli and pranayama, and recite the Hare Krishna Mahamantra. “It helps me better control my emotions and plan tasks related to my mission.”
In conflict-hit Ukraine, yoga is witnessing a rise in popularity for healthy living. to get better and healing. There are projects that will support Ukrainian yoga teachers and provide them with tools to cope with their problems. trauma And PTSD. Some special forces units, such as the Ukrainian army’s Falcon Force, even integrate yoga into their training.
‘Healthy Ukraine’ program, an initiative of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky This process, which started in 2021, gave yoga a serious acceleration. Active Parks, a project within the program, transformed public parks into weekend sports clubs where instructors give free lessons. “The response to yoga was overwhelming,” says Elena Siderska, who was responsible for the development of yoga in the project. “Active Parks now supports studios and clubs working with trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma. rehabilitation number of soldiers,” Siderska adds.

Siderska’s father, Andrii Siderskyi, a yoga doyen in Ukraine, says the Indian practice has long roots in his country. “In fact, people in Ukraine were introduced to yoga as far back as the 19th century. After World War II, Kiev, Odessa and Kharkiv became some of the main centers of yoga during the Soviet period,” Siderskyi says.
Today yoga has traveled around the world and returned to Ukraine. Yuliia Denisova works for the charity Fierce Calm. She practices yoga to help injured Ukrainian soldiers in four rehabilitation centers. “Yoga nidra and pranayama have had great benefits for combat veterans dealing with sleep disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and amputation-related difficulties,” confirms Denisova. Valeria Samborskaya, who runs a project to promote trauma-sensitive yoga for Ukraine, agrees. “We found that the affected soldiers were afraid to go near parks because they were injured in forest areas. front line. “But after a few sessions of yoga, especially pranayama, they can overcome their mental trauma,” she says. Denisova adds: “As a Ukrainian, I cannot thank India enough for giving to the world and preserving this wonderful ancient knowledge.”