WRNMMC, Bethesda, Md.  –   Connie Sullivan sits cross-legged in a rehab unit at Walter Reed as she peers out with an expression of calm and alertness at the members of her yoga class. She guides the class through a series of instructions that are more like suggestions, often introducing the poses with “Maybe try to…,” demonstrating her training in trauma-sensitive yoga. Sullivan is also a licensed physical therapist, so she can attend to a class member who needs to make a physical adjustment. The atmosphere feels tranquil and respectful.

“I think the military community emphasizes ‘no pain, no gain” and ‘push through it,’” says Sullivan. “The philosophy of yoga is to listen to your body, pay attention to what it’s telling you, and don’t move in a way that’s going to hurt….Our classes are about coming back into your body,” she shared.

While yoga may be at odds with certain aspects of military life, it is endorsed on the Walter Reed website as a form of “mind-body medicine,” meaning that a well mind is central to the health of the body. Sullivan contributes to the mental and physical wellness of her students through her years of expertise and extensive training.

Sullivan has practiced yoga since she was a teenager and started teaching in 2009. She began teaching the military community around 2015 while volunteering at the USO and later became a volunteer at Walter Reed after connecting with Kathy Baird, who started the yoga program here in 2012. Sullivan states that yoga instructors of the hospital meet weekly to align their goals and discuss style so that they provide consistency for attending patients, caregivers, and staff members.

“When [class members] come to my course on Monday, they should have a similar experience, though not identical, to another instructor’s course on a Thursday,” states Sullivan. “We’re trying to be aware of what our language is, cognizant of people who may have emotional and social issues that go along with their physical rehab issues,” she explained.

Despite the challenging circumstances that class members have endured before joining her class, Sullivan says she is heartened to witness the transformation of some of her students. “It’s always gratifying at the end of class when somebody says, ‘Wow, I feel better!’,” remarks Sullivan.

Sullivan lightheartedly relates that her students once were so at ease during the “relaxation” portion of the class that everyone seemed to be sleeping, and she felt guilty having to wake them up. After a resounding applause, some class members told her they had never been so relaxed. Sullivan joked with them, “You guys were toast.”

Sullivan affirms that there is a positive relationship between the yoga instructors and the individuals at Walter Reed who attend their classes and happily notes that she and her fellow volunteers have always felt accepted.

Says Sullivan, “Everyone is welcoming of our service, and people are grateful….It’s been lovely to just be part of the community.”