Veterans Yoga Project marks 15 years with D.C. celebration

By AI, Created 5:35 PM UTC, May 22, 2026, /AGP/ – Veterans Yoga Project will celebrate its 15th anniversary in Washington, D.C., on June 26-27 with veteran speakers and a community yoga event. The nonprofit says its free classes are helping veterans and families manage pain, stress and trauma as demand for services continues to grow.

Why it matters: - Veterans Yoga Project is trying to fill a care gap for veterans and families who still face barriers to mental health support and wellness services. - The nonprofit’s free classes cover meditation, chair yoga, power yoga and Yoga Nidra, a practice often used to help people with PTSD calm the mind enough to sleep. - Veterans Yoga Project says the program is also serving military families through Blue Star Families sessions aimed at compassion fatigue and burnout. - The organization points to veteran suicide rates averaging 17.5 per day as part of the broader crisis it is trying to address. - In 2025, attendees logged more than 42,000 sessions with Veterans Yoga Project, up 27% from the year before. - In self-reported results from those sessions, 74% of participants reported decreased or neutral pain and 86% reported decreased or neutral stress.

What happened: - Veterans Yoga Project will mark its 15th anniversary with a two-day celebration in Washington, D.C., on June 26 and June 27, 2026. - Ceasar Barajas, Winston Cortez Ward and another veteran will share their stories during the June 26 Skyline Social reception at the Beveridge and Diamond building rooftop. - Barajas and Ward will also lead yoga during a free community practice on June 27 at The Global War on Terrorism Memorial Site on the National Mall. - The June 27 event is free and open to the public.

The details: - Ceasar Barajas, 50, is a former Navy hospital corpsman who started yoga in college and says the practice helped him work through abuse, anger, anxiety and depression. - Barajas said Veterans Yoga Project deepened his connection to meditation, breath and movement practices that supported his mental health. - Winston Cortez Ward, 40, served eight years in the Army and injured his back before deployment to Iraq, which left him with guilt over missing Operation Iraqi Freedom. - Ward now teaches yoga, runs a nonprofit focused on mobility, and uses breathing and other yoga techniques to manage pain. - Bill Pratt, 83, served three years in the Air Force during the Cuban Missile Crisis and says yoga has improved his mobility, blood pressure, A1C and cholesterol. - Pratt said a Medicare home-check doctor told him, “Keep doing the yoga.” - Veterans Yoga Project has served active-duty service members, veterans, reservists and their families for 15 years.

Between the lines: - The anniversary event doubles as a public showcase for a model built around peer storytelling and community practice. - The veteran testimonials suggest the program is being used for both mental health support and physical rehabilitation, not just recreation. - The Department of Veterans Affairs has partnered with Veterans Yoga Project to expand yoga services, signaling institutional recognition of the approach. - The nonprofit’s growth in participation and reported outcomes suggests demand is rising for lower-barrier wellness options.

What’s next: - Veterans Yoga Project is directing questions about the anniversary celebration or community yoga event to vyp15@veteransyogaproject.org. - Media requests to reach the June 26 speakers should go to vypmarketing@veteransyogaproject.org. - The June 26 reception and June 27 community yoga practice will be the centerpiece of the 15th anniversary celebration.

The bottom line: - Veterans Yoga Project is using its anniversary to highlight a simple message: veteran-centered wellness programs can help people manage pain, stress and trauma while building community.