Veteran Yoga, Fitness & Wellness Programs
Accessible, adaptable yoga, fitness, and wellness programming created with the veteran community in mind.
Satya Yoga offers dedicated programs for U.S. military veterans through yoga, strength training, cardiovascular fitness, breathing practices, relaxation, and community.
Military service can place significant demands on both the body and mind, and those demands don't necessarily disappear when service ends. Our programs are designed to support strength, mobility, balance, endurance, recovery, and overall well-being while giving every participant room to work in the way that is right for them.
You do not need to be flexible.
You do not need to already be in shape.
You do not need to know anything about yoga or fitness before you arrive.
You just need to show up.
No referral or membership in a veteran organization is required. Veterans may register directly through Satya Yoga.
Veterans Yoga
Dedicated veteran programs are offered exclusively for U.S. military veterans and are complimentary unless otherwise noted. Advance registration is required.
Movement. Breath. Strength. A little more ease.
This accessible yoga class gives veterans an opportunity to move, breathe, build strength and mobility, and slow things down for a while.
Classes may include yoga movement, mobility work, gentle strengthening, balance, breathing practices, stretching, and guided relaxation.
There is no expectation that everyone in the room will practice in the same way. Chairs, props, and adaptations are always available.
If getting onto the floor isn't comfortable, we work from a chair.
If an exercise or position doesn't work for your body, we find another way. If you haven't exercised in years, that's okay too.
No previous yoga experience is necessary.
A Regular Yoga Practice Can Support
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Mobility and flexibility
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• Balance and coordination
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• Functional strength
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• Joint health
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• Body awareness
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• Breathing
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• Relaxation
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• Rest and recovery
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Yoga gives us an opportunity to practice many of these skills in a supportive environment, so they are available to us when we need them in everyday life. There is no perfect pose and no need to keep up with anyone else in the room.
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Veteran Fitness Programs
Yoga is only one part of our veteran programming. Satya Yoga also offers small-group fitness opportunities designed specifically for veterans.
Cardio Kickboxing
A fun, accessible cardiovascular workout using boxing- and kickboxing-inspired movements. No fighting. No sparring. No getting punched.
Expect combinations, footwork, cardio intervals, and plenty of opportunities to work at your own pace.
Cardio Kickboxing helps develop cardiovascular fitness, coordination, agility, and endurance while offering a completely different way to get moving. No kickboxing experience is required.
Dates coming soon.
Strength Circuit Training
Strength matters at every age. Our Veteran Strength Circuit introduces practical resistance training in a small-group environment using exercises designed to improve strength, balance, mobility, and the ability to handle the physical demands of everyday life.
Exercises can be adapted for different abilities and experience levels. This is a great place to begin if it has been a while since you've picked up a weight, you're new to strength training, or traditional gym environments simply aren't your thing. No lifting experience is required.
Dates coming soon.
What Makes Veteran Programming Different?
Because the environment matters.
A veteran program shouldn't simply be a standard yoga or fitness class with the word Veteran added to the title.
People arrive with different physical histories, injuries, experiences, comfort levels, goals, and reasons for participating. Some of those differences are obvious. Many are not.
Satya Yoga's veteran programs are intentionally taught with choice built into the experience.
You are encouraged to work at your own pace, make decisions about what works for your body, and change or skip anything that doesn't.
There is no pressure to perform.
There is no expectation that everyone should move the same way. And you never need to explain why you are choosing another option.
The goal isn't to prove anything. The goal is to give you useful tools for strength, mobility, fitness, movement, recovery, and overall well-being.
Veteran-Focused Training & Experience
Satya Yoga owner Christine Harbison brings specialized education and experience in working with the military and veteran community, including an understanding that the effects of military service are not always visible.
Her approach considers the whole person, not simply an injury, limitation, or diagnosis, and creates space for each veteran to participate in a way that is appropriate for them.
Christine is a Warriors at Ease-trained teacher and New York State Ambassador for the organization, which is dedicated to bringing evidence-informed yoga and meditation practices to military and veteran communities.
Her professional background also includes:
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Certified Yoga Therapist (C-IAYT)
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E-RYT 500 Yoga Teacher
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ACE Certified Personal Trainer & Health Coach
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Orthopedic and Clinical Exercise specialization
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Adaptive Fitness
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Functional Training
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Corrective Exercise and Biomechanics
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Experience teaching yoga, fitness, relaxation, and wellness programming within the veteran community
That background influences everything from how exercises are selected to how instructions are given and how participants are encouraged to work with their own bodies.
Veterans Are Welcome Throughout Satya Yoga
Veteran-specific programs are only one way to participate at Satya Yoga.
Veterans and active-duty military members receive a 30% military discount on Satya Yoga classes and services, including opportunities to participate in our regular studio classes and to work individually through services such as Personal Training, Yoga Therapy, Private Yoga, and other wellness offerings.
You don't have to choose a veteran-specific program to be part of the Satya Yoga community.
Community Partnerships
Satya Yoga is proud to work with organizations serving the veteran community, including WNYHeroes, and to participate in community and grant-funded programs that help expand access to yoga, fitness, and wellness services.
These partnerships help us reach more veterans, but participation in Satya Yoga's veteran programming does not require a referral or connection to a partner organization.
Veterans are always welcome to contact or register directly with Satya Yoga.
Who Can Participate?
Satya Yoga's dedicated veteran programs are reserved for U.S. military veterans.
Programs are designed for a wide range of ages, abilities, injuries, and fitness levels unless a particular program states otherwise.
No previous yoga or fitness experience is required.
Complimentary Veteran Programming
Advance registration is required, and space may be limited.
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