Community Corner

Helping Veterans Find Hope and Healing

Edwards Church and Plymouth Church have partnered together to offer active military and veterans a free yoga class every Monday evening.

Yoga is a popular exercise that increases flexibility, balance and overall strength. But Debbie Clark, the pastor at Edwards Church, recognized it’s healing powers with army veterans and active duty military.

“A couple years ago, Edwards Church and Plymouth Church joined together to find a way to reach out to veterans. We came upon research that indicated yoga is extremely helpful for folks with PTSD or any other type of stress,” Clark said. After pairing with Boston-based organization “Here and Back Again” to provide training to yoga instructors.

“Our instructors have been trained to be aware of military culture and their particular issues,” Clark said.

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Edwards Church in collaboration with Plymouth Church has been putting on a yoga class for military members since November of 2011. The class is completely free. “We initially started it with a grant to help pay for the training for teachers,” she said. From there, Clark said the instructors donate their time and Edwards Church donates their space to provide the service.

“The feedback from veterans is that it’s a great class, and it’s very helpful both physically and emotionally,” Clark said. “It also provides a feeling of a sense of balance and connectedness and feeling cared about and supported.”

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Clark said the class is open to all ages. One participant, Clark said, is a veteran from World War II who experienced trauma in one particular battle when he lost a lot of his friends. “Ever since then,” Clark said, “he said he struggled to sleep. That was more than 60 years ago. I thought if we can offer him something that helps him and others from any other time frame find some sense of peace, that’s really important.”

Clark also said the yoga instructors moderate the exercise based on level of physical activity, and an assistant yoga instructor is on hand to help people with varying level of physicality.

“One of the things we stress is yoga has a component of strengthening and learning about how to honor your body,” she said. 

“The World War II veteran experienced trauma, whereas other veterans may not have that dramatic experience, but at whatever level, we want to honor their service,” Clark said. “It is about healing and wholeness.”

The free yoga class is held every Monday at the Edwards Hall of Edwards Church from 6:15-7:15, and it is co-sponsored by the Edwards Church and the Plymouth Church. For more information, call 508-877-2050 or email pastor@edwardschurch.org. 


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