Yoga Professionals: Here’s What’s Going on at the VA
By Kristine Kaoverii Weber | April 14, 2023
In the U.S., when it comes to providing health care, the Veteran’s Administration (VA) is on the cutting edge. And there’s really good reason for them to be – 19 million American vets are under their care.
The VA has always been a leader in health care, and while they certainly have their share of problems, they tend to blaze the trails for the rest of the nation to follow. In 2018 they started a pilot Whole Health Care program at 18 sites – and the results were promising. They use coaching, well-being courses, and complementary modalities like yoga to implement health promotion, resilience building, and disease prevention. In fact, the VA’s Whole Health Care program has been so successful that they’re expanding it.
By contrast, the regular US healthcare system is an unsustainable, expensive, hot mess. The US population is increasingly and frighteningly unhealthy. We are aging – and not very well. Baby boomers are the largest growing demographic, but life expectancy in the U.S. is plummeting. Additionally, 90% of the $4+ trillion spent each year on health care is absorbed by the treatment of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease – which are often lifestyle related.
In February, the National Academies of Medicine released an important report calling for Whole Health Care, both within and outside of the VA. The report urges stakeholders to replicate and scale the VA’s system in order to implement whole health care across the country (exactly – pinch me, I must be dreaming). This report found that because the VA’s system is so promising, it should be scaled (you can read more about it here).
This is a herculean task.
But it’s also the future.
If you’re a yoga professional who wants to be involved in changing the health of the US population, you may wish to pay attention.
The first step the report suggests is making the VA’s program available nationwide at all the VAs. There’s a place at the table for yoga therapists and other yoga professionals. The VA has recognized yoga as an important piece of the Whole Health care puzzle. It is one of the evidence-based complementary and integrative health (CIH) approaches approved within the VA’s Whole Health System. But whether or not yoga is an integral part of your local VA is something you may want to look into.
My suggestion, if you are interested in what health care is going to look like in the future and how yoga is going to be a part of it, is that you start making contacts at your local VA. Start talking to people about what you do and how it could be integral to their vision for whole health, and about how you want to be involved in this initiative. Start educating your VA contacts about how what you do can help them to meet the goals of whole health care. Start brainstorming with them about how you can be involved.
Even better – do it as a community.
Reach out to other yoga professionals in your area who might be interested in this initiative. Who do you know that understands yoga as health promotion? And can teach yoga outside of the fitness box? Who do you know who understands how to adapt the practices appropriately, so they don’t hurt people? Who would you want to collaborate with for the good of your local vet community?
There is an opportunity here for yoga professionals to step up and be part of a real solution.
The report also recommends that the VA collaborate with the US Department of Health and Human Services to create a National Center for Whole Health Innovation (which would be under the National Institute of Health).
I can’t overemphasize how impactful this could be.
If the powers that be approve this move there will be all sorts of scrambling to make sure that various complementary therapies are represented and get funding. And I, for one, will be banging a drum to make sure that yoga is one of them. I’ll keep you posted on developments in future blogs. Please let me know your thoughts, particularly if you are already working at a VA.
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And we, in Asheville, are so fortunate to have one of the very best VA med centers in the country
yes, we certainly are!
I’ve been going to the Buffalo, NY VA for 20 years now. It was ok before covid. Now it trash all around. Release of information sent the wrong imaging to my ortho doc for a hip replacement I need 3 times. Hip xray instead of the mri. The doc dropped me. I had pre colon cancer that I caught early and got it lasered out. I asked Mt primary about yearly checkup for my colon. She said no. I mean , wtf.
Yeah, I understand that that the VA may seem nice to anybody not using it but in my experience, the VA is not good at all. The good parts that get publicized are not the average experience, an extremely small percentage of vets will ever get that opportunity. I’ve had friends nearly die due to malpractice during surgery, and I’ve had nothing but problems myself. Having exposure to burn pits and having had symptoms of it for years (which they denied back in the day until enough veterans got sick or died that they were forced to do something) that now should be guaranteed under the PACT Act, its extremely difficult and tediously stressful to receive any benefits or receive any care. I personally use a normal civilian doctor, out of my own pocket, and they far exceed anything I’ve ever gotten from the VA.
This article obviously not written by a veteran. Ask veterans what they think of overworked crappy “workers” and healthcare system! Yeah all of you want is a piece of the pie. My physical therapist gets $400 for 30 minutes of exercises l already knew. Pretty good $800.00 an hour. You better jump in, means a Porsche for you.
Dennis, I’ve worked with veterans for years. I’m aware that there needs to be massive improvements made in the VA but there are a lot of people that genuinely care and are doing their best to help in their positions. I’m not personally aware of yoga teachers making a fortune off the back of veterans. In fact, many are simply volunteers either through organizations or simply volunteering, by themselves. I taught yoga through one such organization for over 3 years. Several teachers, including myself, volunteered many, many hours of practices because we wanted to make a difference. Even if a teacher is actually paid a wage to lead a class, is that such a bad thing? We pay out of pocket for our training and education. Personally, I’m excited about what Kristine has explained. Veterans deserve so much more in healthcare than they are currently receiving. I’m so sorry things haven’t been easier for the veteran in America. It’s one of our country’s great shames.
Thank you for sharing your experience and for the great work you do Sheila.
thank you for sharing your experience and I’m sorry it has not been that positive.
Preach it, Brother, I am tired of hearing how wonderful the VA has been. I have had to invest in a medical dictionary and rely on Google to explain the testing and procedures so that I can ask pertinent question to understand my health needs.
I’m sorry you haven’t had a good experience.
Hello Kristine,
I teach four classes a week at our local VA to Veterans in a residential program. I have been here for five years now. It is a very rewarding practice for me, and I hope for the Vets. It took a lot of persuasion on my part, to convince the administration that yoga is beneficial. I love working with the Veterans! I am a volunteer. I wish my role would be recognized as worthy of a salary. Not really for the salary, but for the acknowledgment that what we do in yoga is integral to recovery and general well-being. Since the VA has to have a Whole Health program now, I feel they are satisfied just knowing someone is teaching yoga at the facility. I just remind myself that this is for the Veterans and that’s what’s important.
Best wishes.
Thank you for sharing Elizabeth, and thank you for doing such good work! Yes, I think we need to continue to professionalize what we do and help the powers that be understand that yoga is a powerfully healing tool deserving of professional compensation.
As AF Veterans, both my husband and I use our local VA. We had a grant program for a few years and I was able to go to yoga twice a week. Sadly we lost that. I’m hoping we get another program soon. In the meantime I practice at home and I am able to phone in twice a week for Yoga Nidra guided meditation. I think you get out of the VA what you put into it. We have never had bad care at the VA. We’ve been using our facility for 22years. Are they overworked, yes.
Thanks for sharing your experience Leslie. I can imagine that it can be very bureaucratic – nevertheless, I like to think that this initiative will help to reclaim programs like your yoga class, and I’m hopeful that similar programs will be added with this new initiative.
Yeah, I understand that that the VA may seem nice to anybody not using it but in my experience, the VA is not good at all. The good parts that get publicized are not the average experience, an extremely small percentage of vets will ever get that opportunity. I’ve had friends nearly die due to malpractice during surgery, and I’ve had nothing but problems myself. Having exposure to burn pits and having had symptoms of it for years (which they denied back in the day until enough veterans got sick or died that they were forced to do something) that now should be guaranteed under the PACT Act, its extremely difficult and tediously stressful to receive any benefits or receive any care. I personally use a normal civilian doctor, out of my own pocket, and they far exceed anything I’ve ever gotten from the VA.
Thank you for sharing your experience an I’m sorry it has been so terrible.
We’ve hit big walls here in Missouri (no surprise).
The only psychologists hired are there to disprove PTSD so no funds will be “wasted” on care.
Last I heard, yoga professionals could volunteer only.
I’m hoping things have changed recently, as I’d love to get back to work with vets.
woah, that’s shocking and awful. Like any institution, I suppose the potential for corruption is rampant. I hope they get some new leadership so things can change and I hope the Whole Health Care initiative helps facilitate that shift.
The V.A. has vastly improved.I have used Little Rock,North Little Rock and the Community Based Outreach Center in Mountain Home.I received back surgery at UAMS.Dedicated good people everywhere.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience Graham – glad it’s been largely positive.
Greetings , I am lead Yoga Teacher/Physical Therapist Asst for the Detroit VA Medical Center. My role in our Whole Health Dept is greatly valued.
that’s terrific Terri! Thank you for doing such great work!
I loved being able to utilize Video Yoga through the Birmingham, AL VA Clinic, I think it’s actually streamed from the Huntsville, VA clinic
The instructor is AUsome!
oh that’s great to hear! Glad that you can make use of the technology as well
The biggest issue I’ve encountered with the VA is the difficulty identifying and locating the services and personnel that you need. There should be more resources put toward guiding Vets through the system.
When I first enrolled with the VA 15 years ago, it was nearly impossible to accomplish anything. It may have been easier for the average person, but for a sick, confused and inexperienced disabled Vet, it was like being lost in a maze.
Then, several years later, with the help of my family, we found a knowledgeable VA rep who helped us navigate the VA and connected us to all the proper resources I needed all along. Everything has gone incredibly smoothly since then. The resources vets need are readily available. Keep pushing until you find the right person to help you find them.
Thanks for sharing your experience. It’s wonderful to know that you were able to find someone to help you navigate the system and get the support you need.
Positive trend toward whole health. Love it. Getting from idea and pilot to wide practice will take time — but every step counts.