When I first arrived in Ukraine, I was skeptical.
Could yoga really help people living through war? Could it bring any meaningful relief to soldiers, amputees, trauma survivors, and families facing the unthinkable?
What I witnessed shattered my doubts.
The transformation I saw in these women, soldiers, and refugees was undeniable. But I wanted more than just personal testimony—I wanted scientific evidence.
Does Yoga Really Heal Trauma? What Science Says About Yoga and Trauma Healing
For decades, Western science dismissed yoga as pseudoscience—but that’s changing.
A growing body of peer-reviewed research now confirms what practitioners have long known: yoga is a powerful tool for mental health, trauma recovery, and even neuroplasticity.
📖 Carl Jung, one of the greatest minds in psychology, recognized this as early as 1932, when he wrote:
💬 "Yoga is one of the greatest things the human mind has ever created."
Today, modern brain imaging backs up his intuition.
Scientific Studies on Yoga for PTSD and Mental Health:
🔹 Kundalini Yoga & Brain Function:
MRI scans show that Kundalini meditation significantly increases cerebral blood flow and cognitive function.
Kundalini techniques activate key areas of the brain, including the putamen, midbrain, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, and hippocampus—regions linked to emotion regulation and trauma processing.
🔹 Yoga vs. Medication for Depression:
A 2020 study found that yoga demonstrated greater effectiveness than antidepressants in treating depression—without the side effects.
Other research suggests that yoga is as effective as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for stress management and trauma recovery.
🔹 Yoga & PTSD Recovery:
A 2021 study found that trauma survivors practicing yoga showed significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, anxiety, and insomnia compared to control groups.
Another clinical trial reported that yoga enhanced resilience, stress regulation, and emotional processing in war veterans.
This isn’t New Age fluff—this is real science.
But what’s happening in Ukraine pushes these findings even further.
Ukraine’s Yogis Are Pioneering a New Approach to Trauma Healing
Most research on yoga for PTSD has focused on post-traumatic healing—meaning it helps people after the traumatic event.
🛑 But in Ukraine, yoga is being used in real-time, during active war, to help:
✔ Soldiers on the frontlines
✔ Amputees & those with traumatic brain injuries
✔ Survivors of war-related sexual violence
✔ Military families coping with ongoing loss
💡 This is groundbreaking.
The Ukrainian military has even integrated yoga into official rehabilitation protocols—a historic shift in how trauma is treated.
Why We Chose Not to Film Some of the Most Powerful Moments
Our film had limited access to Ukrainian military rehabilitation centers, where yoga is being used to help soldiers and civilians recover from unimaginable trauma.
But we made a conscious decision:
📵 We chose not to film individuals recovering from extreme trauma—rape survivors, amputees, and those suffering from severe war injuries.
Why?
Because this isn’t about spectacle.
It felt inappropriate and voyeuristic to capture these deeply personal healing journeys on film.
Their stories are sacred, and their healing matters more than our documentary.
How This Applies to All of Us
While these women create pockets of peace amid a literal war, their practices offer wisdom for our own daily battles:
🚀 Psychological warfare isn’t just on battlefields—it’s in our minds.
🚀 Yoga teaches us to breathe, to remain centered, and to build resilience before crisis strikes.
🚀 Healing doesn’t happen by retreating from life—it happens by engaging with it, with clarity and peace.
Does Yoga Really Heal Trauma? What Science Says...
The science is clear. The testimonies are real. The transformations I witnessed in Ukraine are undeniable.
So…
💡 Does yoga really heal trauma?
🔹 YES.
And in Ukraine, it’s saving lives.