Page 129 - Total War on PTSD

cultivate and maintain your awareness as you continue through your day. A daily practice of as little as five minutes or more is beneficial.
Begin by taking a few deep breaths and soften and lower your gaze or close your eyes. As distractions come continue to gently bring your attention back to your Focus. As long as there are no emergency sirens blaring in the background, there is no need to acknowledge outside noises or your thoughts — let them come and go without engaging them.
Remember the whole point in meditation is not to stop the thoughts in the mind, but to notice the thoughts and without engaging them, let them pass through your mind. When you focus your mind on something, you are less likely to get caught in your thoughts. And when the mind does wander, which it will inevitably do, coming back to your Focus is a way to bring your mind back to the present and on your intention to meditate.
Benefits of a Yoga Practice
Multiple research projects have demonstrated the significant benefit of Yoga as an adjunct to treatment modalities to include substance abuse, anxiety, depression, and Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS). “Yoga treats the biology and psychology of an addict” (Frederick, 2012, P-8). Addicts and those suffering from stress, anxiety, and Post- Traumatic Stress Disorder have shown a low level of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), an inhibitory neurotransmitter calms the neuronal pathways in adults. “Yoga has been proven to increase the levels of GABA in participants” (Saeed, 2010). “Exercise may be efficacious in reducing depressive symptoms, but the poor quality of much of the evidence is of concern.” (Lawlor, 2001, P-767).
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