Fishing: A Welcome Escape from PTSD

Fishing can offer a quiet, relaxed, comfortable way to get out in nature (and maybe back into some of your old routines) without encountering crowds of people, Michigan's Midland Daily News reports (scroll down the sidebar).

Aromatherapy, Yoga & PTSD

In addition to therapy and medications, there are numerous things people can do to help ease the symptoms from their PTSD. Learning to relax is vitally important, and two ways to help you relax are yoga and aromatherapy.

Over at the site SelfGrowth.com, certified aromatherapist Robin Barnette offers a few ideas on using aromatherapy to relax and reduce anxiety.

Smell has been said to be a tremendous gateway to memory and the right aromas really can help you get to a good place in your head. Check out here recommendations here.

How have aromatherapy, yoga or other techniques helped you? Feel free to share them in the comments.

Yoga Nidra and PTSD

Yoga Nidra has been shown to reduce anxiety, create higher quality sleep patterns, promote better physical and mental health, and help people gain control over their fear response. These are all essential tools for helping people learn to deal with their PTSD symptoms.

The Department of Defense has conducted research on Yoga Nidra through a program called iRest offered by the Integrative Restoration Institute, which offers a number of workshops and tutorials around the country. YogaTherapyWeb has an article about iRest here.

If you can't afford an iRest workshop or if you don't have the energy to travel, try the Fearless Nation PTSD Support virtual retreat in Second Life (pictured). There's no cost to participate, and you can do it from the safety and comfort of your home.

Yoga for PTSD: A primer for practioners

Yoga can be of tremendous help to many people with PTSD. It teaches relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and how to remain calm in a stressful world.

This article over at The Listening Blog lists presents a very good primer on how and why yoga can benefit PTSDers. It's primarily written for the yoga teacher, but if you're considering yoga yourself, this might be a good place to read up on its benefits.

PTSD & Sleep

Do you have trouble sleeping? Veteran Roy Smith does, thanks to his PTSD. But he has several tips on how to push away the nightmares and get a better night's sleep. Worth a read:

The Effects of PTSD on Sleep

Self-care: Garden soothes veterans' trauma

The BBC has news about a therapeutic garden which "has been designed with the needs of traumatized veterans in mind."

Glenn Taylor believes it will be of great benefit to traumatised veterans like himself.

"It's an amazing place for reflection and veterans receiving therapy need to reflect - it's part of the healing process,"  he says.

"It's so important when you're receiving treatment to have somewhere to take 20 or 30 minutes to ground yourself, think about what's happened during the day and calm down in a beautiful environment."

Read more: Garden soothes veterans' trauma