Veterans at Ease | Inside Manhattan College

As a student veteran at Manhattan College, you will be invited to join our Veterans at Ease Program which aims to:

Help you successfully transition from the military to civilian/academic life
Provide you with the avenues to bond with other student veterans on campus
Facilitate your ability to better manage stress

As part of the program, you will be invited to participate in an adapted section of The Nature and Experience of Religion (RELS 161)— a course required of all Manhattan College students — which serves as an academic introduction to religion and to some of the different ways religion is experienced in human history. This specific section of the course includes an introduction to yogic theories of mind and to the value of meditation, yoga, and other stress reduction techniques.

Healing Power of Yoga

Veterans affected by combat-stress, PTSD, and trauma discover the healing power of yoga and meditation through Manhattan College religious studies course which includes a trip to Paradise Island in the Bahamas.

The course includes opportunity to participate in a free four-day stress reduction retreat at a relaxing location. The stress-reduction component provides a variety of techniques to facilitate the transition from sympathetic (fight or flight) responses to parasympathetic (relaxation) responses. In other words, you will learn techniques designed to help you manage stress and improve sleeping patterns.

You will have an opportunity to bond with others who know what you have been through. Since the program was established in 2015, many of our student veterans have found this to be a life-changing experience.

I experienced perhaps one of the greatest times of my life...I suffer from PTSD and the training and techniques I learned have helped me manage my anxiety levels. The breathing techniques are a must for every student to learn. I strongly believe they can help during stressful times such as midterms and finals. In addition, I believe each and every veteran strengthened their relationship with each other.

Veterans at Ease participant

Watch a Video About How Yoga Helps Veteran Students Succeed in Civilian Life

Watch a video from Spectrum News NY1 featuring Manhattan College veteran students who participate in the Veterans at Ease program.

NAVPA image. SVA image.

An approved chapter of Student Veterans of America.