Warrior pose: Sierra Leone's soldiers heal trauma with yoga

Regular sessions to help troops deal with trauma left over from the deadly outbreak

Published: November 05, 2019 15:51 Compiled by Nathaniel Lacsina, Digital Content Producer

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Soldiers with the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF) participate in a weekly yoga training at the country's military headquarters in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Image Credit: Reuters

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Sergent Felixon Musa, head yoga teacher leads a group of 100 Sierra Leonean soldiers through a yoga routine he thinks is as important as any arms drill. Image Credit: Reuters

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He learned the moves from a yoga teacher who died in West Africa’s Ebola epidemic in 2014. Image Credit: Reuters

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Determined to keep his teacher’s skills alive, he persuaded his superiors in the army to hold regular training sessions to help troops deal with trauma left over from the deadly outbreak, and from other disasters, including the 1991-2002 civil war. Image Credit: Reuters

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“Yoga is not about the past, but about living in the present moment,” Musa said. “You have to leave everything on the mat. Ebola, the war, all those things have passed, and through yoga we are learning to let them go.” Image Credit: Reuters

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Among the trainers at the Freetown army yoga session is Lance Corporal Michael Kargbo who first joined in 2014 to try and cope with his past as a child soldier. Image Credit: Reuters

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Rebels kidnapped him when he was 12 and forced him to fight in the civil war - a conflict that killed 50,000 people and left lasting wounds on the nation’s psyche. Image Credit: Reuters

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“I was with them until I had grown big,” Kargbo said. “I continued to fight with them, building up trauma, killing innocent people.” Image Credit: Reuters

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After the war, Kargbo tried to move on, joined the regular army and took up boxing - but the memories kept haunting him until, he says, he tried yoga. Image Credit: Reuters

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“It’s taken me from a trauma-filled person to someone who isn’t bothered by his trauma anymore - a real somebody.” Image Credit: Reuters

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Next year, Musa is planning to roll out the yoga program to emergency responders and hospital workers. Image Credit: Reuters

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