Personal Stories of Peace: Monica Muller

Monica practising Viparita Virabhadrasana, or “Reversed Warrior Pose” on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Monica Muller… Op Yoga, 804 Sterling Avenue, Kingston

On a quiet road where the houses all face the wide St Lawrence River, Monica Muller has created a healing space for men and women who have experienced life-altering trauma. For most it has been the trauma of war.  For others it was an incident while performing their work; responding to a fire, a road accident, or an altercation in a Corrections facility.  Most of these ‘responders’ whether it be in a war zone, or in a work-related situation, have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—a form of Operational Stress Injury (OSI).

Sitting in meditation in one of Monica’s classes.

Monica Muller brings her vast training in Hatha Yoga, Mindful Meditation, Therapeutic Yoga, Trauma Sensitive Yoga and Meditation, and Reiki into the ongoing teaching at her Op Yoga studio.  There she creates a healing program and environment for injured minds and bodies.

Monica has retired from the Department of National Defence, and is both a military spouse and the daughter of a military father who served in WWll.  Her teaching programs of Mindful Yoga and Meditation have been experienced by those taking part in a research study with the Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston and Queen’s University. At healing retreats and support group meetings for those with Operational Stress Injuries, and for their families, help is provided with the Veterans Yoga Project program ‘Mindful Resilience for Trauma Recovery’.  Here Breath Work, Meditation, Mindful Movement, Yoga Nigra and the encouragement of an attitude of gratitude are all part of Monica’s treatment programs for the trauma-injured in her practice.

Monica (rear, far right) at the first Canadian Veterans Yoga Project Healing Retreat in 2015. (Click to enlarge)

During my quiet, sharing, learning visit with Monica Muller, I came to know and understand her dedication to the healing of Veterans, and all those men and women who have experienced traumas to their minds and bodies. I am grateful that there are teaching and treatment programs, grounded in tested therapies, that are reaching out from centres such as Op Yoga and from creative, caring, people like Monica Muller.

by Beth Pierce Robinson, Kingston, Ontario

Beth is the author of “Please Write” a memoir of her time as an Occupational Therapist during WWII – available from Borealis Press.

Monica Muller founded Op Yoga (Operation Yoga) in 2012, which is a registered Yoga Alliance business. Monica is a registered experienced Hatha Yoga Teacher specializing in a Trauma Sensitive Yoga and Meditation, specifically the Veterans Yoga Project (VYP) Mindful Resilience for Trauma Recovery program and Rehab Yoga for Injury Recovery. Monica is also a Reiki Master, Spiritual Healer and offers Reiki Training.

Monica teaches VYP Mindful Resilience for Trauma Recovery Teacher Training with Dr. Dan Libby, in Kingston, ON. As Director of Canadian Operations for VYP, Monica organizes Healing Retreats for Veterans, Military Members, First Responders and family members.