People who go through an injury, a serious illness or a traumatic event often discover that the body has been left behind. Even as medical treatment moves forward, it can be hard to trust the body again, to breathe deeply, to be part of a group. Today both the Ministry of Defense Rehabilitation Division and rehabilitation programs in Israeli hospitals integrate physical activity and movement alongside professional treatment.
In this article we explain what therapeutic yoga and therapeutic surfing are, what the state offers in this area to the wounded and to people coping with PTSD, and introduce two ventures operating at Alumot. We want to say up front: we are not treatment professionals. This article describes the field and the ventures, and is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment.
What is PTSD?
According to the Kol Zchut website, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) develops in people who have been exposed to a difficult event or a series of difficult events, such as combat, a terror attack, an accident or an assault. It can appear soon after the event or a long time later, and can show itself, among other things, in anxiety, difficulty concentrating, outbursts of anger and sleep problems.
Kol Zchut also notes that in many cases people do not connect their symptoms to the trauma they went through. Anyone who recognizes this kind of difficulty in themselves or in someone close to them should turn to a professional. PTSD treatment is provided by professionals, and activities such as yoga and surfing are complementary tools that work alongside it, not instead of it.
What is therapeutic yoga?
Therapeutic yoga is yoga practice adapted for people in recovery and rehabilitation. It has no single official definition, so here we will use the description of a venture that has been doing this in Israeli hospitals for more than a decade.
AnuYoga: therapeutic yoga in the Iyengar method
AnuYoga brings therapeutic Iyengar yoga to medical and community rehabilitation settings in Israel. The venture was founded by Shai Kaplan, and in 2012 the first rehabilitative yoga department in Israel was established at Reuth Rehabilitation Hospital.
AnuYoga stresses that its work is not classic yoga for fitness or relaxation, but a clinically adapted method. According to the venture, the method combines:
- Precise practice sequences, built around each patient's condition.
- Specialized props, which make practice possible even when the body is limited.
- A trauma-informed approach, which takes into account the experience of someone who has been through a difficult event.
The venture works at the Reuth rehabilitation center in Tel Aviv, Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem and Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva, and, through the Carmel Project, in community rehabilitation settings as well. It accompanies patients with orthopedic, neurological and oncological conditions, along with people coping with PTSD, wounded soldiers, survivors of captivity, bereaved families, medical teams and communities affected by October 7 and the war.
According to the venture, after a missile strike damaged the rehabilitation wards at Soroka, AnuYoga maintained continuity of practice for patients who were transferred to Reuth. According to the hospital program figures the venture publishes, 75% of patients reported significant physical improvement, 72% reported emotional improvement, and 92% expressed overall satisfaction. Alongside its direct work, AnuYoga trains teachers to work safely in a rehabilitation setting and leads evaluation research and outcome measurement. The venture has 15 to 20 regular volunteers.
What is therapeutic surfing?
Therapeutic surfing, as described by the venture we introduce here, combines surfing as a group activity with professional support and therapeutic tools. The Ministry of Defense Rehabilitation Division also lists surfing among the services it runs: in a 2024 update it describes groups to improve communication between the wounded and their children, which combine, among other things, surfing, sailing, music and outdoor challenges.
Heroes on Waves: surfing and support for combat veterans
Heroes on Waves is a social venture that helps combat veterans coping with PTSD following their military service and combat. The venture combines surfing as an empowering group activity with professional support and therapeutic tools.
Participants connect with a supportive community of volunteers and professionals, and receive personal and group support. The venture defines its goal this way: to give these fighters back the confidence, calm and strength to live full, meaningful lives. Activities take place at the Galim Surf Club in Beit Yanai and in Neurim, and the venture has 6 regular volunteers.
What does the state offer?
People injured during military service, reserve duty or service in the security forces can turn to the Ministry of Defense Rehabilitation Division. According to information published by the division and by Kol Zchut:
- Complementary medicine package: from January 2, 2026, people whose PTSD, psychological injury or head injury has been recognized, and who have been assigned a disability rating of at least 20% (or 10% if the injury was recognized before December 31, 1995), can use an annual package worth NIS 6,600 through the Shikum.Me app. The list of activities in the app also includes yoga, mindfulness and water sports.
- Rehabilitation farms: the Rehabilitation Division runs farms for coping with PTSD, and some of them include body and mind workshops, among them yoga and mindfulness. Joining is through your personal contact person or the social worker in your district.
- The Combat Stress Reaction Unit in the Rehabilitation Division provides trauma assessment and treatment free of charge, with no requirement of a recognized disability and no limit on how much time has passed since the combat event.
- The "Nefesh Achat" support line, at *8944, operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for IDF veterans with disabilities, people who have applied for recognition, discharged soldiers coping with difficulties as a result of their service, and family members. Support is given by professionals and volunteers from the nonprofit NATAL, free of charge, and can also be anonymous.
People injured in hostile action (terror attacks) can turn to the National Insurance Institute. According to Kol Zchut, the National Insurance Institute runs, together with NATAL, a support line for victims of hostile action who are coping with PTSD, at 1800363363, extension 2.
Who is it suitable for?
There is no single answer, and the decision should be made together with your treating professional. What we can say is who these ventures actually meet:
- AnuYoga meets patients in hospital and community settings: the wounded, patients after injuries and illnesses, survivors of captivity, bereaved families, evacuees and medical teams.
- Heroes on Waves works with combat veterans coping with PTSD following their service and combat.
If you are unsure, ask your care team whether an activity like this is right for you, and at what stage. It is also worth remembering that family members are sometimes entitled to support of their own. We wrote about community and personal coping after the war in our article Emotional resilience after October 7.
How is Alumot connected?
AnuYoga and Heroes on Waves operate within Alumot, the home for social startups. Since 2012, more than 60 ventures have been founded at Alumot across the country, and each of them receives full organizational, financial and legal support, with no need to set up a nonprofit. This lets the entrepreneurs focus on working with people, not on bureaucracy.
Ventures in rehabilitation and resilience need to show what they achieve, both to partners in the health system and to donors. We wrote about how to do that without promising more than is possible in our article on measuring impact. And if you know of other tools that combine movement, nature or animals, you may also be interested in our article on dog-assisted therapy.
Frequently asked questions
Does therapeutic yoga replace PTSD treatment?
No. Therapeutic yoga is a complementary tool that works alongside professional treatment. AnuYoga, for example, works inside hospitals and rehabilitation settings, alongside the care teams. Any decision about treatment should be made with a professional.
Do you need to know how to surf to take part in therapeutic surfing?
The Heroes on Waves page does not list participation requirements. Surfing in the venture is a group activity combined with professional support. For details about taking part, it is best to contact the venture directly through its page on our site.
What is the difference between regular yoga and therapeutic yoga?
Regular yoga is usually aimed at fitness, flexibility or relaxation. Therapeutic yoga is adapted to a person in a recovery process. At AnuYoga, the adaptation includes precise practice sequences, specialized props and a trauma-informed approach.
Does the Rehabilitation Division fund yoga?
Yoga appears in the list of activities in the Rehabilitation Division's Shikum.Me app, through which the complementary medicine package is used by those who meet the eligibility criteria. It is worth checking your personal eligibility with the division.
How can I support these ventures?
You can donate or volunteer. The ventures operate within Alumot, and donations to them are tax-deductible under Section 46.
Want to get to know the ventures up close? AnuYoga and Heroes on Waves, or all of Alumot's ventures.
The information in this article is general, updated for 2026, and is not a substitute for professional advice or treatment. Anyone coping with difficulty following service in the security forces, as well as their family members, can call the "Nefesh Achat" line at any hour at *8944.