Finding Strength in Stillness: How Mindfulness Helps Us Carry the Weight

At The 90, we talk often about carrying the weight you cannot put down. For many of our veterans, service members, and community members, that weight isn’t just physical. It’s emotional. It’s spiritual. And for some, it’s chronic pain that lingers long after the uniform comes off.

A recent article from Harvard Health highlights an important truth: while pain is real and unavoidable, our relationship with it can be transformed through mindfulness meditation.

What the Research Says

According to Harvard Health, mindfulness meditation — particularly a practice known as the body scan — helps individuals manage pain by teaching them to observe it without judgment. Instead of fighting the discomfort or trying to push it away, the body scan encourages us to notice sensations in the body with curiosity and acceptance.

The practice is simple in theory, though not always easy: spend about 45 minutes moving your attention from your toes to your head, noticing what you feel without trying to change it. The surprising outcome? Pain may not disappear, but its grip on the mind and spirit begins to loosen.

Why This Matters for The 90

This message resonates deeply with what we do at The 90. We know that our community carries burdens — some visible, others invisible. Through The Forge Yoga and Fitness and programs like our Start Strong. Serve Strong. campaign, we emphasize not only physical strength, but also the mental resilience that comes from practices like mindfulness.

Yoga, breathwork, and meditation are not luxuries; they are tools for survival and growth. They help our veterans and families reconnect with their bodies, calm the nervous system, and reduce the stress and isolation that so often accompany pain.

Just as rucking teaches us to shoulder weight together, mindfulness teaches us to sit with discomfort, to name it, and to find peace in the midst of it.

Building a Culture of Healing

At The 90, we believe true wellness comes from addressing the whole person. Strength training builds muscle. Community builds belonging. And mindfulness builds the inner resilience to face pain, loss, and transition.

When we invite veterans, families, and neighbors into our space — whether it’s for a yoga class, a ruck, or a community event — we’re not just offering activity. We’re offering a way forward.

How You Can Join Us

• Try a class at The Forge and experience how yoga and mindfulness can transform your day.

• Support our programs so we can continue offering these tools at little to no cost for veterans.

• Practice mindfulness at home — even 10 minutes of quiet breathing or a body scan can help reset your mind and spirit.

Closing Thought

Pain may always be part of the human experience. But at The 90, we know it doesn’t have to define us. By combining movement, mindfulness, and community, we help our members carry their weight — and sometimes, even set it down.