Honoring National POW/MIA Recognition Day Through Yoga

Each year, on the third Friday of September, our nation pauses to observe National POW/MIA Recognition Day. It is a solemn moment of remembrance, dedicated to those who were taken as prisoners of war and to those who are still missing in action. For military families, this day is not an abstract gesture, it is a lived reminder of sacrifice, uncertainty, and the enduring hope for answers and homecomings.

While the silence of this day is heavy, it can also become a space for reflection, grounding, and collective healing. Yoga, with its ancient roots in mindfulness and resilience, offers us tools to honor the weight of this remembrance while holding space for peace.

The Weight of Absence

For the families of POWs and MIAs, absence is not just about physical presence, it is the lingering ache of not knowing, of waiting, of carrying stories untold. In yoga philosophy, we often speak of the "kleshas", the obstacles of the mind that bring suffering. Among them are fear, attachment, and clinging to certainty. National POW/MIA Recognition Day embodies all of these human struggles, reminding us that absence itself can be its own form of battle.

Yoga does not take that pain away, but it gives us practices to sit with discomfort, breathe through uncertainty, and honor what cannot always be explained or resolved.

Breath as Connection

On this day of remembrance, the breath can become a sacred ritual. In yoga, pranayama teaches us that every inhale and exhale is a thread connecting body, mind, and spirit. When we breathe deeply for those who cannot, we honor their endurance. When we exhale, we release some of the heaviness we carry in their name.

Consider practicing Box Breathing (4-4-4-4), a method often used by service members themselves. Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for four, hold for four. This cycle mirrors the discipline of military life and provides steadiness in the face of the unknown.

Stillness as Tribute

Yoga asks us to pause, to find stillness. For National POW/MIA Recognition Day, stillness can become a form of tribute. Taking time for meditation or simply sitting in silence for a few moments is a powerful way to honor the lives and sacrifices of those we remember.

A suggested practice: light a candle, sit in a comfortable seat, close your eyes, and repeat quietly in your mind, “We remember. We honor. We hope.” Allow this mantra to anchor you as you breathe.

Resilience in the Body

The black and white POW/MIA flag bears the words: “You Are Not Forgotten.” This phrase is not only a promise, it is an act of resilience. Yoga postures can help us embody that same resilience. Consider moving through strong, grounding poses like Mountain (Tadasana), Warrior II (Virabhadrasana II), and Tree Pose (Vrksasana). Each one asks us to root deeply, stand tall, and stay unwavering, even when balance is challenged.

Just as the families of POWs and MIAs hold steadfast through the years, our bodies can remind us of the strength we carry, even in moments of vulnerability.

Collective Practice, Collective Memory

Yoga is more than an individual practice; it is a community. National POW/MIA Recognition Day is a call for collective memory, for our entire nation to stand together and acknowledge those who cannot be here. Whether practicing alone in your living room or in a studio surrounded by others, know that your movement, breath, and silence ripple outward.

Dedicate your practice on this day to the families who wait, the heroes who sacrificed, and the ones still missing whose stories remain incomplete.

Closing Reflection

National POW/MIA Recognition Day is a reminder of endurance, love, and remembrance in the face of uncertainty. Through yoga, we honor those who have given everything by cultivating presence, resilience, and compassion in ourselves.

Let us use our mats not only for physical practice but also as spaces of remembrance, breathing deeply for those who cannot, standing strong for those who are still carried in memory, and creating stillness in honor of those who never came home.

You are not forgotten.