Originally published: 2025-03-07T15:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.
Ten years ago, after recovering from shoulder surgery with the help of tai chi, Army Veteran Clayton Crosley found an unexpected calling that would impact hundreds of others at Ralph H. Johnson VA.
What began as a personal journey of healing transformed into a mission to help fellow Veterans find relief through the ancient practice of tai chi and Qigong, a perfect embodiment of the Whole Health approach that focuses on “what matters to you, not what is the matter with you.”
“I thought it might be good to share this with other people who’ve got shoulder issues or back issues. And that led me to become a volunteer at VA,” Crosley shared.
Crosley has now accumulated over 2,000 hours of volunteer service teaching at both the Hinesville and Savannah clinics. His classes are part of the VA’s comprehensive Whole Health program that offers Veterans complementary and integrative health services to support their personal health goals.
“They walk away feeling less stress.”
The impact of these classes extends far beyond physical improvement. “There’s kind of the physical improvement, maybe range of motion issue or maybe less pain reduction. And from a mental health standpoint they walk away feeling less stress, kind of relaxed,” he said.
For Veterans like Ron Cobb, who was among the first to join the class, the benefits have been transformative. “I could be in more pain if I didn’t do this exercise. The movement and all the breathing is helping me not only on Fridays but all through the week,” Cobb explained.
His experience demonstrates how Whole Health practices can become valuable tools for Veterans to manage their health between clinical visits.
Crosley incorporates both tai chi movements and Qigong, the latter of which is one of the three pillars of traditional Chinese medicine. He adapts the practices to meet Veterans where they are offering seated classes for those with balance and mobility issues.
Perhaps most significantly, the class has re-created something many Veterans miss after leaving service: a sense of community. “When you get out of service, you don’t have that kind of spirit of the group, esprit de corps. And I think that that kind of gets re-established when they’re kind of all pursuing that same common goal. But that goal happens to be to feel better and better, more wellness in their life,” Crosley said.
Crosley’s pitch to Veterans considering the class is simple: “What do you have to lose? I’ve never had anyone storm out because it actually works. And people walk away feeling physically better, mentally better.”
Through volunteer-led programs like Crosley’s tai chi classes, Ralph H. Johnson VA continues to expand its Whole Health approach, offering Veterans complementary practices that support their journey to better health, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Learn more about Whole Health.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.
