Meet a Navy Spouse Who’s Making Military Life More Chill

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Doug Cooperman is a military spouse and father of two. His family has moved four times while his wife was an active-duty Naval medical officer. He began volunteering with the Red Cross at their duty station in Okinawa, Japan, coaching military families through Mindful Movement Workshops. “The purpose of what I hope to teach... is to help people start to develop a relationship with themselves and the byproduct of that is strength, flexibility, and mindfulness.”

Doug lunges forward and twists at the waist. His hands are in prayer pose. He wears loose-fitting clothing, barefoot in the grass. Behind him is a field and what looks like an out-of-focus farmhouse.

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It was over 15 years ago when Doug first tried yoga. He recalls meeting an older man with a long gray ponytail and handlebar moustache, carrying a yoga mat at a Gold’s Gym in Virginia. John, as it would turn out, was a 30-year Army veteran turned yoga instructor who over the next six months would help Doug crack the nut on yoga, helping Doug to get over his preconceived notions and bias of the exercises and elevate the practice to a lifestyle.

A Red Cross volunteer leads a group of uniformed service members and civilians through a movement in the Mindful Movement workshop. The group has their arms stretched above their heads.

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Mindful Movement, a 45-minute workshop, teaches practical skills and relaxation techniques to service members and their families. The portable workshop can be done in large groups and performed in a variety of settings without gear and equipment.

Doug, his wife and their two daughters take a photo beside the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Comfort. The ship is too large to fit in the frame, but a few mooring lines and a large anchor off the side of the ship can be seen.

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Doug, his wife and their two daughters take a photo beside the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship Comfort, one the largest floating trauma facilities in the world.

May 05, 2026

Doug Cooperman is a Navy spouse who’s helping to bring Mindful Movement workshops to U.S. military communities overseas and at home.

Doug Cooperman’s always been calm. It was an attitude he had to embrace working as a chef in a bustling New York City restaurant, and a skill he’s now teaching service members and their families, 30 years later.

Neither Doug nor his wife came from a military background. The career path presented itself after Doug’s wife completed a graduate program in Healthcare Administration with the U.S. Navy.

“Our intention was to do three years. And then the Navy kept offering better and better opportunities,” explained Doug.

They were given Spain as their second duty station and the attractive benefits like healthcare and free housing were too good for a young family with two kids to pass up. Doug quit his job and took care of their youngest daughter, five-months-old at the time. Life for the family was comfortable, but Doug struggled to make friends of his own.

“I didn't get invited to as many play dates as I might have if I was a female spouse,” he said. “As soon as I came into the room, the conversation would change. I think people felt a little more sheltered, even though I'm perfectly comfortable talking about breastfeeding. They were probably less comfortable talking about it with me around.”

Instead, he practiced yoga, something he learned 15 years ago from a 30-year-old Army veteran named John. The practice he says has helped make him more mindful, which in turn has helped him cope with the isolation that came with moving to new places and needing to make new friends. When his family arrived at their third duty station in Okinawa, Japan the American Red Cross offered Doug a platform to share his passion.

He was asked help develop and pilot Mindful Movement, a Red Cross workshop designed to teach practical relaxation and mindfulness techniques to members of the military and their families. The pilot was wildly successful and with the help of five other trainers on the island, Doug helped grow the workshop into a cornerstone in the Okinawa community. He hosted workshops for troops returning from deployment. The workshop was integrated into the Navy Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program (SARP). He even led workshops at 0500 to help the women’s Dragon Boat team stay competitive during competitions.

“They [military community members] love it. They really enjoy it. You know, one activity is laying with your back on the floor and your legs up on the wall, very simple movement, but a lot of people have not tried that. A lot of times with these young service members, they do this and they’re hemming and hawing when they do it. But then they do it and they’re like, oh, wow, I’ve never experienced that feeling before. And they kinda have these aha moments.”

Those “aha” moments are growing rapidly. With the help of dedicated trainers like Doug, Mindful Movement has spread beyond the Asia-Pacific region and onto U.S. military installations in Europe, Middle East and across the continental U.S.

“The purpose of what I hope to teach... is to help people start to develop a relationship with themselves and the byproduct of that is strength, flexibility, and mindfulness... Mindful Movement offers a way into that without it being called yoga cause some people shy away from yoga for different reasons...

“Yoga can be intimidating. People think it’s only for a certain type of person. But Mindful Movement strips all that away. No special clothes, no fancy equipment. Just breath, awareness and the willingness to show up.”

It all comes back to service for Doug.

“I wasn't able to work but I really enjoyed… [volunteering with the Red Cross] Service to the Armed Forces because I felt that it supported the work my wife did,” shared Doug. “It wasn't directly working with her, but it was still supporting the men and women, the active-duty and the families and the community as a whole, so I felt good that I was a part of something, that she was a part of. It was the first time I ever had that opportunity.”

The Red Cross is honored to celebrate Doug and his contributions this Military Appreciation Month and on Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

The Red Cross helps over 220,000 military families every year. To learn more about our work with military families or how you can get involved, visit redcross.org/saf.

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.