Alexis Quevedo/American Red Cross
For service members and military families, the weight of stress and anxiety can be a constant companion. Recognizing this, the American Red Cross is leaning into holistic wellness with a brand-new initiative designed to offer deep, restorative relief. At the heart of this program is a volunteer whose international journey and military roots made her the perfect person to bring the healing power of yoga to those who need it most.
Inès de Truchis began as a French gymnast and later attended real estate school. As a mother of three, she began weekly yoga sessions, which soon became her wellness space. In 2016, Inès and her family moved to the United States to pursue a business opportunity for her husband. Once the family settled, she decided to turn her passion into a profession, enrolling in a yoga teacher training program and earning her certification in February 2019. Since then, Inès has shared yoga techniques with a diverse range of students.
Her journey with the Red Cross began three years ago when she stepped up to bridge language gaps, helping connect and support families facing French-to-English language barriers. While volunteering, de Truchis mentioned her background as a yoga mentor and her experience teaching several classes at the U.S. Coast Guard Naval Base in San Pedro. Recognizing the value of her expertise, the Red Cross invited her to lead its newest initiative: Mindful Movement.
The Mindful Movement program blends meditation, gentle movement, stretching and breathwork to alleviate stress. The Red Cross launched the class with a specific mission: to help veterans, active-duty service members and their families manage stress and anxiety through conscious movement. de Truchis notes that these workshops offer students both physical and emotional relief.
“People usually walk away with new tools that help them improve their day-to-day lives,” de Truchis said.
As an instructor, de Truchis constantly adapts to the unique needs of her students. “Everyone and every session is different,” de Truchis said. Her top priority is meeting people exactly where they are, ensuring that every lesson can be modified for any skill level or physical ability.
“I would like them to put aside their stress and enjoy the present,” de Truchis shared. “When they leave, I hope they feel more relaxed and at peace.”
Caring for others has always been Inès’s core passion, and supporting the military community holds deeply personal meaning for her. Her husband was in the French Navy Reserve, and her husband’s great-grandfather, Louis Verdier Fauvety, commanded in the Second Lafayette Flying Corps, fighting side by side with American pilots to defend France. She also has a godson in the French Legion and a daughter who volunteers with the French Red Cross in Paris providing emergency response. This dedication to service is a family trait, and Inès takes pride in coming from a proud military family.
Today, de Truchis feels incredibly humbled and honored to share the stress-relieving power of conscious breathing and movement with those who serve.
To learn more about our Service to the Armed Forces support, 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.
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