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Matthew Sanford once led an ordinary life in a loving family. But at age thirteen, he was involved in a devastating car crash that took the lives of his father and sister, and left him paralyzed from the chest down. Advice from his doctors to "forget his lower body," however, was what really crippled Matthew, leading him to ignore his once-athletic body, until he discovered yoga at age twenty-five and the power of the mind-body connection. Now aged forty-two, Matthew has become a nationally recognized yoga teacher, author, and renowned expert in mind-body integration who has inspired and enhanced the lives of thousands, perhaps most notably through his pioneering work to transform our approach to rehabilitation. His inspirational story proves that a mind-body approach to trauma, loss, and disability enhances the quality of life.

In 2001, Matthew founded Mind Body Solutions, a non-profit dedicated to helping people transform trauma and loss into hope and potential by connecting their mind and body. “I want the world to know that healing is possible, even when curing is not,” says Matthew. “We all experience life and death, trauma, and loss. Mind Body Solutions helps people see how a mind-body relationship creates an inner capacity for survival, grace, and acceptance, no matter the circumstance. Healing can occur in unexpected ways.”

Matthew has been teaching an adaptive yoga class for over ten years at a leading rehabilitation facility. With dozens of people on a waiting list, the demand for his breakthrough mind-body approach to rehabilitation far exceeds supply. His vision is to expand the adaptive yoga offerings nationally and to transform the rehabilitation process through training programs, seminars, and workshops. As Matthew says, “There are literally thousands of people going through rehabilitation whose quality of life can be improved.”

Author, teacher, and public speaker, Matthew Sanford has taken a life marked by loss and trauma and transformed it into one of meaning and purpose. Whether helping returning veterans deal with physical disabilities and post-traumatic stress, or leading workshops for rehabilitation professionals, Matthew has used his intimate knowledge of recovery to help countless others attain a new sense of wholeness in mind and body.

To learn more about Matthew Sanford and his cause, and how you can make a difference, please visit: www.mindbodysolutions.org.

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