Alan Torres

Name: Alan Torres
City/State: Tampa, FL
Branch of Service: Army
Years of Service: 2014-2018
Last Rank Held: E5
Military Occupation: HIMARS Crewmember
Current Occupation: Founder & Lead Yoga Instructor, O.M. Yoga & Training
X: TBD
Instagram: @coachalantorres
Facebook: @Alan Torres

Alan outside of the military:

I’m a Registered Advanced Yoga Teacher and the founder of O.M. Yoga & Training, a mobile yoga and wellness instruction company serving the Tampa, FL area. When I’m not teaching or deepening my own practice, you’ll find me swinging kettlebells or diving into new areas of study. I’m all about living a balanced, mindful, and evolving lifestyle.

Alan on joining the IAVA Cavalry:

Growing up in a sports-oriented home, I struggled with what I now recognize as performance anxiety. Even when I excelled, I was consumed by the fear of falling short. I joined the Army to confront that fear head-on. But in the military, the pressure to stay mission-ready left little room to acknowledge mental health struggles without feeling like I was failing.

My time in service pushed me beyond my comfort zone and taught me valuable skills— but also reinforced a fear-driven mindset. At 23, I left the Army unprepared for civilian life. Without tools to process my experiences, I fell into avoidance and self-medication—habits that pulled me further from the life I wanted.

Yoga became my turning point. It gave me real, science-backed tools to manage anxiety and reconnect with myself—through mindfulness, movement, and nervous system regulation.

I’m joining IAVA to advocate for these tools and support other transitioning veterans. We all deserve access to practices that help us stay grounded, resilient, and mentally well.

How the military experience affected Alan’s personal growth:

My time in the military laid the foundation for who I am today— as a teacher, entrepreneur, husband, and leader. I learned what it means to be accountable, to lead from the front, to pay attention to the details, and to operate with integrity— even when no one’s watching. More than anything, I learned how deeply people from completely different walks of life can connect. That kind of connection along with those values have shaped who I am and how I move through the world. Whether I’m teaching a class, running my business, or showing up for my people, those lessons continue to guide me every single day.

IAVA’s policy priorities that are the most pressing:

I believe one of the most important IAVA policy priorities is advocating for alternative therapies for Post-9/11 veterans. One of my favorite quotes is, “Many sages, many opinions,” which speaks to the idea that every veteran’s path to healing is unique. Often, a combination of therapies is needed to manage the mental health challenges caused or intensified by military service and having access to diverse healing methods is essential for helping each individual veteran find what works best for them.

IAVA’s policy priorities with the strongest personal connection for Alan:

The alternative therapies policy. Teaching yoga, meditation, breathwork, and other nervous system-regulating practices to both civilians and veterans has become my life’s work. From my own experiences, I’ve seen how powerful these practices can be in transforming lives, and I’m committed to passing them on to others. I still rely on these practices everyday to manage life’s ups and downs and to find healing from within. It’s that personal experience that fuels my passion to help fellow veterans access the same healing tools for their own recovery.