Whole Health Stories: Veterans and Employees Speak

Ernie Renkert never expected the trajectory of his life to shift because of a casual conversation in the hallway at his VA facility. Yet, that’s exactly how Ernie’s transformation began—when another Veteran mentioned Whole Health and suggested he try yoga. At first, Ernie found the idea laughable. “When you’re a Veteran, you judge things as hippie ho-ha,” Ernie often tells others. “We’re taught to sacrifice, not worry about ourselves, and to drive on through the pain. Whole Health goes against everything we learned. It’s a totally different way of thinking.”
 

Despite his hesitation, Ernie decided to show up. Ernie attended his first yoga class. Ernie then 
enrolled in Pain University. Ernie participated in mindfulness sessions with Kendra. One step at a time, Ernie explored practices that initially felt foreign—even uncomfortable.
 

What surprised Ernie wasn’t how unfamiliar everything seemed, but how much sense it all started to make as he continued. Over time, Ernie found himself drawn deeper into mindfulness, traditional acupuncture, tai chi, Healing Touch, biofeedback, aromatherapy, and health coaching. Each healing modality offered Ernie a unique tool, but together they brought him something he hadn’t felt in years: balance.
 

Health coaching became a particularly meaningful part of Ernie’s journey. “It gives me a sounding board,” Ernie explains. “Someone to hear me out, bounce ideas off of, and help me set goals. It helps with doing the work and working out the details of behavior change.
 

The changes for Ernie came gradually at first, then all at once. Ernie became calmer and more 
steady. Ernie opened himself up to the world in ways he never thought possible. “I’m a much 
calmer, more even keel person now,” Ernie says. “I’m not afraid to go out and see people or be in public spaces. Social anxiety is almost zero.”
 

Music therapy also became a pivotal part of Ernie’s life—something Ernie never expected, but now cannot imagine living without.
 

With hindsight, Ernie recognizes the shift didn’t happen because the programs were magical. The changes manifested because Ernie Renkert showed up, engaged, and participated wholeheartedly.
 

That’s the message Ernie wants other Veterans to hear: “You get out what you put into it,” Ernie says. “If you show up to mindfulness and you don’t say anything, that’s on you. If you go in thinking it’s a bunch of hooey, you won’t change. Go in with an open mind.”
 

Ernie’s journey didn’t begin with confidence or certainty. It started with doubt—and a willingness to try. That small step led Ernie to rediscover calm, connection, and community.
 

Whole Health didn’t just change how Ernie Renkert lives. It changed how Ernie sees himself.