When Army veteran Chris Eaton attended Operation Warrior Resolution’s (OWR) Men’s Veteran Retreat earlier this year, he had been on a healing journey for several years.
Following his military service, Chris dedicated himself to understanding the lasting effects of combat, PTSD, and loss. Over the previous two years, he worked with more than 40 mental health providers while embracing practices such as breathwork, yoga, coaching, and holistic wellness. Each experience added another piece to his healing and ultimately inspired a new purpose.
Today, Chris and his wife, April, co-own Trinity Yoga Wellness Center in New Port Richey, Florida, where they help veterans, first responders, couples, and families through yoga, breathwork, coaching, and wellness. Chris, a former Army Captain, also serves as a death doula, life coach, ordained minister, veterans advocate, speaker, and breathwork facilitator, while April brings her own journey of resilience and a background in technology and business leadership.
Because helping others heal has become their life’s work, they’ve participated in other retreats and wellness programs. Yet they describe their experience at OWR as something uniquely meaningful.
Rather than replacing the work Chris had already done, OWR built upon it. The retreat reinforced practices he valued while introducing meaningful connections and practical tools that strengthened not only his own growth, but also his relationship with April. The experience was so impactful that he returned just a few months later with her for OWR’s Couples Retreat.
“One of the reasons Operation Warrior Resolution resonates so deeply with us is because we understand firsthand how military service can impact both the veteran and the spouse,” the Eatons shared. “Healthy relationships require intention, communication, and a willingness to continue growing together.”
From the moment they arrived, they noticed the difference.
“The warm welcome, the atmosphere, the schedule, the facilitators, and the overall experience reflected a genuine commitment to serving veterans and their spouses,” they said.
The retreat balanced education, reflection, and connection. Personality assessments, yoga, a sound bath, and equine experiences helped couples reconnect with themselves and each other.
For April, who grew up around horses, the equine experience was especially meaningful.
“It felt like coming home,” she said. “Seeing him smile and truly enjoy that moment alongside me is something I will never forget.”
The weekend also fostered authentic conversations with other veteran couples.
“Some were navigating challenges, others sharing successes, and many discovered we weren’t alone in what we were experiencing,” they said. “The space that was created for authentic conversation fostered trust, acceptance, and support.”
The Eatons left with practical tools they immediately applied at home.
“They weren’t just concepts discussed in a classroom setting,” they explained. “They were skills and practices we could immediately bring home and integrate into our daily lives.”
Their story reflects one of Operation Warrior Resolution’s core beliefs: healing doesn’t stop with the veteran. Military service affects entire families, which is why OWR intentionally serves spouses and children alongside veterans through Brain-Based Healing, couples retreats, and holistic wellness programs. Inspired by their experience, Chris and April have now enrolled three of their children in OWR’s Brain-Based Healing program.
“The support and services they provide have been some of the most uplifting and meaningful experiences for our family,” they said.
For the Eatons, OWR became another meaningful chapter in a lifelong journey of healing—one that strengthened their marriage, inspired healing for their children, and reinforced that when veterans heal together with their families, the impact reaches far beyond the individual.
