arthritis

Dr Steffany Moonaz: Yoga and Accessibility – Yoga for Arthritis

Singing Dragon 0 Comments

Dr. Steffany Moonaz is a yoga therapist and researcher in Baltimore, MD and serves as Director of Clinical and Academic Research at the Maryland University of Integrative Health. Her book, Yoga Therapy for Arthritis, was published in December 2018 by Singing Dragon.

In this video, Steffany talks about accessibility in yoga, how the practice can be adapted to suit the individual, and how it improves quality of life.

 

Yoga Therapy for Arthritis
A Whole-Person Approach to Movement and Lifestyle
Dr Steffany Moonaz and Erin Byron. Foreword by Dr. Clifton O Bingham III, MD

Arthritis limits physical mobility while also impacting energy and mental health. Focusing on mental practice and physical postures for a whole-person approach, this guide will support yoga teachers, therapists and health professionals in working with individuals to live differently with arthritis, as well as those individuals themselves. Read more

Meet The Singing Dragon Author: Dr. Steffany Moonaz

Singing Dragon 0 Comments

As part of our Meet The Singing Dragon Author series, we speak to authors to discuss their motivation for entering their respective industries, inspiration for writing their books, what challenges they faced and who they would recommend their books to. Is there a specific Singing Dragon author you would like to hear from? Let us know in the comments or join the conversation using #MeetTheSDAuthor.

Dr. Steffany Moonaz, author of Yoga Therapy for Arthritis

How did you become interested in yoga therapy? Were there any challenges you faced in entering this industry?
I started working as a yoga therapist before I knew what yoga therapy was. After my 200-hour training, I was hired by Johns Hopkins University to help develop a yoga program for people with arthritis. My training was essentially safe, but largely inadequate to meet their needs, so we learned from each other. I brought the fullness of my yoga training and they brought the fullness of their arthritis, and together we figured out what worked, what was most helpful, what needed further adaptation. Since then, with additional training as both a yoga therapist and a scientist focusing exclusively on this population, I’ve come a long way. I’m proud to say that since learning about yoga therapy, I’ve been actively involved in the professionalization of the field and its representation in the broader movement of integrative health. There was so little work being done specifically in arthritis when I got my start, despite how prevalent it is. I was basically handed my dharma and have been following it ever since.

Continue reading →