Yoga is a Philosophy, Not Just an Exercise: Demystifying Yoga for Arthritis with Dr. Steffany Moonaz

Yoga therapist and researcher Dr. Steffany Moonaz and host Cheryl Crow discuss the many benefits of yoga for people with inflammatory arthritis. They also bust common myths and misconceptions about yoga, including that it’s just an exercise or series of physical poses. 

Dr. Moonaz shares her best tips for patients newly diagnosed with arthritis and explains how the philosophy of yoga can help people with arthritis fully embrace the present moment and improve overall wellbeing. Dr. Moonaz is the founder of Yoga for Arthritis, which aims to bring evidence-informed and heart-centered yoga practices to people living with arthritis and chronic pain worldwide. 

Episode at a glance:

• Yoga meaning and philosophy: The union of mind and body through movement, breath, and mindfulness - not just poses and exercise!
• What makes Yoga Therapists different than Yoga Teachers: Yoga therapists have further training in understanding of health conditions to help patients manage chronic illness or imbalances through yoga.
• The power of movement for mental health: After experiencing improvements in her own mental health through dance and exercise, Dr. Moonaz realized her purpose of reducing suffering for people through mindful movement. She focuses on arthritis due in part to it being a leading cause of disability.
• Research on Yoga for Arthritis: It is considered integrative medicine with improvements for overall quality of life. This is due to relief of pain and stiffness, increase in physical function through balance, strength, and flexibility, and mindfulness for stress reduction
• Beginner Tips: Ask your rheumatologist if there are positions you should avoid, search for a Yoga Therapist who has experience with accessible / adaptive yoga through the International Association of Yoga Therapists, private lessons can be beneficial for added safety and personalized / targeted symptom management
• Advice for newly diagnosed patients: find “RA Thrivers” and listen to their stories, use social media as a resource for building connections, and join Rheum to THRIVE for education and support!

Medical disclaimer: 

All content found on Arthritis Life public channels was created for generalized informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Episode Sponsors

Rheum to THRIVE, a community support & education program Cheryl created to help people with rheumatic disease go from overwhelmed, confused and alone to confident, supported and connected. Join the waitlist for the next group, which starts in 2023!

Rheumatoid Arthritis Roadmap, a self-paced online course Cheryl created that teaches you how to confidently manage your physical, social and emotional life with rheumatoid arthritis. 

Full show notes including transcript and video

Go to www.MyArthritisLife.Net to the show page, which should be up soon!