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. She became curious about the importance of mind-body activities at a young age and has always had a passion and a curiosity about the healing power of mindful movement. She completed undergraduate work in biology and dance at Oberlin College, earned a MFA from University of Maryland as well as a CMA from the Laban Institute and spent eight years at Johns Hopkins University, helping to develop and evaluate a yoga program for individuals with the chronic diseases of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, which became the basis for her PhD in public health.
Along with ongoing research collaborations at the National Institutes of Health, Einstein, Sinai and Montefiore Hospitals in New York, and University of Maryland, Dr. Moonaz is working to bring yoga to people with arthritis in communities around the country, as well as educating yoga teachers and yoga therapists about the unique needs of this population. She currently leads Yoga for Arthritis teacher training programs nationwide and serves as a mentor for several emerging researchers who are working to study the effects of yoga for various health conditions.
Dr. Moonaz’s work has been covered by Time, HuffPost, the Baltimore Sun, and U.S. News and World Report. She has been invited to speak at Emory University, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Johns Hopkins Palliative Care, and the Smithsonian. Her Arthritis-Friendly Yoga DVD, produced by the Arthritis Foundation, has been their best-selling product since its release in 2013. Her book, Yoga Therapy for Arthritis: A whole-person approach to movement and lifestyle is now available on Amazon, other bookstores and on Steffany's website: www.arthritis.yoga.
Things You’ll Learn From This Episode
- Yoga is not just about your practice on the mat. The word yoga means union and it is about a state of being where you are present, awake and aware. Practicing yoga can expand to how you're nourishing your body, getting enough rest, thoughts you are allowing in as well as the actual physical yoga movements.
- Studies and research shows that having a yoga practice on the mat can positively affect your health, how you view your health (and if you have a disease) and you're the overall quality of life.
- Take your health into your own hands and become your best advocate. A way to do this is to form a care team, which might include finding a Functional Medical Doctor, as well as other integrative healing practitioners who can help support your wellbeing.
- It's important to know good, reliable sources of medical information, especially as it relates to autoimmune conditions like arthritis. Major universities like Harvard, Berkley, and Stanford have Public Health resources to check out. WebMD is a decent source, as is MindBodyGreen (one of my faves)
- Yoga not only effects your physical health as well as mobility, balance, flexibility, and strength but it also affects your nervous system. Pain is registered in the nervous system from the brain to whatever area of your body expeirences pain. Yoga helps to tamper your nervous system to feel less pain and stress.
Enjoying the show?
For iTunes listeners, get automatic downloads and share the love by subscribing, rating & reviewing here!
*Share what you are struggling with or looking to transform with Julie at podcast@juliereisler.com. Julie would love to start covering topics of highest interest to YOU. Please also let us know if you are interested to be a guest on her show to discuss where you are stuck, and do live coaching with Julie on her podcast.
Connect with Dr. Steffany Moonaz
- Twitter: @drmoonaz
- Instagram: @smoonaz
- Facebook: @drmoonaz
- Website: arthritis.yoga
- LinkedIn: steffanymoonaz
Download our podcast interview with Dr. Steffany Moonaz here on iTunes
Join host Julie Reisler, author and multi-time TEDx speaker, each week to learn how you can tap into your best self and become your You-est You® to achieve inner peace, happiness and success at a deeper level! Tune in to hear powerful, inspirational stories and expert insights from entrepreneurs, indust
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.