64: Yoga for Arthritis with Dr. Steffanny Moonaz

Did you know that arthritis is not one single disease, but a category of over 100 medical conditions that is actually the leading cause of disability in the US?? Before talking to Dr. Steffany Moonaz (and reading her book) I didn't either!  Dr. Steffany Moonaz founded Yoga for Arthritis after 8 years at Johns Hopkins University where she studied the effects of yoga for people living with arthritis. She now serves as the Director of Clinical and Academic Research at the Maryland University of Integrative Health, which offers the nation's only Masters of Science in Yoga Therapy.  She continues to conduct research on the effects of yoga for chronic pain and joint conditions, and is joining us on The Mentor Sessions today to talk about making  yoga practices safe, welcoming, and appropriate for people with arthritis. In this episode you'll hear: some of the biggest myths about arthritis  why the multifaceted practices of yoga are so supportive for people living with arthritis what is lost when yoga teachers and researchers focus only on asana the difference between chronic pain and acute pain as it relates to the brain how chronic pain impacts the anatomy and function of the brain circuitry and what yoga teachers can do about it how to teach yoga classes that are safe, welcoming and inclusive for people living with arthritis