Yoga for Arthritis

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Course Outline

3hrs to complete

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Section 1
  • Steffany Moonaz introduces herself, her work, and the concepts behind yoga for arthritis.
  • Steffany talks about what arthritis is and how it affects those who live with it.
  • Steffany explains what it’s like to experience arthritis, ways for yoga teachers to notice signs of arthritis in their students, and how to offer pose variations that are more accessible for people with arthritis.
  • Steffany explains why arthritis is a whole-person disease and how yoga can be used as a tool to improve a person’s well-being on all levels.
  • Steffany talks about the benefits of modifying sun salutations using a chair.
  • This full yoga practice uses a chair for support and includes specific yoga tools that can be beneficial for people with arthritis.
  • Learn how to modify sun salutation A with a chair so you don’t have to get down onto the floor.
Section 2
  • Let this short explanation allow you to better understand your body and how to use yoga during times of pain.
  • Steffany Moonaz explains why relaxation practices can be beneficial for managing arthritis in all of its forms.
  • This guided relaxation is for when you are experiencing pain, stress, fatigue, or any other time you need to relax.
  • Steffany Moonaz teaches us how we can use breathing practices to change our experience of stress and pain.
  • Give your body the opportunity to let go and relax with these restorative poses.
Section 3
  • In this section, Steffany discusses the stiffness that goes along with arthritis and how to relieve it.
  • Steffany Moonaz talks about three yoga practices that can be used for people who are experiencing arthritic stiffness.
  • Use this little sequence to warm up the body and lubricate the joints after you’ve been sitting for a while or any other time that you feel stiff. You can also use it to prevent stiffness.
  • This sequence will lubricate the joints and can alleviate stiffness for people with systemic arthritis.
  • This sequence helps to lubricate the joints and get synovial fluid moving. It’s great for any time that you’re feeling stiff or want to avoid feeling stiff.
Section 4
  • Learn how to do sun salutations with a chair so you can practice or teach a variation that does not involve getting on the floor.
  • Steffany offers different variations for downward facing dog on the floor.
  • Steffany describes how to use props during child’s pose to create more comfort.
  • Learn how to support the knees with props in hero's pose.
  • For people living with arthritis, easy pose doesn’t always feel easy. Here are some modifications that can help the pose to feel better.
  • Steffany offers warrior I modifications and prop tips for people with arthritis.
  • Learn modifications for tree pose, using props to support the joints.
  • Learn how to do downward facing dog with a chair.
  • Learn a modified version of eagle pose that may be more comfortable for people with joint challenges.
  • Learn how to support yourself in pigeon pose if you have arthritic knees and hips.
  • Steffany shares variations of bridge pose that can be more comfortable for people who have arthritis.
  • Learn how to use two chairs and the wall to modify this challenging balance pose.
  • This seated variation of savasana can help those who are unable to get down to the floor to experience the full benefits of the pose.

Course Overview

More than 50 million Americans —including 50% of adults over 65—are living with arthritis.

How can yoga help?

In this workshop, Yoga for Arthritis Founder and Director Steffany Moonaz explains how yoga benefits people with arthritis and provides an educational, practice-based resource for yoga teachers and students who want to learn more about an adaptive yoga practice.

Steffany explains that “Arthritis is a whole person disease. It’s a musculoskeletal condition that affects the joints, but also the whole person and aspects of life that go beyond the physical.”

Yoga is a whole person practice. And when approached in a safe and supportive way, it can be an accessible, natural tool for easing the discomfort that arthritis causes.

In this workshop you will learn:

  • What it means to have arthritis and what people with arthritis experience.

  • How yoga can help alleviate pain during arthritis flares.

  • How yoga can help improve physical health, psychological health, and quality of life for people living with arthritis.

  • Signs yoga teachers can watch for in class as potential indicators of arthritis and how to respond to them.

  • Gentle asana sequences that can be practiced lying down, seated, and standing every day or when experiencing pain and stiffness.

  • How pranayama (breathwork) can provide relaxation for people with arthritis.

  • How props such as chairs, blankets, and bolsters can support the joints and help create feelings of ease during yoga practice.

  • How practicing yoga can help people with arthritis become more attuned with their bodies, allowing them to implement self-care even at the earliest sign of a flare.

Let this course be your opportunity to better understand arthritis, and to bring more ease into your life and the lives of others living with arthritis.

Meet Your Teacher

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Steffany Moonaz
Steffany Moonaz is a yoga therapist and researcher in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Moonaz spent 8 years at Johns... Read more

Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely, you can include this course in your Yoga Alliance training hours, with each hour equivalent to one continuing education credit.
This course is entirely self- paced, allowing you to learn at your convenience.There are no imposed deadlines or time constraints for Course completion.
No prerequisites are required; this course is open to anyone interested in deepening their knowledge and practice.
No, the course is accessible to all individuals interested in enriching their understanding and practice of yoga.Yoga teaching certification is not a prerequisite.