Overview

Marlysa has over 15 years of experience in the fields of yoga therapy and physiotherapy specializing in working with people with chronic pain. She is the author of two books: Understanding Yoga Therapy and Yoga and Science in Pain Care. Her research focuses on the framework for yoga therapy based on philosophical and neurophysiological perspectives.

Professional Narrative

In addition to teaching at MUIH, Marlysa is the Physical Therapy Coordinator of the Empowered Veterans Program at the Veterans Administration which is a program for people with complex chronic pain. This program is highly integrative including a chaplain, psychotherapist, and physical therapist for whole health coaching, acceptance and commitment therapy, and mindful movement. She has created yoga therapy interventions and worked with studies for yoga and various populations including cognitive decline and dementia, chronic pain, osteoarthritis. She works with Stephen Porges and the Polyvagal Institute in furthering the intersection of Polyvagal Theory and integrative health through yoga therapy and mindful movement.

Selected Publications & Presentations

Sullivan, M. B., Erb, M., Schmalzl, L., Moonaz, S., Noggle Taylor, J., & Porges, S. W. (2018). Yoga therapy and polyvagal theory: The convergence of traditional wisdom and contemporary neuroscience for self-regulation and resilience. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 12, 67.

Sullivan, M. B., Moonaz, S., Weber, K., Taylor, J. N., & Schmalzl, L. (2018). Toward an explanatory framework for yoga therapy informed by philosophical and ethical perspectives. Altern. Ther. Health Med, 24, 38-47.

Pearson, N., Prosko, S., Sullivan, M., & Taylor, M. J. (2020). White Paper: Yoga Therapy and Pain—How Yoga Therapy Serves in Comprehensive Integrative Pain Management, and How It Can Do More. International journal of yoga therapy, 30(1), 117-133.

Courses

ISci 644: Physiology and Pathology: the Internal Organs

Yoga 612: Health and Disease: Yoga Perspectives

ISci 651: Structural Pathology in Integrative Health

Yoga 649: Clinical Case Reporting

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