Mindfulness is a mental state in which one focuses his or her awareness on the present moment, whether that focus is on the mind, body, or surroundings. In this therapeutic technique, one works towards calmly accepting feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations in a non-judgmental way with the goal of achieving a state of alertness through a focused relaxation.
The practice of mindfulness can be learned in a relatively short time through in-person sessions or even online. It can lead to benefits for both the mind and body, helping to reduce anxiety and depression, encouraging acceptance of emotions, and producing better adaptive reactions to difficult situations. With Parkinson’s disease, it may also help with movement and stiffness. In this podcast episode, Jordan Staenberg, a doctor of occupational therapy and a certified yoga therapist at the Barrow Neurological Institute’s Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence, elaborates on what mindfulness means, how one can learn to practice it, and its benefits.
Related Resources
- Mindfulness Mondays: PD Health @ Home
- Episode 78: Benefits of Self Awareness with PD (podcast)
- Moving Day: A Walk for Parkinson’s Virtual Experience
About This Episode
Released: May 5, 2020
Jordan Staenberg
Jordan Staenberg is a doctor of occupational therapy and a certified yoga therapist at the Barrow Neurological Institute’s Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center in Phoenix, Arizona, a Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence.
This episode is supported by a grant from Genentech, a member of the Roche Group.
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For more insights on this topic, listen to our podcast episode “Managing Anxiety with PD”.
