Emotions can be overwhelming, especially for those of us managing a chronic illness. In this session, we will look at how to use mindfulness to tend our emotions and find the wisdom that lives in every feeling.
Speaker
Nico Hase, PhD, Author, Meditation Teacher
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Join our global program where esteemed dance professionals from Southern Danceworks lead sessions focusing on unleashing the full potential of physical and artistic movement. Modeled after an evidence-based program pioneered by the Mark Morris Dance Group and the Brooklyn Parkinson's Group.
Movement for Parkinson's offers tailored instruction designed to harness all the benefits of dance to transform lives and enhance well-being including fluidity of movement, stability, balance, and motor skills.
Mary Margaret Scalici, MA
Teaching Artist
Body Arts and Sciences Institute (BASI) Instructor UAB Arts in Medicine
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required.
Due to the nature of our social engagement programs and to protect the privacy of participants, we will not be recording or archiving these programs. By not recording, it's our hope that the program provides a comfortable environment that encourages meaningful participation.
Join us for a soothing and supportive gentle yoga class designed specifically for individuals living with Parkinson's. This class focuses on gentle movements, mindful breathing techniques, and relaxation exercises to promote flexibility, improve balance, and reduce muscle stiffness commonly associated with Parkinson's disease. Through a series of accessible yoga poses and guided meditation, you'll learn to cultivate a sense of calmness, enhance body awareness, and foster a deeper connection between mind and body.
No prior yoga experience is necessary, and modifications will be provided to adapt to individual needs. Come nurture yourself in a safe environment tailored to the unique challenges and strengths of Parkinson's.
Please keep a chair and bottle of water nearby. Enjoy the session!
Instructors
Crista Ellis, Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Transformational Mentor, Founder of Rising Rose Yoga, Community Engagement Manager, Parkinson's Foundation
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Join Crista for a guided meditation to welcome our hearts into healing and our minds into harmony. We often find ourselves trapped in our thoughts, pondering what we should do, weighing the pros and cons, wrestling with fears, and questioning our decisions. Although our minds are intelligent, accessing our heart space allows us to truly connect with our inner selves. By surrendering to our hearts, we can align our actions with our true desires, allowing both our heart and mind to work together in harmony.
Whether this is your first mindfulness Monday, or you are a returning participant, these sessions are created with the intention of including everyone. There will be time for questions and community connection following the practice.
Speaker
Crista Ellis, Yoga & Meditation Teacher, Inspirational Mentor, Founder of Rising Rose Yoga, Community Engagement Manager, Parkinson's Foundation
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
In sessions with Dr. Rush, we explore different dimensions of a mindfulness practice. She will share ways to ground and settle the mind and body. These mindfulness techniques can offer moments of respite and clarity that can be useful throughout your week. Find a comfortable seat and join your mindful Parkinson's community for a special session.
Whether this is your first mindfulness Monday, or you are a returning participant, these sessions are created with the intention of including everyone. There will be time for questions following the practice.
Speaker
Taylor Rush, Ph.D. - Health Psychologist, Director of Behavioral Services and Interdisciplinary Programs, Center for Neurological Restoration, Cleveland Clinic
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
For many of us, physical discomfort is a part of our journey with Parkinson’s. In this session, we will talk together about how mindfulness can help us manage discomfort and pain, and offer a guided meditation on working with some of the common difficulties associated with Parkinson’s.
Speaker
Nico Hase, PhD, Author, Meditation Teacher
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Power up your workout. Punch Out PD will include dynamic, high-energy drills that train muscle power. Vigorous exercise can help improve motor function and brain health. This class will incorporate intervals of high intensity power movements such as squats & punches, along with functional strength exercises that support activities of daily living. The goal of this class is to help support confidence, independence and optimal brain aging. Both seated and standing exercises will be included.
Instructors
Cammy Dennis, BS, ACE, AFAA, AEA, NAFC
Susan Lassiter, BSN, MSN, MHA, AEA, NAFC
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
In sessions with Dr. Rush, we explore different dimensions of a mindfulness practice. She will share ways to ground and settle the mind and body. These mindfulness techniques can offer moments of respite and clarity that can be useful throughout your week. Find a comfortable seat and join your mindful Parkinson's community for a special session.
Whether this is your first mindfulness Monday, or you are a returning participant, these sessions are created with the intention of including everyone. There will be time for questions following the practice.
Speaker
Taylor Rush, PhD - Health Psychologist, Director of Behavioral Services and Interdisciplinary Programs, Center for Neurological Restoration, Cleveland Clinic
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Many of us would like more kindness in our lives. Through meditation we can cultivate this most beneficial quality of the heart. This session will focus on the psychological and physical benefits of cultivating kindness, as well as offer a guided kindness meditation.
Speaker
Devon Hase, Author, Meditation Teacher
There is no charge to attend, but registration is required. This program is open to people with Parkinson's, their family, friends, and the community.
Rehabilitation Care & Parkinson’s: Start Early and Assess Often
A serious misconception about Parkinson’s disease (PD) is that rehabilitative care should only come into play in the later stages of the disease. In fact, rehabilitation can play a crucial role in managing and improving PD symptoms, function, and quality of life and reducing disability from day one.
In January 2024, the Parkinson’s Foundation published a paper on the importance of delivering rehabilitation care in Parkinson’s in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease. This paper was written by the Parkinson’s Foundation Global Rehabilitation Medicine Task Force, which was formed to help healthcare professionals incorporate rehabilitation into PD care.
“Our goal is to raise awareness of the importance of rehabilitation care in PD. We want to motivate people living with Parkinson’s to advocate for their best care, and that means knowing that they can start rehabilitative care at any point in their disease. We also want to motivate professionals to include evidence-based rehabilitation interventions when providing care to every person with Parkinson’s,” said Jennifer Goldman, MD, MS co-chair of the Parkinson’s Foundation Rehabilitation Medicine Task Force.
Parkinson’s rehabilitation services should start early and be assessed every year.
Rehabilitation is defined as a set of treatments and therapies that can help people with Parkinson’s maintain or improve activities of daily living and independence. PD rehabilitation can include:
Trained rehabilitation professionals provide care with the goal of keeping people with PD communicating well, engaging in activities they love and moving well. Rehabilitative care plays a crucial role in PD care and improving health outcomes, with growing evidence showing the benefit for movement and non-movement symptom management, activities of daily living and quality of life.
Key Highlights
The Parkinson’s Foundation Global Rehabilitation Medicine Task Force published the following takeaways regarding rehabilitative care and PD:
Rehabilitation should involve the person with PD and care partner and should incorporate shared decision-making to promote symptom management and independence.
Care coordination and communication among the rehabilitation team, the entire PD care team, the person with PD, and care partner are critical for best results.
Rehabilitative care professionals should have knowledge and expertise in treating people with Parkinson’s disease.
Since Parkinson’s is a progressive disease, rehabilitative care should be offered at diagnosis and regularly throughout the disease course with repeated assessments and interventions adapted to changes in a person’s condition or needs.
Rehabilitative interventions are critical in treating PD, alongside medical, surgical and other PD-related interventions.
What is the takeaway for people with Parkinson’s?
More than half of people with PD are never referred to rehabilitative therapy in their lifetime. Research shows that these therapies help with symptom management and help people with PD stay independent longer. Many healthcare professionals and people with PD remain unaware of the potential impact of rehabilitative care, thereby limiting their use and availability in the PD community. These therapies are greatly under-utilized for people living with PD.
The Parkinson’s Foundation recommends that every person with PD ask their PD doctor at least once a year if they can benefit from rehabilitative services.
Learn more about Physical, Occupational & Speech Therapies. For a referral to a rehabilitation expert near you, call our Helpline at 1-800-4PD-INFO (1-800-473-4636).
