Living with Parkinson’s

Some pairings go together naturally: dark chocolate and red wine; my dog and her tennis ball; Starsky and Hutch. But when did ‘gentle’ and ‘Parkinson’s’ become synonymous? Look at the local gym or online. Classes, books, DVDs list Gentle and Yoga alongside Parkinson’s and a litany of other disorders, as though slowing down the pace and setting a chair on the mat is an elixir for anyone with a neurological condition. Meet Joe. He’s a marathoner. At 60, he started competing in ultra marathons. He has lived with Parkinson’s for more than 30 years. Chris is a cyclist. He recently rode a century – 100 miles in one day. His route was a particularly hilly one. Doug rode across Alaska solo this summer. Both live with PD; both are in their 50s. Pam dances, David runs. We walk, swim, and hike. Speaking of hiking, the Parkinson’s Association of Ireland is […]

No, these are not new Parkinson’s terms. Nor is it yoga lingo. SSP SSP is my humble anacronym for Shameless Self-Promotion, which does actually involve yoga and Parkinson’s: After many hours filming and editing, I’m happy to announce the release of the Companion DVD to Yoga for Movement Disorders. Here’s a description: Companion DVD Yoga for Movement Disorders This DVD guides viewers through a series of yoga poses and sequences designed specifically for people with Parkinson’s or other movement disorders. The two-hour video includes: Warm-up series Morning flow Afternoon flow Evening flow Sun Salutation Standing and seated variations of each Tips concerning balance, posture, tremor Resource list Expanding on the award-winning book, Yoga for Movement Disorders, this DVD can be used as a companion volume or as a stand-alone guide. The author is a Registered Yoga Teacher who specializes in adapting traditional poses for people with movement disorders. A stroke […]

Sculptures depicting Janus, the Roman god of doorways, show it with two faces peering in opposite directions: backward and forward. In January, which is named after Janus, we do just that. This is the traditional time to be poised in the corridor between old and new, recalling what was as well as watching for what will be. Many yoga poses involve opposites. We lengthen the spine through the crown of our heads and ground our selves through our feet. We stretch up while pressing down into the mat. It is as though we’re reaching our fingertips toward the future while planting our heels in the past. Reflection and planning are necessary parts of our lives, but each day – each moment – is a threshold, an entry, a gate. A New Year of living with a movement disorder translates into twelve new months stretching before us with known and unknown […]