By Dr. Paul
Jerard, E-RYT 500
Parkinson's
disease commonly effects a person's movements, balance, and spatial reasoning, while
causing muscle rigidity. The disease progresses, while making symptoms more
pronounced over time. Medical professionals have not developed a cure, but
there are ways to relieve the symptoms during the first decade of the disease.
As the disease progresses, medications are often necessary to make daily life
more bearable. Yoga has been proven as an effective adjunct therapy for
Parkinson's patients. It helps patients regain motor coordination, control,
flexibility, strength, and balance.
Adaptations
Traditional Yoga
poses, especially some of the standing poses, which require balance, will not be
the best choice for Parkinson's patients. Lack of balance can cause the
patients to worry about falling over or injuring their selves. Putting a
student at risk of injury is extremely unwise on the part of a Yoga
instructor. In order to provide a
relaxing experience for Parkinson's patients, a Yoga teacher should adapt poses
for sitting in a chair. Over time, patients might also be able to use a wall
for support, or straps, blocks, or blankets to adapt the poses. Patients will
still get the benefits each pose provides, but the modifications will ensure a
safe, gentle practice.
Benefits
Yoga provides
an overall body stretch, which can affect the entire body as well as the mind.
The stretches encourage new blood to flow throughout the entire body, reaching
all of its important organs. This results in more energy and a feeling of
health and wellness. Joints and muscles become more flexible, allowing
movements to come more easily and smoothly. Stress levels often decrease, as
the patients become more physically active. The meditative portion of Yoga can
also benefit Parkinson's patients by providing them a healthy outlet for stress
and anxiety. Deep breathing methods teach patients to fill up the belly and
lungs to release negative thoughts and emotions, clear the mind, and focus on
health and wellness.
Revitalizing
Poses
Mountain pose
allows patients to focus on good posture and balance. In a chair, ask patients
to sit with hips and shoulders aligned, and the spine and neck aligned. Gaze
can focus softly forward, or the eyes may be closed. Feet can be planted firmly
on the floor. Ask patients to breathe deeply while noticing how their weight is
equally distributed throughout the body.
Trunk circles get
the blood and energy flowing within the body, and loosen the hips and sides of
the body. Sitting in a chair, patients can bend forward at the hips, and then
sweep the torso up and to the right, forming a complete circle. Remind patients
to keep the head, neck and spine aligned. Repeat circles in both directions.
© Copyright
2012 – Aura Wellness Center – Publications Division
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These techniques focus on becoming grounded, centered and relaxed, such that the body releases stress and becomes receptive to deep healing. The flexibility and strength displayed by the physical body is a manifestation of the person's attainment of emotional flexibility and strength within him. Through people's increased awareness of their bodies, they garner novel ways of looking at and dealing with the challenges they experience in their everyday lives.
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