PAWM Mindfulness for People with Parkinson's & Care Partners
A free class supported by the Parkinson's Association of West Michigan
8-Week Online Course, Monday, September 30 - Nov. 18, 2024
9:30 am - 11:00 pm, Live on Zoom
After you register, you will receive a questionnaire
that must be submitted to complete your registration.
Thank You!
The stress of living with Parkinson’s Disease can be physically and emotionally demanding. This Mindfulness for Parkinson's class was designed to help people living with PD and PD Care Partners learn skills to meet the stressors and difficulties of life with a chronic illness.
Mindfulness and self-compassion practices can support us in our most challenging moments.
Cultivating mindful attention and self-compassion will deepen your ability to be present, help you
manage challenging experiences, and create space for wise choices in all areas of your life.
Join us for this 8-week class, where you will learn:
What mindfulness & self-compassion are
How perception shapes our experience
Mindfulness tools to work with stress & anxiety
Self-compassion for difficult emotions
Ways to cultivate positive emotions
Several formal practices including:
Sitting meditation
Mindful Yoga
Supportive touch & self-compassion
What Past Participants Had to Say about the Class
“The environment in the Mindfulness Class was inclusive, inviting, and safe. I would recommend the class to others; I learned so many excellent techniques. It was a wonderful class!” - Kathryn G., Care Partner
“I would definitely recommend this class. The environment was wonderful. There are many benefits to be gained. Just like Parkinson’s is different for each patient, this class offers benefits in many different ways.” - Deb F., Parkinson's Patient
“I would recommend the class to others as a way to better deal with stresses in life and to learn/allow compassion for yourself and others.”
- Rick G., Parkinson's Patient
Research on Mindfulness and Parkinson's Disease
In 2013, Dr. Barbara Pickut was the lead author of a study published in Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery. Mindfulness-based intervention in Parkinson’s disease leads to structural brain changes on MRI: A randomized controlled longitudinal trial. The study found an increase in gray matter density in the neural networks presumed to be associated with PD after an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention.
In a study on stress management and Parkinson's Disease published in 2021, those who practiced mindfulness noticed beneficial effects on both motor and non-motor symptoms, with 60.2% noticing improvement in depression and 64.7% noticing improvement in anxiety. Practicing mindfulness more often was associated with greater perceived improvement in symptoms.
This 8-week program will help you build a foundation of mindfulness and self-compassion and incorporate these practices into your daily life.
Dr. Barbara A. Pickut, MD, MPH, RYT 200
Neurologist – MSU Health Care,
Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Instructor
Barbara is an Associate Professor of Neurology at Michigan State University, serving people with movement and memory challenges. She is a certified instructor in MBSR from the Center for Mindfulness at UMass Medical School and a certified Yoga instructor. She has been working with people with PD and mindfulness training since 2006.
Carol Hendershot, E-RYT 500
Certified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Instructor,
Co-Founder – GR Center for Mindfulness
Carol has been teaching the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course since 2008 and has led hundreds of students through the program. She has completed extensive training through The Center for Mindfulness at the UMass Medical School, UCSD Center for Mindfulness, and the Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. She is also a certified yoga instructor.
