A yoga session brings a Parkinson’s reality check

I’m having trouble holding a tree pose lately. The trunk starts to sway, even though there’s no wind near my yoga practice. There’s only Parkinson’s.

Since I added yoga to my exercise routine, my skills and flexibility have improved. But the balance part is getting tougher.

Still, I’m not complaining. Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease, and such things as reduced balancing ability come with the territory.

I entered the world of yoga soon after my Parkinson’s diagnosis.

The benefits seemed numerous, especially for people with Parkinson’s. It would strengthen my muscles while making them more flexible. It would relieve the stiffness (rigidity) and slowness (bradykinesia). It would improve overall balance.

All good things for staying mobile as long as possible.

I was diagnosed in 2020, and since a global pandemic was keeping us all at home, yoga classes were not an option. So I was on my own to figure it out.

I bought an inexpensive mat at Meijer, chose a video series from the 80,000 offered online, and I was set.

It was difficult to start alone, however.

Yoga derives from the Sanskrit root word “unite,” but for me there was no group to offer support or accountability. No teacher to check if my hips were “squared” correctly or my twists were twisty enough.

I didn’t know a down dog from a puppy pose, and the positions felt awkward and unfamiliar. But my online instructor was reassuring. (“Downward facing dog eventually becomes a resting pose.” Really?) Over the weeks and months, I got the hang of it.

And I noticed the difference it was making.

“Yoga has changed my life,” I would tell friends. OK, that may be an exaggeration, but I knew I was feeling better in mind and body, especially on the days I did a routine. More relaxed, more focused, less antsy.

When the world reopened, I found a class to join, led by a bearded aging hippie-type who encouraged me to try difficult things.

I still attend a couple times a month, but I practice yoga mostly at home.

All I need is a mat, perhaps some yoga blocks, and a strap – and a good online video.

Do I recommend yoga for people living with Parkinson’s disease? Absolutely.

Does it bring extra attention to the progress of my disease? Perhaps.

This is the reality I face. I have a degenerative neurological disorder, and some things remind me of that like a branch slapping my face on a hiking trail.

Or like a tree pose nearing its last leg.