Peggy Van Hulsteyn - Yoga and Parkinsons disease : a journey to health and healing

In this kind and instructive book, Peggy van Hulsteyn shares her struggles with Parkinsons disease and how the practice of yoga has eased her path. With compassion, humor, and a hard fought perspective, she has written an inspiring book and seeks to provide a practical guide to others in coping with Parkinsons disease.

U.S. Senator Tom Udall (D-NM)

A must-read for the recently diagnosed or people at any stage of Parkinsons disease. Her practical tips and well-explained poses will help anyone with Parkinsons explore ways to live as fully as possible. Van Hulsteyn guides the reader living with the disease to view yoga as a healing practice that will increase flexibility and mobility.

Joyce Oberdorf, president and CEO, National Parkinson Foundation

I am inspired and enthused by van Hulsteyns ebullient wit, humor, and positive spirit. Yoga and Parkinsons Disease is one of those much needed books that empowers, motivates, and educates people dealing with Parkinsons disease.

Karl Robb, author of A Soft Voice in a Noisy World: A Guide to Dealing and Healing with Parkinsons Disease

Inspiring and motivating... a non-threatening and very practical guide to starting a yoga practice. In wonderfully witty and humorous prose, van Hulsteyn shares her story of living with Parkinsons disease and succinctly summarizes the value of exercise, particularly yoga, for dealing with the many symptoms of this disease.

Cynthia Marie Fox, PhD, CCC-SLP, co-founder and vice president of operations of LSVT Global, Inc.

PEGGY VAN HULSTEYN

WITH BARBARA GAGE AND CONNIE FISHER

PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEANIE PULESTON FLEMING, PhD

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ISBN: 978-1-936303-50-2

e-book ISBN: 978-1-61705-172-2

Acquisitions Editor: Julia Pastore

Compositor: diacriTech

2013 Peggy van Hulsteyn. All rights reserved. This book is protected by copyright. No part of it may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Medical information provided by Demos Health, in the absence of a visit with a health care professional, must be considered as an educational service only. This book is not designed to replace a physicians independent judgment about the appropriateness or risks of a procedure or therapy for a given patient. Our purpose is to provide you with information that will help you make your own health care decisions.

The information and opinions provided here are believed to be accurate and sound, based on the best judgment available to the authors, editors, and publisher, but readers who fail to consult appropriate health authorities assume the risk of injuries. The publisher is not responsible for errors or omissions. The editors and publisher welcome any reader to report to the publisher any discrepancies or inaccuracies noticed.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Van Hulsteyn, Peggy.

Yoga and Parkinsons disease : a journey to health and healing / Peggy van Hulsteyn, with Barbara Gage and Connie Fisher; photographs by Jeanie Puleston Fleming, PhD.

pages cm

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-936303-50-2

1. Parkinsons diseaseExercise therapy. 2. YogaTherapeutic use. 3. Mind and body.

I. Gage, Barbara, 1943- II. Fisher, Connie, 1948- III. Title.

RC382.V33 2013

616.8330642dc23

2013020954

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Also by Peggy van Hulsteyn

Vanity in Washington

Diary of a Santa Fe Cat

Sleeping with Literary Lions: The Booklovers

Guide to Bed and Breakfasts

The Birders Guide to Bed and Breakfasts

What Every Business Woman Needs To Know To Get Ahead

Mind Your Own Business

To the memory of my three beloved felines who were the embodiment of everything good about yoga:

The brimming over with love Apache

The elegant, dashing, and soulful Bosque

The impish, adorable Vanity

And to David, my soul mate, who has been with me every step of the way.

W ho should read Peggy van Hulsteyns wonderfully witty, entertaining, and very practical guide to the practice of yoga as it pertains to the treatment of Parkinsons disease (PD)?

If you have PD and are already practicing yoga, you know how good it is for you, but in this book you will find encouragement and useful advice to help you deepen your practice. (And I forgive you if youve skipped this foreword entirely in your eagerness to jump right in!)

If you have PD and have not yet tried yoga, then my advice is this: Do not hesitate a moment before committing yourself. There is no doubt among experts that exercise is a critically important component to treatment, and I believe no less important than medication and surgery. In fact, whenever I find that a patient of mine is unsure whether to start taking medication, I counsel that the best use of medicine is to facilitate ongoing physical activity.

But what type of exercise is best for PD? The answer is the one you enjoy, because it is the one you will continue to do. Yoga is a simple and relaxing activity that will quickly demonstrate tangible benefits. Moreover, PD is a not only a disorder of movement but also one of posture. At present, no available medical treatment alone can effectively forestall the changes in posture that occur over time, but we know yoga can help. And unlike other general exercise regimens, yoga offers a way of looking at the world that can provide hope and comfort.