I do not know how well this applies to Parkinson's. If anyone has experience with this modality please comment:
“I needed to be able to retrain these capacities. Now it wasn't going to be easy. I understood that and it was incredibly frustrating. And there were days that I was so upset and disappointed and mad. Because I wasn't getting anywhere fast. This is where I really needed to learn to trust. I needed to learn practice and I needed to learn perseverance. I realized I was about to convert theory into practice into reality. That's what I did in those six months. Every day I went outside with the help of my mother sat on the grass and just became really present. This is when I learned what mindfulness and a meditation really was. Before that I would never slow down for five minutes to do anything like that. I never had time to do that. All of a sudden I had all this time. I knew that it was important to calm my whole nervous system down and to create an inner peace that would allow my body to heal. To remember the capacities that I was able to do prior to surgery.
“So every day I would sit out there in nature. I would calm my nervous system down and I would rehearse mentally what it was like to speak clearly. What it was like to stand and walk with steadiness. So it was this mental rehearsal over and over again and again drawing from my studies in Neuroscience. The way neuroplasticity works is that you fix your intentional focus on a pattern that you're wanting to create. It takes focused attention, then it takes repetition and then positive reinforcement. So every time you get it right you make sure you reinforce that with “Yay I did it”. Something to get that dopamine level up in the brain to give you a sense of reward to keep going, to keep growing, to not give up. I knew that if I could do that every single day I was going to get well. There was just this knowing, because I knew what to do and the only person that was going to stop me was me.
“So I realized for the first time how powerful we are. What we're really capable of right between our ears. But we're not taught how to use it. We're not taught how to do it. That's really become my mission now to really show people what we are capable of doing. I guess these experiences have come to me to demonstrate that will and that power that we do have.”
I have always thought that was really what John Pepper was doing. He wrote on occasion of how he "forced" himself to paint again. So the fast walking with proper posture, gait etc was this attention, repetition etc. Do you recall that Norman Doidge that featured John Pepper in a book about neuroplasticity?
I think it was called The Brain that Changes Itself, if I remember correctly it also spoke of importance of aerobic exercise and pushing through when it's hard.
You can find many different exercises on the web and on books . It depends on you eyes' problem. I used presbyopic glasses for myopia: it is like use weights for the muscles. But follow the instructions of the books (i.e. for ex. yoga for eyes).
Doidge has a second book - “The Brain’s Way of Healing” - which was interesting. Examples of neuro plasticity being used clinically. There’s a chapter on John Pepper, and lots of other non-PD examples. Worth a read - old dogs can learn new tricks…
I absolutely believe that Neuroplasticity can turn PD around, and this is at the core of my chosen way through this condition.
Now, have I had any positive results? Not yet! This route isn’t without a lot of frustration and a sense of being defeated, but every day I spend time visualising and feeling(to me the feeling is key) of how I want to be. I see, sense and feel myself getting up in the morning feeling refreshed and energetic. I noticed how my body moves easily, how I am able to use the bathroom easily.… how I am able to prepare my breakfast and then go outside and move my body with joy and ease.
When your reality is the polar opposite of what you are imagining, you can guess that some days are easier than others. But if you can get into that state of feeling joy, relief or gratitude, then I believe that is a healing state in which our brains can begin to rewire themselves and our bodies can begin to follow.
I also believe that we have to get to the roots of any past trauma, if that is a applicable to the individual. This is the area I struggle with most - letting all that ancient stuff that is continually firing up my limbic system go, so that I am in a healing parasympathetic state instead of fight or flight.
It is *almost* comical to me how the Parkinson’s body resembles that of a person oscillating between fight flight and freeze. Almost as if the cause has been hidden in plain sight. I appreciate my viewpoint isn’t particularly popular with a lot of people., and may even be offensive. I am not here to offend and if anyone resonates with what I say or finds it helpful then that is wonderful..
The path to healing, and indeed our belief as to whether or not we can heal, is such a personal one. But for me, Neuroplasticity is a huge piece of my toolbox
I look forward to watching this video later – thank you for sharing 🙏🏻
>"if you can get into that state of feeling joy, relief or gratitude, then I believe that is a healing state in which our brains can begin to rewire themselves"
Because of many years if back problems my HWP cannot stand for long periods of time (more than 5 to 10 min). He is doing Paul Eugene's wheelchair aerobics w light weight' can try participate Qiqong sitting or do you have to stand?
I have trouble standing for long periods also. My Qigong practice mostly involves doing LaChi and Chi meditation, both of which can be done either sitting or reclining. LaChi is the energy ball practice shown in the video in my post at the link above. For the practices that do involve standing, simply visualizing doing it, and/or doing just the arm movements will suffice.
The important point to keep in mind is that the purpose of Qigong is to cultivate the Chi. It feels like Divine Love and is unmistakable. If you're feeling it you're doing all you need to do.
for the last 2 or 3 months I have been absolutely obsessed with NDE youtubes. I have also listened to both Doige books and numerous others on brain and healing. And I 200% believe anything is possible. We are more than our physical bodies... thank you for sharing this.
VERY interesting! Years ago I started practicing meditation and looking back, I was nearly there. When I felt this absolute inner peace and joy, I became frightened and snapped myself out of it. Time to get back to it. Thank you so much for sharing!
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." It's okay we love you" telling people that you have Parkinson's. and different responses.
driving is hard to give up
