Beyond Parkinson's
An applied neurology group class series
Join neuro-practitioner and functional mobility specialist, Anna Gieselman, for an 8-week online series in which you will learn a brain-based approach to managing the symptoms of Parkinson's.
All of the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease are outputs of the nervous system. With neuro-targeted drills, we can work directly with the brain and nervous system to change those outputs for the better, instantly.
What You Will Learn
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How to intentionally activate specific brain structures, neurological pathways and sensory input systems to create an adaptation in the way your brain works and how you feel.
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A process of self-assessing to understand how the drills are impacting your nervous system in real time and track your progress with weekly drill worksheets.
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Receive a handy "cheat-sheet" of which neuro-drills to use and when to use them, organized by the Parkinson's symptom they address.
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Receive expert guidance during our live online weekly class and practice in community with a small group of people also living with Parkinson’s Disease.
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Recording of all 8-sessions will be available to download for home practice.
Frequently Asked Questions...
1.How does this program differ from what is already available for Parkinson’s? Most programs for people with Parkinson’s Disease are exercise-based such as boxing, yoga etc. or they are focused on improving cognition and memory. While these types of activities are incredibly important and useful, they often fail to address deficits in the underlying neurology of the brain. If someone is having a hard time moving because of Parkinson’s, it can be incredibly frustrating to try to exercise in the first place. The Beyond Parkinson’s series focuses on improving brain function by providing sensory input to the cranial nerve and the visual, vestibular, respiratory and proprioceptive systems. These neuro targeted inputs aka ‘neuro drills’, help to increase activation or inhibition of specific brain regions, as well as improve the overall feeding pattern of fuel and neural activity within the brain.
2.What changes can I expect to see in my health with of the application of these techniques? The immediate and acute result of applied neurology techniques can be a reduction of protective outputs from the brain such as muscle tension, pain, anxiety, insomnia and more. The long-term result of frequent and skillful application of these techniques is neuroplasticity! Working on and repairing deficits within any system of the body and brain reduces the brains prediction of threat. When your brain receives better inputs, you experience better outputs.
3.Are these techniques specific to Parkinson’s? No. The techniques taught in this program are applicable to anyone with a brain and nervous system. All people, even elite athletes, have deficits within their nervous system that if addressed would improve their ability to thrive in their bodies. The difference for people with Parkinson’s is that the lack of dopamine and neural activity, result in a higher predicting of threat from the brain. This program does not claim to cure Parkinson’s. It does promise to equip you with practical and easy-to-use tools to address common neurological outputs associated with Parkinson’s.
4.Can you give examples of actual technique that are taught in this series? One of the most common issues that participants of this program want to address is slow or stalled movement. There are many tools to overcome this challenge including sensory stimulation and mobility, but did you know that certain eye movements increase neural activity in the frontal lobes where movement comes from? We can even target unilateral movement deficits with vision drills such as saccades and smooth pursuits. Another well-researched idea that you may have heard of is stimulation of the vagus nerve for reducing inflammation in the body. In this series you will learn numerous ways to stimulate and decompress the vagus nerve to upregulate the parasympathetic (rest and digest) part of your nervous system. We also work directly with the vestibular system (inner ear) with head and eye movements to improve balance and the integration of visual and vestibular inputs.
5.I live in another country and cannot attend the class you are offering. Is there a recording or another way to learn this information? Although live (virtual) attendance is encouraged, there is a recording of every class that you can download and keep. Also, this is a recurring series and the day and time change often to accommodate different schedules. Feel free to submit a request for days and times that work best for you.
6. Even though I have Parkinson's, I am very active and able-bodied. Is this program appropriate for me? I don't want to get depressed from being around people who are much worse off than me. This isn't a support group where everyone sits around talking about what is wrong. This is an engaged group of pro-active people who want to learn how to feel and move better. We have had many active and young people (between ages 45-60) with few Parkinson's symptoms benefit from taking this program. For the most part, you will be watching Anna teach and then apply those techniques in your own space. The participants aren't on display or in the recording. This group does not include those who cannot move on their own or who suffer from dementia. This is because the techniques require daily self-practice and that is often unavailable in the late stages of Parkinson's.
Hear what participants are saying ...
Joe Anderson
I was diagnosed with PD in 2016. In an effort to not let the disease define me, I decided to fight back. My path practicing yoga with Anna began in 2017 and then we introduced neuro training in 2020. The effects were immediate and positive. I find the vestibular and visual drills the most impactful. As I continue this journey, I am glad Anna is "riding shotgun" with me.
Gary Oakley
Anna's techniques for brain health have been extraordinarily therapeutic for my Parkinsons. By using respiratory, balance and vision drills, along with simple stretching exercises, she helps me to calm my brain. She also gives me strategies to work on at home or in my daily life.
About Anna
Neuro coach & functional mobility specialist
After over a decade of teaching yoga and meditation, Anna began studying Applied Neurology in 2020 to help her combat the negative symptoms of a brutal auto immune disease called Systemic Lupus. The techniques she learned were more effective for reducing her chronic joint pain then pain medicine! She then began incorporating these new skills with her clients and over the years has honed in on specific techniques to help her clients living with PD.
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Anna is familiar with the despair and frustration that can come with having a chronic disease. She hopes to empower her clients with skills to regain some control over how they feel and perform on a daily basis by working with their brain.
