Publisher's Synopsis
Stress is a primary instigator of symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease. A practical and powerful way to reduce stress is to become more mindful which, simply put, means we are present in the moment rather than agonizing over the past or anticipating the future. The Parkinsons Recovery Mindfulness Series is designed by Robert Rodgers PhD from Parkinsons Recovery to help persons diagnosed with Parkinson's disease reduce their stress levels by adopting a mindfulness practice. Once stress levels are well under control, symptoms of Parkinson's will have enormous difficulty presenting themselves. The Mindfulness series consists of nine volumes that span the topics of seeing, hearing, noticing, doing, eating, thinking, feeling, being and intending. Exercises for Doing Mindfully is the Fourth Volume of the Parkinsons Recovery Mindfulness Series. Seven exercises and their long term implications for doing mindfully are introduced. Contents include: Mindful Driving, Make It Better, Breathe and Drink Water, Healing Touch, Leave No Trace, Use Your Non-Dominant Hand and Anonymous Acts of Kindness. Each mindfulness exercise is followed by an explanation of its deeper significance for persons who currently experience symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Among all of the factors that are implicated in causing symptoms associated with Parkinson's Disease the most critical is stress. When people experience stress, their symptoms get much worse. When stress levels are under control, their symptoms subside. Everyone who currently experiences symptoms of Parkinson's disease confirms the powerful link between stress and the presentation of their symptoms. The idea behind mindfulness is to become totally and completely present to each and every moment of our lives - to live in the present moment - not in the past or the future. Stress exerts an unrelenting pressure on our bodies when we slip into the past with our thoughts or jump into the future with our worries. If we fixate on rehashing past experiences that were traumatic or hurtful or unpleasant - we will insure that our body releases an onslaught of stress hormones throughout the day. If we worry about what the future holds in store for us, we fixate on events that rarely even happen. When thoughts are centered in the past or future our body is sustained in a continual state of stress. Cells are flushed with a continuous blast of adrenaline. This leaves little energy to manufacture dopamine. Symptoms flourish under such conditions. They thrive on stress that is caused by worry, fear, regret, guilt and anger. What is helpful in reducing stress is to reset our routine way of being in the world, to reset our habit of thinking so that we focus on the present moment. This is most successfully accomplished through a regular practice of mindful exercises where we re-wire our habits as they are currently structured in our neurological network. A total system reset is required for most of us to become mindful. Becoming more mindful of each and every moment changes the patterns embedded in our neurological system that sustain high levels of stress which thunder through every system in our bodies. Without a conscious mindfulness practice we fall back into the same neurological rut that stimulates the production of stress hormones. We continue to access precisely the same pathways out of habit. Our neurological system freaks out eventually. Recovery is obstructed because breaking these habits is genuinely challenging. Stress is reduced by redirecting our attention to the present through becoming more mindful. It is no small step to jump from harping on the past and fearing the future to enjoying and relishing the present moment. The exercises in the Parkinsons Recovery Mindfulness series have been created to help strengthen a successful mindfulness practice that succeeds in reducing stress levels as well as helping to reverse symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
