Why Take This Course?

Meditation has numerous benefits which may help people with Parkinson's disease (PwP) and family members or friends providing care for PwP.

This course will help you to:

✔ Learn the brain anatomy associated with Parkinson's disease and meditation - and how they overlap.

✔ Relax your body and mind by learning physiological relaxation skills.

✔ Develop the skill of mindfulness as a window into self-awareness.

✔ Practice concentration and build attentional capacity.

✔ Gain greater ability to handle stressful situations, including strategies to identify triggers or mitigate the stress response when it arises.

✔ Regulate your emotions and cultivate positive emotions on a regular basis.

✔ Connect with like-minded individuals and hear inspiring stories.

Feedback from participants:

"I found the entire series phenomenal in every way. The meditations, visualizations, and explanations were incredibly helpful. I have been listening to meditations daily."

"Since starting this course, I have indeed experienced positive effects from simply being mindful and present, in my mood, in my freezing gait, in my walking, in my energy. And more so since practicing the visualization meditation that you introduced in Week Four. This particular meditation has helped me in so many ways!"

"Overall, the course has helped me establish a daily meditation practice of 20-40 minutes so far. I have mild Parkinson's with right hand tremor which I sometimes think of as a wearable device that can detect minor changes in anxiety or stress. Interestingly, after 7 weeks of meditation, the tremor quiets about 5 minutes into a meditation and often quiets altogether for the duration. One measure of progress!"

"Not a-day has gone by where I haven't thought of being in the moment and mindful. Changed my life."

"Thank you for these wonderful resources. Despite my experience, I have been walking through my meditation journey without such clear guidance."

"You introduce to such a science an alternate route for a people that have a lot to bear with PD. An alternate route that actually can work in tandem with classical neurology. This is a ground-breaking endeavor."

"A good balance between practice and theory - not overly doctrinaire - not a 'trust me" approach - more a practice, practice, practice - be consistent approach - no guarantees; which I appreciate. I did have several revelatory moments, which surprised and pleased me."

"I truly believe that what you have offered in this six-week course has impacted me beyond the realm of my PD. It has touched the core of my being. It will continue to affect how I conduct myself, how I perceive this world until my last breath." 

"Thank you for a terrific course on meditation. I have found it so helpful. "

What to Expect:

✔ This class meets live on a weekly basis x 6 weeks (with one skipped week after session 3).

✔ Each class lasts 1 hr 15 min, and includes a didactic presentation followed by group meditation sessions. We also have time for discussion and sharing among participants.

✔ New skills are introduced weekly; diaries and prompts are provided to help you practice the skills at home.

✔ The course was developed by a neurologist with the needs of people with Parkinson's in mind, but this is not a clinical relationship. This is a skill-building program, applicable to challenges we all face on a daily basis.

✔ All lectures are recorded and available for viewing at your convenience if you miss a session. You will also get ongoing access to all recordings and materials after the course ends!

No meditation experience necessary!

Frequently Asked Questions About Our Course

What do you mean by meditation skills?

Our brains have a unique capacity for complex thoughts: Problem solving, remembering the past, planning the future. This incredible skill leads to an internal dialogue which, for most of us, is constantly running within our heads.

Meditation is a practice in which we intentionally pay attention to our inner dialogue, and learn to modify our thoughts in a beneficial manner.

Mindfulness is paying attention on purpose. For this course, we learn to be aware of our thoughts, emotions, bodily sensations, and bodily movements as they arise. Mindfulness has been associated with decreased anxiety, and can be cultivated by paying attention to our internal states on regular basis.

Other meditation skills have additional benefits, such as generating positive emotions, learning to quiet our thinking networks (the brain regions involved in thinking), or changing our habitual cognitive patterns.

Is this course only for people affected by Parkinson's disease?

Yes. We are currently targeting a very specific audience. If you are interested in a similar course but are not immediately affected by Parkinson's disease, please email us and we'll let you know options which may be available. Our email address is: [email protected]

Why are meditation skills helpful for people with Parkinson's disease or their care partners?

Meditation has been shown to help with anxiety and depression, which is prevalent among people with Parkinson's disease. There may be additional benefits for controlling movements. You can learn more by listening to the Davis Phinney Podcast.

Is Weill Cornell Medical Center involved in this course?

This course was developed in collaboration with the Weill Cornell Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Institute. Staff and clinicians from Weill Cornell may be present for lectures, and are helping us collect and analyze the findings from the course. The course is primarily run by Mindful Neurology PLLC and its founding physician, Dr Sarah Mulukutla.

Will my information be used for research?

We are currently collecting Quality Assurance data. This means that the information you provide will be de-identified and analyzed anonymously. This is not considered clinical research, but will help us understand if the course makes the impact that we intend. Mindful Neurology and Weill Cornell Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Institute are aiming to conduct a formal research study on this meditation course, based on the positive feedback we have received.

How do I sign up?

You can register by hitting the Enroll button below. There are limited slots, in order to promote community bonding over time.

How do I access the live sessions?

A link for live sessions will be sent to all registrants. We will meet on Zoom. The link will also be available in your Course portfolio on the Mindful Neurology Teachable platform.

How do I access the weekly session recordings?

A course website will be shared where all videos and resources will be housed. The recordings will be uploaded after weekly sessions have been completed. You will maintain access to all course materials for at least 1 year after the course ends.

Will audio meditations also be available in addition to the weekly sessions?

Yes! Numerous guided meditations will be available, and currently several samples are available immediately with registration.

Is this course covered by insurance?

The course is currently accepting a fee to participate.

Patients of the Weill Cornell Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Institute may be eligible for subsidization.

If you are concerned about the cost of this program but have a strong desire to learn meditation and are affected by Parkinson's disease, please email us at [email protected]. A limited amount of scholarships available.

My family member wants to listen in on lectures. Is this ok?

Yes ! Please invite members of your care team to join you on this meditation journey! It will help both of you! No additional fee required.

Any other questions? Please email us at [email protected]