PUBLIC WORKSHOP
London Symposium
Alexander Technique for Parkinson's
Skills for People living with Parkinson's (PlwPD) to help manage motor and non-motor symptoms and for Care Partners to manage the daily challenges of caregiving using AT Principles
An interactive afternoon for People Living With Parkinson's, their Families and Partners, Allied Health Professionals, Research Scientists, or other Medical Care Providers, Exercise Scientists & Exercise Trainers, Somatic Practitioners or members of the local or regional Parkinson's support community.
This workshop will clarify the relevance of Alexander technique (AT) based "active learning" interventions as part of a contemporary Care Team approach for treatment of Parkinson's motor and non-motor symptoms.
DATE: Sunday, 4 February 2018
TIME: 12:00PM-5:00PM
LOCATION: Central London near Regents Park
(You will receive directions to the venue after your registration is confirmed)
LED BY:
Monika Gross
Executive Director, The Poise Project
Glenna Batson, Sc.D., PT
Research Consultant, The Poise Project
Daniel Shepherd
Founder AT4PD
You are invited to an interactive afternoon where:
As a Person Living with Parkinson's (PlwPD) you can learn how to begin applying Alexander-based strategies to help improve your balance, alignment and movement, and prevent falls and "freezing."
As a Care Partner of a PlwPD you can learn how to begin applying Alexander-based strategies to help meet the day-to-day physical and emotional stresses of caregiving.
For Allied Health Professionals, Research Scientists, or other Medical Care Providers the workshop is designed to offer a new understanding of the relevance of Alexander technique (AT) based "active learning" interventions as part of the contemporary Team Approach for treatment of Parkinson's symptoms.
The main objective of this workshop is to introduce the potential for Alexander technique (AT) to become an important part of the care team approach for managing symptoms for People Living With Parkinson's.
Our goal is to demonstrate how adaptive Alexander-based programs can show PLWP how to actively choose and use functional patterns that promote optimal postural tone, empowering them in managing their physical symptoms, increasing their independence and improving their quality of life.
DONATIONS ARE SUGGESTED
This workshop is free, but tax-deductible contributions of any amount will be gratefully collected as a fundraiser for the Alexander Technique charity, The Walter Carrington Educational Trust and their AT for Parkinson's Project . The funds will be used for subsidising AT-based programming for PlwPD and their care partners.
You may make a donation at the event,
or donate now at this link.
(Please write in "AT for Parkinson's Project" in the "Personalise Your Donation" box.)
REGISTER
www.thepoiseproject.org/london-symposium-at4pd-awareness-day
PLEASE NOTE
This symposium is a media event and will be videotaped. By attending you are giving your permission for photos and video images recorded of you at this event to be used for educational and promotional purposes by The Poise Project® and AT4PD.
QUESTIONS?
Please contact Daniel Shepherd danielshaershepherd@gmail.com or +447714465170
DETAILED SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE
Please wear loose clothing that allows you to move in a relaxed way. No need for exercise clothing! You may wish to bring a mat, blanket or towel for the Active Rest time, which is usually carried out lying on the floor. You may also easily do this activity sitting in a chair if you prefer.
12:15PM - 12:40PM
Checking In & Collecting Suggested Donations
12:40PM - 12:55PM Introductions
AT4PD - Daniel Shepherd
The Poise Project®' - Monika Gross, Executive Director
12:55PM - 1:10PM
AT for PD Research and Medical Perspectives - Glenna Batson, ScD, PT, MA, Physical Therapist and Independent Scholar and Researcher, Dublin Ireland
1:10PM - 1:25PM
AT for PD: Teacher insights - AT teachers share ways of working with PlwPD
1:25PM - 1:40PM
AT for PD: Living with PD - PlwPD and Carers sharing how AT has helped them
1:40PM - 1:45PM
Chose activities and divide into groups
1:45PM - 2:35PM Breakout Sessions
Choose One Breakout:
1) Active Learning: Balance and Gait
2) Active Learning: Undoing Stress and Anxiety
3) Q & A Presentation: An Overview of Related Research on AT for PD
2:35PM - 2:45PM 10-MINUTE BREAK
2:45PM - 3:05PM
Group Active Learning Session - Guided Active Rest for Everyone
3:05PM - 3:55PM Breakout Sessions
Choose One Breakout:
1) Active Learning: Vocal Volume
2) Active Learning: AT and Exercise
3) Q & A Presentation: AT for PD in the Patient Setting
"A New Member of the Interdisciplinary Care Team: The Skilled Patient - Alexander Technique training for Patient Self-regulation with Long-term Retention of Benefits"
3:55PM - 4:30PM Group Sharing: "What I Learned" - Discussion & Questions
4:30PM - 4:45PM Final Active Learning Session
Transitioning AT into Daily Life:
We will invite a few interested participants to suggest daily activities to try out using what they have been learning, with AT reminders and guidance from a teacher
4:45PM-5:00PM Looking Ahead: The Future of AT for Parkinson's
The Poise Project Team Member, AT teacher Candace Cox, teaching how to use Alexander-based principles for improving balance and stability
The Poise Project Team Member, AT teacher Robbin L Marcus working with a student on getting on and off the floor with grace and ease.
The Poise Project Team Member, AT teacher Morgan Rysdon, teaching the Alexander-based "Active Rest" process for self-management to reduce stressful overstimulation and restore natural poise
THE POISE PROJECT® is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization launched in 2016 to bring Alexander technique principles to new populations, and to increase accessibility across broad socio-economic groups.
Our Mission is maintaining natural poise and personal growth throughout all stages and challenges of life through the principles of Alexander technique (AT).
Our Mission is realized through promotion of the profession, creation of programs adapted for specific populations and industries, and support of cutting edge research in the field.
We use a coordinated team approach uniting individuals who have benefited from AT, industry expert advocates, and AT professionals.
Learn more about our "AT for Parkinson's" initiative:
www.thepoiseproject.org/alexander-technique-for-parkinsons
The Poise Project® Executive Director, Monika Gross, teaching some ease of sitting balance at workshop at the Constructive Teaching Centre, London, October 2016.
MONIKA GROSS is Executive Director of The Poise Project, a nonprofit with the mission of maintaining natural poise and continuous personal growth throughout all stages and challenges of life through the principles of Alexander technique (AT).
The Poise Project is committed to removing barriers and making AT available across socio-economic groups and to those with chronic conditions. It received a $25,000 Parkinson's Foundation 2017 Moving Day® Community Grant to deliver "Partnering with Poise," an AT-based course for care partners of people living with Parkinson's disease, at six sites across North Carolina. We have just been awarded a second Parkinson's Foundation Moving Day® Community Grant for $10,000 to expand our "Partnering with Poise" care partner course to the Washington DC area in Fall 2018.
Monika had her first AT lesson in 1976 and was certified in 1985 in Lydia Yohay's (ACAT) teacher training program in NYC. She is a teaching member of the American Society for the Alexander Technique (AmSAT) and Alexander Technique International (ATI), as well as a member of the local regional AT teacher consortium Alexander Teachers of the Mountain Region (ATMR). She is also a Registered Somatic Movement Educator with the International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA). Monika holds a BFA in Drama from the North Carolina School of the Arts.
Monika is co-owner of Form Fitness & Functiona, and has a private AT practice in Asheville and in Charlotte NC. She also offers AT training via Skype or Zoom.
Email: monika.gross@thepoiseproject.org
Website: thepoiseproject.org
Phone: (USA) 1-828-254-3102 (EST)
CV: https://tinyurl.com/y9yajdd6
GLENNA BATSON, ScD., MA, M.AmSAT, M.ISATT is a Research Consultant for The Poise Project. Glenna is a graduate of Hahnemann Medical University in Physical Therapy. She holds a Masters in dance education and received her doctorate in clinical neurology in 2006. Glenna certified as an Alexander technique instructor in 1989. For twenty-two years, she was a professor of physiotherapy (Masters and Doctor of Science) in America for the North Carolina State University system, where she pioneered a number of research projects in integrative medicine, studying the effects on balance of these different complementary approaches: Alexander Technique and motor imagery for the community elderly and elite dancers, and improvisational dance for Parkinson’s disease. She is Professor Emeritus at Winston-Salem State University and Research Associate Professor in Health & Exercise Science at Wake Forest University. A Fulbright Senior Specialist, Glenna completed residencies in dance science and Somatics at Trinity-Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London, and the Universities of Tallinn and Tartu in Estonia. Her career has taken her down four intertwined paths: dance, body-mind education (Somatics), human movement science, and rehabilitation medicine. Seeing the art in science and the science in the arts, Glenna has written many articles to unify concepts from these distant disciplines as to ignite interest in the crossing tributaries of knowledge. In 2014, two of her books were published: Body and Mind in Motion: Dance and Neuroscience in Conversation and (as co-editor and contributor) Dance, Somatics and Spiritualities: Contemporary Sacred Narratives. Glenna has advocated for Alexander technique work for many years and has taught in over 13 countries worldwide. In 2015, she co-directed the 10th World Congress for the Alexander Technique at the University of Limerick in 2015. Glenna lives with her husband in Newbridge, Co. Kildaire, Ireland
Email: glenna.batson@gmail.com
Phone: +353 085 2549010 (GMT)
Website: http://glennabatson.com/
CV: https://tinyurl.com/ya7xfbyr
Publications: http://glennabatson.com/articles/
DANIEL SHEPHERD is the founder of AT4PD - Alexander Technique for Parkinson's. He is currently in a three-year training to become a certified a Alexander technique instructor in Anthony Kingsley's training program in Mayfair. You can learn more about the AT4PD initiative by joining our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/192909304602112/
EMAIL: danielshaershepherd@gmail.com
PHONE: +447714465170 (GMT)