Information and Resources

Lots of opportunities and information below for music and movement activities. Links provided for more information or to sign up.

Carolyn Bagdoyan and Trisha Stotler are offering again this fall their 6-week class series, Growing Resilience: Mindfulness and Body Awareness for People with Parkinson’s Disease. The class, which begins September 28th, combines strategies and techniques from Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program with therapeutic yoga practice. For more information or to sign up, click on the link above, or contact Carolyn at hearttreeyoga@gmail.com.

Woody McMahon of Sequoia Health and Fitness in Herndon will be one of our guest speakers in October. He offers balance, strength, mobility, posture, and brain health activity and exercise classes designed to help prevent falls and improve balance, among other benefits. His website includes a schedule of classes and a complimentary session. Woody can be reached at woody@sequoiahealth.com.

Clint Wutzke, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Science at George Mason University is scheduled as our other guest speaker in October. He has visited us before. His department has been studying exercise, specifically gait and balance, to help people with Parkinson’s disease. He will update us on their work, including their latest research project, which includes a 12-week one-on-one exercise program. They are actively recruiting! For more information, see Mason kicks off clinical trail for treating Parkinson’s. Email Clint at cwutzke@gmu.edu or call 703-993-1903.

We’ve been contacted by Josh Schrader of Capital Music Therapy Services. They are in Fairfax City and are starting a Parkinson’s music group in September. The group will sing, dance, play musical instruments, socialize and have lots of fun while working on motor control and quality of life. Josh can be reached at joshua.schrader@capitalmts.com or 301-785-3596.

The latest newsletter from Parkinson’s Social Network, always a great resource for helpful information, lists a Therapy Info and Demo Night for the music program referenced above on August 24 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. See the newsletter for address and contact information.

At the Kennedy Center on Thursday, September 12, 12:00-1:00 pm: Singercize! Improving Parkinson’s Disease Symptoms through Singing. Sponsored by the American Music Therapy Association, the workshop on music therapy designed for Parkinson’s patients, will be led by Elizabeth Stegemoller, PhD, MT-BC. It is part of The REACH Opening Festival, 16 days of “creativity in action,” from September 7-22. Events are free, but you do need time-entry passes, available online.

One of our members shared Fairfax County Services for Older Adults, which offers information about available resources.

Parkinson’s Foundation of the National Capital Area (PFNCA) has added a Dance for Parkinson’s class on Tuesdays from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Virginian. More information on this class and other Virginia classes and programs can be found here.