April is World #parkinson ’s Month! A month to increase awareness about this complex neurological disease, and support those impacted by it.

While scientists race to find a cure, there is a lot that can be done to help with quality of life.

Take a look at Parkinson’s Europe, the section on Self-help and Living Well:

https://parkinsonseurope.org/…/self-help-and-living-well/

The Davis Phinney Foundation is a good resource to explore: https://davisphinneyfoundation.org/resources/

The podcast series Two Parkies in a Pod offers advice and tips on how to cope with chronic illness, and the specific challenges of Parkinson’s: https://www.2parkiesinapod.com/

The Haiku Foundation year-long (2024-2025) series ‘Haiku for Parkinson’s’ features #haiku as a tool that may help calm, reframe problem(s), and generally improve the quality of life for those living with disease and the psychosocial entanglements it involves:

See, e.g., ‘My Dyskinesia’: https://thehaikufoundation.org/haiku-for-parkinsons-my…/

Interview of ‘Tim Roberts living with PD’: https://thehaikufoundation.org/haiku-for-parkinsons…/

‘From Haiku for Parkinson’s to Haiku for Healing’: https://thehaikufoundation.org/haiku-for-parkinsons-from…/

‘Through the Lens of Positive Psychology’: https://thehaikufoundation.org/haiku-for-parkinsons…/

And a song by Birdie Belgium, tribute to her mother who lives with Parkinson’s Disease: https://www.google.com/search?q=birdie%20belgium%20song…

https://parkinsonseurope.org/2025/04/07/birdie-belgium-releases-new-song-for-parkinsons/

What do I find helpful in my own journey of the disease? My family and friends; the ‘Betreutes Laufen‘ walking for Parkinson’s group in Augsburg, the Ping Pong Parkinson (PPP) group in Augsburg and the dedicated PPP Course in Koenigsbrunn (see also the nationwide PPP Association https://www.pingpongparkinson.de/); being part of the international online community, writing and reading haiku; felting, gardening…

wildflowers
the lightness of hope
and renewal