Description
Yoga Therapy for Parkinson’s with Yanar Alkayat
Living with Parkinson’s can affect far more than movement. Changes in mobility and balance may make everyday activities more demanding, while difficulties with sleep, fatigue, anxiety and mood can add to the challenges a person faces. Symptoms vary considerably from person to person, calling for a therapeutic approach that responds to the individual’s experience, capacities and priorities.
Join Yanar Alkayat, a CNHC-registered, Minded Institute-trained yoga therapist specialising in movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s. Yanar has been delivering chair yoga with Parkinson’s UK since 2020 and is one of four instructors featured in the charity’s Movement Your Way programme, which helps people with Parkinson’s build confidence in being active. She is also currently working with Parkinson’s UK on a research study.
Her mother’s Parkinson’s diagnosis inspired her to study yoga therapy, and supporting people living with the condition has become a central focus of her work. Through individual sessions and group classes, including Parkinson’s UK-funded sessions in east London, she brings practical experience of adapting movement, breathwork and relaxation to different needs and abilities.
Parkinson’s combination of motor and non-motor symptoms makes the comprehensive scope of the kosha model particularly valuable. In this live observation, you will witness how Yanar works across the domains of health affected by the condition, considering movement and physical function alongside energy, sleep, stress and emotional wellbeing. The focus is on how these areas influence one another in the client’s experience, and how attending to those relationships can open up different possibilities for therapeutic support. You will see how Yanar translates that understanding into her choice and adaptation of movement, breathwork and relaxation.
Following the live session, Yanar will lead an interactive discussion and Q&A, sharing what she noticed and the thinking behind her therapeutic choices.
What to Expect
- Each observation begins with a live yoga therapy session, lasting approximately one hour.
- The client will then leave, and the yoga therapist will share reflections, describe their therapeutic approach, and answer questions.
- Participants observe the session with their microphone and camera off.
- During the discussion, participants are welcome to turn their camera and audio on and ask questions.
- If you are attending to meet Minded Institute course requirements, please ensure your camera is on during the Q&A.
- Observations take place on Zoom. Your Zoom link and password will be included in your booking confirmation email. You can also find them at any time by logging in to the students site and going to My Account → Orders, then selecting View beside this order.
- Please note: Due to the sensitive nature of these sessions, recordings are not made or shared.
Participation and Conduct
By attending this observation session, you agree to the following:
- You are responsible for your own health and well-being throughout the session.
- The Minded Institute is not liable for any health or safety issues arising from your participation or observation.
- Any personal information shared during the session is confidential and must not be shared outside the observation setting.
- All participants are expected to treat one another with courtesy and respect.
About the Facilitator
Yanar Alkayat is a CNHC-registered, Minded Institute-trained yoga therapist specialising in movement disorders, particularly Parkinson’s. She has delivered chair yoga with Parkinson’s UK since 2020 and brings experience of individual and group yoga therapy alongside her work as a health and fitness editor and journalist. Read her full biography in the Teacher section below.
