I liked, I wish, what if...?

These are the three powerful jumping off phrases we offer at the end of an improvisation session for Parkinson’s. I’ve run a few of these in San Jose and Seattle and the response has been very positive.

We start with “I like” because it reminds us of the positive work we’ve just done. The games we play are rooted in nearly a decade of research with tens of thousands of participants and all sorts of applications. It can look and feel a bit silly - and some of that is the point. But there’s real science and benefit behind it - not to mention the way it simply makes us feel. Here are a few “I like” comments from participants:

“I liked that this was a lot of fun…”, “I feel very relaxed after a couple hours of this…”, “I liked playing with the magic clay so much I stole some”.

If you want more on that magic clay (or some to steal for yourself), you’re going to have to come to a workshop.

The “I wish” segment speaks toward the desire to do more. Negativity and pain are difficult but real parts of what many go through with Parkinson’s - not just those who have it, but those who are affected by it including care partners, wellness and medical providers. It’s so important to act on the positive and remind ourselves of the need to ask for what we want.

“I wish that more Parkinson’s events were more like this”, “I wish that there were more happy ways for us to exercise and express ourselves”, “I wish this could go on for another couple of hours”.

Finally, we end with “What if…?”. This is where we allow ourselves to dream. The world of many with PD becomes much smaller. Things are lost or taken away. Often there is isolation. The walls can feel like they’re closing in. Using our imagination allows us to consider possibilities beyond our immediate selves.

“What if I could use this learning today to improve relationships?”, “What if I could do this with my grandchildren?”, “What if we played and enjoyed life as much as we did today?”

These are the types of comments that let me know we’re making a positive impact. To be clear, and I say this often, improvisation is not a silver bullet or a miracle cure. It’s work - play-work, to be sure - but something that must be done regularly, like eating well and working out, to realize the benefits. The nice thing is, beyond being fun and social, is it’s relatively simple to engage and the skills you need to participate are already within you.

I look forward to bringing more of this work/play to Las Vegas for the benefit of all who have or are affected by PD. We can and will do better together.

— written by Robert Cochrane

— photo by Danielle Bortone-Holt