Yoga instructor Elizabeth Armentino-Burd will demonstrate yoga for people with Parkinson’s at the July 10 meeting of the Lincoln County Healthcare Parkinson’s Support Group.

The group normally meets on the first Thursday of each month at 2 p.m. at Chase Point Assisted Living on the Miles Campus of LincolnHealth in Damariscotta. Due to the holiday, the July meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 10. People with Parkinson’s Disease as well as their caregivers and loved ones are invited to attend.

Armentino-Burd is the founder of PD Yoga for ME, a practice she started after working as a personal trainer with clients who had Parkinson ’s disease and seeing how they benefited when she included yoga and guided meditation in their sessions.

“I noticed that through guided meditation, some people with tremors relaxed enough that the tremors would slowly decrease in intensity and in some cases stop all together,” she said.

Parkinson's disease is a disorder of the brain that leads to shaking (tremors) and difficulty with walking, movement and coordination. The condition can make it difficult or impossible to drive, use a computer or communicate clearly.

Recent research indicates that exercise, including tai chi and yoga, can help people with Parkinson’s by improving symptom management and possibly slowing the progression of the disease.

Started about a year ago, the therapy group is run by and for people with Parkinson’s to offer people with the condition the chance to share information and talk about their experience.

Jennifer Bryce, a LincolnHealth speech therapist who works with people with Parkinson’s to help them increase the volume and clarity of their speech, said it is important that people learn about the resources in their own community that can help them maintain and improve their quality of life.