To be clear, before last year, I had no experience with Improv. Like most, I grew up watching the early models, never dreaming I would be capable of doing such a thing. 
Now, I don't ever want to be without it. Learning how to say "yes, and" to what life has to offer is giving me back some of the 'people skills' Parkinson's Disease (PD) robbed me of. It is breaking me out of social isolation and re-teaching me how to get in touch with the 'people person' I used to be.
Socializing became awkward with PD. Making connections with a team of supportive people while learning Improv games is the best medicine I've found yet. The more I learned, the less I focused on the negative aspects of my symptoms. I've learned to roll with whatever body part is acting up that day. Yes, and I take all those skills with me. I collect the songs, smiles, and lessons. I keep them close in my bag of tricks. I take them out when paranoia and frustration sneak in. Those thoughts of uncertainty often happen around pill time—an experience I call dosage anxiety—periods when my internal tremor can cause severe self-doubt and worry about the unknown.
The lessons we learn in Jam for Joy are specifically designed to help with these 'off' times. We work hard and play hard. We share our frustrations and lean into each other's unknowns. We learn and grow together within the safe space we co-create at will, readjusting the games as needed. We support each other with smiles and laughs and wish each other well until we meet again.
All this has made a significant difference in my symptoms. For several years, my most obvious symptom was jaw and mouth tremors, causing the all-too-common symptom of drooling at the most inopportune times. Little by little, over the past 12 months, that annoying chattering in my head is gone. Yes, and I suffered from that for the better part of 5 years.
My overall symptoms have improved in part because of the constant reminder of 'Yes, And' instead of 'Yes, but'. 'Yes, and' I can change how I look at that long walk, that life challenge, that new task I've never tried before. Attitude is everything. 'Yes, And' definitely gives me a head start on pushing past the obstacles; 'Yes, but' would have prevented me from ever trying.
Most of all, I'm learning to accept the things I can't change. Total acceptance allows me to be myself with no regrets. Letting my hair down with a great team of people who are all there for the same reason: to have fun in a place we all belong. Cultivating hope while practicing to live in the present, with full knowledge that I'm no longer alone. Along with the reassurance that in a few short days, our group will meet, play, laugh, and sometimes cry again.
Another miracle I've experienced: For at least 5 years, I wasn't able to type more than a couple of paragraphs at a time without extreme pain. It took a couple of months of fumbling and bumbling during my first round of the Cinema Therapy class last fall. Little by little, Dianne Brambell, Michael Quaglia, and Robert Cochrane witnessed my typing improve. Following my bliss, just as Joseph Campbell suggested, made that much of an impact on my life and my symptoms. Turning me into walking, talking, and typing proof of how the magical power of improv has changed me for the better.
Please check out www.yesandexercise.org and learn how the words 'Yes, And' can help you change your life too.
