Yoga Moves MS will host its annual Holistic Health and Wellness Forum for MS on May 21, focusing on intimacy and sexuality among people living with multiple sclerosis (MS). The event will take place both in person in Lathrup Village, Michigan, and virtually. Yoga Moves MS is a U.S.-based program dedicated to improving the quality of life for individuals with neuromuscular conditions.
The forum aims to provide people with MS and their care partners with information on integrative approaches to wellness. Topics will include adaptive yoga, healthy lifestyle habits, and mind-body strategies that work alongside conventional medical care. Organizers hope the event will encourage patients to take an active role in their health management.
“This forum is for individuals with MS, their family members, care partners, and friends to gain a broader understanding about an integrative, whole systems approach to wellness,” the event webpage states.
Registration for the free event is now open for both online and in-person participants. While attendance is free, a suggested donation of $35 is encouraged to support Yoga Moves MS programming. Check-in will begin at 4 p.m. Eastern Time, and the program will start at 5 p.m.
Forum Highlights Panel on Navigating Intimacy and Sexuality
MS is a disease where the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath around nerve fibers. This can cause symptoms such as pain, fatigue, balance problems, and vision issues. Many people with MS also experience sexual health challenges.
Yoga Moves MS, founded by yoga instructor Mindy Eisenberg, focuses on improving lives through adaptive yoga, wellness education, and holistic care. Eisenberg started the community after working with people facing mobility challenges and being inspired by her mother, who had a progressive form of MS.
Adaptive yoga adapts poses to meet individual needs. Sessions can involve standing, seated, or floor poses, using props like chairs, blankets, blocks, and straps. The practice aims to boost mobility and energy, ease pain, and strengthen emotional resilience.
A key part of this year’s forum is the panel discussion titled “Beyond the Diagnosis: Navigating Intimacy and Sexuality With MS.” The panel will feature Jeanie Cote, MD, a neurologist at Memorial Healthcare Institute for Neuroscience; Amy Raad, a certified sex therapist; and Allison Bell, a physical therapist at the University of Michigan specializing in pelvic floor health.
“With increased awareness and understanding of an integrative and whole systems approach to wellness, patients with MS can actively participate and contribute to their health,” the webpage notes. “Attendees will learn strategies that take into account the whole person — mind, body, and soul.”
Actor, comedian, and MS influencer Damian Washington will open the event with humor and inspiration. Taylor Hess, a neuroimmunologist at the Michigan Institute for Neurological Disorders MS Center, will also give an update on emerging MS treatments.
“The knowledge offered at the event will enhance the MS patient’s ability to improve and maintain an ideal state of health,” according to the organizers.
In-person participants will have the chance to visit the exhibit hall, enjoy a healthy meal, and connect with others in the MS community. Those unable to attend in person can join online.
The event is supported by pharmaceutical companies including Novartis, Biogen, and Genentech. It is also backed by the Kirk Gibson Foundation for Parkinson’s, which has helped Yoga Moves MS expand its Adaptive Yoga Moves Any Body platform for online and in-person access.
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