Written by: Sharmee Prabu
“In Edu-K, we see human beings and their bodies as dynamic, not static; what’s important to us is how a person actually functions. We seek to determine the relationship between an individual’s goal or intention and his or her daily patterns of movement.”, says Paul Dennison and Gail E. Dennison in their book Brain Gym 101.
Brain gym is considered as a learning program to bring about rapid improvement in reading, writing, language and numerical skills. Many people use the brain gym activities to enhance the quality of their attention, concentration, relationship, communication, memory, organisational skills, athletic performance and more. Brain gym movements also help special needs children to improve in areas in which they are weak. Brain gym also helps to manage, organise and improve our life skills through personal development.
Learning happens when the mind is at ease. When we get over focused with the new learning challenge, we tend to try hard but unable to stop and think, at the same time when we feel stressed about our tryings and failures, we tend to under focus. Learning requires, ability to notice and be aware. Noticing is a process of focusing one’s attention in the task that we do in the present. The more we start to notice and observe our postural, sensory and movement patterns we start to create a bridge that promotes integrated high gear and integrated low gear abilities to new learning with ease. This promotes movement based learning rather than stress based learning.
The brain gym action balance exercises are divided into 5 easy step for easy and structured learning. We are expected to anchor each of the following steps by noticing one’s thoughts, feelings and movement experience. The 5 steps are as follows:
Prepare to learn by finding your own PACE
Set and PACE a goal
Do pre activities
Choose from a learning menu
Do post activities
PACE is considered as the preparatory exercise that readies the brain and sensory system for new learning. Each one of us have a unique rhythm, timing and flow for new learning. When we relax by noticing our body and mind we tend to relax and sync into new learning at ease. We begin each balance with finding our own PACE. The PACE process works in backward sequence from “E” (ECAP).
Energetic
Human body is made up of about 70 percent water. Water supplies the electrolytes that carry electrical potential across cell membranes to the functioning of the new neural networks being created as we learn. Sipping the water instead of gulping allows the water to be absorbed from the mouth itself to restore hydration. This helps to benefit from doing brain buttons.
Clear
Next step is doing brain buttons. Brain buttons are the electrical reflex points for the eyes. Stimulating these points is similar to doing mini balance for crossing the midline. Brain buttons is done by moving our eyes from left to right as we hold in the kinesthetic midfield. This is done by making a “U” shape with our hand and placing the thumb and index finger just below the collarbone and about an inch to each side of our breast bone. This exercise is done by gently massaging or rubbing the brain button in a circular motion or by tapping gently. While doing the brain buttons one hand is placed on the brain button while the other hand is placed on your belly button. This exercise is done for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. And then switch hands, if you start with right hand on the brain button now do with left hand. Doing brain button prepares us to benefit from doing the cross crawl.
Active
Cross crawl is done by crossing the midline. Touching the left leg with the right hand while bending the knees followed by the opposite side helps to fire the neural pathways in the left and right cerebral hemisphere. The whole body activity of cross crawl prepares the body for whole body relaxation.
Positive
There are two parts in this step: hook ups and rice bowl. Hook ups results in exhibiting reflexive behaviour supporting higher order thinking and decision making by drawing the attention and blood to body’s midfield. Hook ups can be done standing or lying down on your back. Start with crossing your legs, then extend your arms in front of you. Lift both your thumbs up and invert your thumb pointing the ground, then interlace the hand and clasp both hand and draw your hand up towards your chest. Hold this position for a minute or more keeping your eyes closed while holding the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth when you inhale.
Part two is done putting your feet flat on the floor and by putting your finger tips together in front of your chest, continue to breathe deeply for about one minute, while holding the tip of the tongue on the roof of the mouth for about one minute when you inhale.
These four steps clear your body and mind to prepare for consecutive brain gym activities. Make sure you feel positive, active, clear and energetic before you start further exercises. I do this activity with my students during circle time and during times when they find it difficult to focus and concentrate, it greatly helps to bring their focus back to learning and prepares their body and mind for their current challenges.
Reference:
- Brain gym 101 balance for daily life by Paul Dennison and Gail e. Dennison.
- Midline : the line that separates one visual field and hemispheric awareness from the other. Say from left side to right side.
- Midfield : the area where a person’s two visual fields overlap for integrated learning.
Comments