Is your child out of control? Does he/she get hyper-stimulated and stay that way, despite your best efforts to re-direct? Do you find yourself getting anxious and worrying about things that are out of your control, sweating and fretting? Anxiety, stimulation, excitement. We all experience these things, and they can all be good, until they…[ Read the full article ]
This is the ninth and final part of the Brain Gym explanation. This is a continuation of the Energy Exercises and Deepening Attitudes. These activities help children activate the neo-cortex, enabling them to think better. This article will discuss the Thinking Cap, Hook-Ups, and Positive Points. The Thinking Cap “helps the student focus attention on…[ Read the full article ]
This is the seventh part of the Brain Gym explanation. These exercises and postures “help to re-establish neural connections between body and brain, thus facilitating the flow of electromagnetic energy throughout the body”. Many people, in times of stress, operate primarily from the brain stem, activating the “flight, fight, or freeze” mode. “Energy Exercises and…[ Read the full article ]
This is the sixth part of the Brain Gym explanation. This is a continuation of the Lengthening Activities. These activities help children “develop and reinforce those neural pathways that enable them to make connections between what they already know in the back of the brain and the ability to express and process that information in…[ Read the full article ]
This is the fourth part of the Brain Gym explanation. Last time I discussed Neck Rolls, the Rocker, and Belly Breathing, which are still Midline Movements. The last three exercises in this category are the Cross Crawl Sit-ups, the Energizer, and Think of an X. The Cross Crawl Sit-ups help to strengthen the abdominals, relax…[ Read the full article ]
This is the third part of the Brain Gym explanation. Last time I discussed double doodles, alphabet 8’s, and the elephant. This time I wish to explain Neck Rolls, the Rocker, and Belly Breathing, which are still Midline Movements. The Neck Rolls are to relax the neck and release tension. Have the child roll the…[ Read the full article ]
Brain Gym, developed by Paul E. and Gail E. Dennison, is a “series of simple and enjoyable movements that we use with our students in Educational Kinesiology to enhance their experience of whole-brain learning”. The book features chapters on Midline Movements, Lengthening Activities, Energy Exercises and Deepening Attitudes, and Brain Gym at Work and Play.…[ Read the full article ]