Brain Gym

Muriel's speech at May 29th meeting

What is BG?

BG is a series of movements that help the brain learn.

How does this happen?

The movements activate and integrate neurons in the brain and whole brain learning takes place.

Who can / or has benefitted?

Many students, LD students, soccer players, trauma patients and golf players have been helped by BG.

How was it developed?

BG was dev. by Dr. Paul Dennison in Ventura, California. He worked with LD children and wanted new methods to help. He was a marathon runner and noticed it helped him. He was also looking at an own problems with dyslexia. Much research went into BG and many disciplines were brought together to form the program. He combined, ocular training, sensory motor training, acupressure, acupuncture, chiropractor methods in his work.

How did I get involved?

Many years ago when I was teaching PE, I noticed children who found gym difficult also had learning problems. (Not all but often this was the case)

I was very interested in this and had implemented sensory motor training in the gym. The janitors built a large plywood box with shapes cut on all sides for the children to use. This was to help with spatial relations and math skills. At one time I even set up a spare class room with balance beam, tires, directionality chart, etc. for the improvement of gross motor skills.

Many years later I became a classroom teacher and at Teacher’s Convention in Montreal I heard a psychologist speak on Brain Gym. I took all the info and kept thinking about this wonderful program that seemed too good to be true. But the life of a teacher is very hectic I did not implement the program that year.

The following year our principal announced at a staff meeting there was a grant available for a team of teachers who wanted to travel and learn about another best practice. I immediately got excited and looked up my BG materials and the area the research had been done. Wells it turned out my Principal applied and won the grant and we travelled to Ventura, California, and New Years day 2000.

We were impressed with the program and the teachers who were using it. The research had shown great improvements in reading skills.

We did a similar research project where my class and the other grade 5 class were tested in Nov. using the CTBS results. I then implemented the BG program which involved doing simple exercises and allowed the students to have water bottles at their desks.

We tested both groups in April and the results were very interesting. My class had lower results on average in Nov. but made more improvements in April! The same was true of the grade 4 class that did the same program.

These results have been repeated in other schools. The research and science is showing that BG works for all people not just children.

THE MOVEMENTS:

The first movement involves crossing over the mid line of the body.

Think of your body like an X.

In the 1930’s, Dr. W. Penfield in Montreal was the first to determine that the brain has two hemispheres which control opposite sides of the body. He did this by doing brain surgery on a woman and keeping her awake. He probed various parts of the brain and noticed opposite parts of the body moved and was able to speak with her. This research has been valuable to scientists around the world. Today with all the advanced imaging equipment such as PET scans and MRI much more has been learned about the brain.

So the left hemisphere controls the right side of the body and the left side controls the right.

Now let’s do the movements.

1. Standing allow your hand to touch your opposite knee, continue this alternating hand and knee for 1 minute.

2. Do the same exercise using your elbow touching your knee.

3. Repeat the same exercise only this time touch behind your body the opposite heel.

Theory behind this is that the brain needs to make neural connections between both hemispheres of the brain in order to operate to the best of its ability.

Much research has been done on this area including Delacato’s work with repatterning. i.e. getting people to go back to crawling using large left/ right movements. This method has been also used with stoke patients.

Movement 2

Lazy 8: make large 8s with your extended arm and look at your thumb.

Keep your head straight only move your eyes. Repeat with other hand.

This is training the eyes to pass the midline of the body an exercise needed in reading easily.

Movement

The Owl

Take you arm across your body and hold your shoulder .turn your head and eyes towards that side. Hold for 30 sec. repeat both sides.

This exercise crosses the auditor midline of the body and improves short and long term memory.

Belly Breathing

Breathe deeply in and out. Now breathe outwards continuously from your nose with your hand on your abdomen the hand should move in and out. This gets OXYGEN to the brain. The brain requires a lot of oxygen to perform optimally. The more oxygen equals more energy.

Buttons:

These buttons are acupressure points that help the body and brain. They should be held for 30 secs. on each side of the body.

1. Earth buttons: press one hand above pubic bone and the other two fingers on the chin. This helps mental fatigue. Help with midline and lateral movements. Alternate hands.

2. Space buttons: one hand on spine the other hand use 2 fingers on upper lip.

Helps with relaxation, depth perception

3. Thinking caps: stimulates the cartilage of the ears by gently pulling them back and unrolling them. 400 acupressure points are stimulated in the ear.

4. Balance buttons: massage the bottom of the mastoid bone on the base of the skull, the other hand is on the navel. Stimulate the semicircular canals and reticular systems. Assist with hearing and balance.

5. Brain buttons: place one hand on the tissue under the clavicle and massage while other hand is on the navel. This stimulate carotid artery for increased blood flow to the brain and also increases electromagnetic energy.

6. Energy yawn: Place hand on jaw and massage. 50% of all neurological connection passes through this area.

7. Hook ups: Cross feet and cross opposite hands hold and repeat other side. Very good for emotional control

8. Positive points: massage points forehead between hairline and eyebrows. This helps when thinking under stress.

ENERGY:

The body is a very complex electromagnetic machine. Drinking water helps keep the fluids and gives energy to keep going. The brain and spine are bathed in Spinal fluid and require H2O as well. All neurotransmitters eg serotonin, dopamine etc require water to operate effectively. Apparently 50 neurotransmitters have been found in the body. Neurotransmitters allow connections between nerve cells.

Coffee dehydrates the body and brain. Thinking is improved when the body is hydrated.

Divide your body weight by 3 to find the amount of water your body requires in a day.

As you can see movement plays a very important part in keeping our brains fit, so “FEEL FIT” gals get out there and keep your brain and body going.

Muriel Davies

PE teacher