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Brain Gym

Brain Exercise Users Claim Success

Jun 28, 2007

Brain Exercises Improve Learning, ablestock.com

Brain Gym is a series of body movements or exercises that are believed to help with many learning disabilities and other roadblocks to success.

History

In the 1970s Dr. Paul Dennison and Gail E. Dennison were looking for a teaching aid that would help students with disabilities learn more effectively. The Dennisons were led to brain function research and were impressed with studies done using kinesiology. The research done by developmental specialists stated that physical movements can enhance learning and performance by balancing the flow from the left brain to the right brain.

The Dennisons created Brain Gym based on the research that developed the brain’s neural pathways like the body does naturally with movement. The Brain Gym activities became a new approach in the field of Education Kinesiology, Edu-K or learning through movement.

Skeptics

There are those that do not believe in the mind and body connections and scoff at the research and claims. In order to accept Brain Gym, individuals need to be open to the theory that our body contains energy that flows within a meridian system. William Lee Rand states in his book, Reiki: The Healing Touch, "We are alive because life energy or Ki is flowing through us. Ki flows within the physical body through pathways called chakras, meridians and nadis. It also flows around us in a field of energy called the aura. The free and balanced flow of Ki is the cause of health. When flow is disrupted, it causes diminished functioning."

Believers

Dr. B. McClellan of the UK operates a Brain Gym school and believes that the movements can lessen the symptoms of:

Dyslexia
Dyspraxia
Attention deficit
Asperger’s syndrome
Behavior problems
Poor memory
Poor concentration
Poor organization skills
Weak body coordination
Eye-strain
Chronic stress
Phobias

McClellan is one of thousands that use the movements and claims the exercises are successful.

Today

Brain Gym is used in more than 80 countries in some of the following areas:

Public schools
Private schools
Corporations
Performing arts
Athletic training

More Information

If you are interested in learning more about Brain Gym and the science behind it, neurobiologist Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. writes about how the physical movements work in the brain in Smart Moves: Why Learning is not all in Your Head.

Corporations that want to apply Brain Gym to the business world may be interested in Brain Gym For Business by Jerry V. Teplitz, JD, PhD. It explains the movements and divides them into various categories that could be useful in the corporate world.

For teachers, the most useful text would be Brain Gym by Paul E. Dennison giving brief information and illustrations of each of the 26 movements. For more information, the Dennisons have written Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition. All are available on braingym.com and braingym.org.

Read previous articles on Educational Issues.

The copyright of the article Brain Gym in Educational Issues is owned by Barbara Pytel. Permission to republish Brain Gym in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Brain Exercises Improve Learning

Comments

Jun 28, 2007 11:27 AM

Dorit Sasson :

It is interesting to know what kind of teacher we are according to how strong our left or right brains are and what that shows about our teaching.

Jun 28, 2007 1:04 PM

Barbara Pytel :

I learned at a workshop that right-brained teachers tend to teach at the lower levels and left-brained at higher levels. That makes sense. Left-brains lecture and right-brains do more hands-on things, stories, and projects.

Jun 29, 2007 12:10 AM

Dorit Sasson :

Right, right brainers are also more organized . It is possible to be moderately in the middle as well.

Jun 29, 2007 9:06 PM

Christine Alcott :

I have a book of Brain Gym exercises that I use with my own children for homeschooling. Sometimes we just need a brain warm up in the morning, or a freshen up in the afternoon. These little exercises help us get back on track!

Jun 30, 2007 7:20 PM

Barbara Pytel :

I tried to recommend Brain Gym for our state testing--something to do between exams. It was not met enthusiastically by staff. I will keep trying. It is good to know someone is finding success with Brain Gym.

Jul 5, 2007 6:56 AM

Victoria Anisman-Reiner :

I love the brain gym exercises - they're a big part of what I use from <a href="http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/donna_edens_energy_medicine">Energy Medicine</a> to help ADD, ADHD and <a href="http://newteachersupport.suite101.com/article.cfm/indigo_kids">indigo kids</a>.

My experience has been that Brain Gym really does work - although like you, the school board near me has been less than enthusiastic when I offered to teach FREE Brain Gym seminars to teachers and/or parents and students.

I think the biggest part of the problem is that it's hard to concisely explain what Brain Gym IS and what it does. If you'd like more info about the background, my article on energy <a href="http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_are_meridians">meridians</a> might be helpful.

~Victoria

Jul 5, 2007 7:08 AM

Barbara Pytel :

I've linked the meridian article within Brain Gym. Thanks. I have taken Reiki and Touch For Health classes so have an understanding of this but I would assume most people do not.

Sep 6, 2008 7:04 PM

Guest :

Having bumped into edu-k through Paul Scheeles photoreading for learning and research it was a enlightening 7 minutes for me when watching and following the excersises I felt the points immediatley released and focus that was more naturely with the cobination of touching points and movementI could not believe it and how simple it was when I started to try some of these exercises (they do work for real!).

Let me tell you about me I am fortie six this year I left secondary school with no formal education and lengthy prison terms but through age and determination I left the past behind me and decided to challenge life but one problem I was suffering from lack of confidence so I went through the mill of using the lastest technologie some helpfull but nothing really outstanding until I came across edu-k nothing like it I ever tried before and got such amazing result. You teach the next generation and you could liable wipe out crime and creating a generation of peace.

8 Comments