JEEDA'S LOVE AND PASSION: BEAUTIFUL PATH TO THE BRAINS

"BRAIN GYM"

Brain Gym® refers to a programme of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation (U.S.A) used to improve many different skills including listening, attention, memory, coordination and academic skills. It incorporates gentle physical movements to coordinate the brain and body for greater productivity and learning. Brain Gym is a system of exercises developed by Dr. Paul Dennison to assist people with learning, and behavior.

BRAIN GYM BENEFITS

· Those wanting to address stress and anxiety and make positive changes in their live

· Learners of all ages by improving the learning of skills and so their self esteem

· Teachers and students who use Brain Gym movements regularly in their classrooms

· Early Childhood teachers who want to improve foundation movement skills with pre-schoolers.

· Sporting people who want to improve their sports performance

· Business people and Educators who want improved organisational skills

· Families where parents and children work together for better communication.

WHAT DOES BRAIN GYM DO?

· Activates your brain and body for optimal functioning and learning

· Releases stress and anxiety from your system

· Builds confidence and self esteem

· Increases vitality and energy

· Improves memory, communication, organisation, academic and study skills, and performance

· Helps develop mind/body awareness so you can recognize the physical, emotional and mental signs that you are switching off and getting stressed.

BRAIN GYM MAY HELP TO IMPROVE

· Concentration & Complex Thinking

· Memory

· Auditory Processing & Listening

· Language and Communication

· Speech

· Vision

· Academic Skills: Reading, Writing, Spelling & Maths

· Comprehnsion

· Positive Thinking and Self Esteem

· Creativity and the Generation of New Ideas

· Coordination and Athletic Performance

· Stress Release

BRAIN GYM® EXERCISES

Brain Gym® exercises are exercises designed to help the brain function better during the learning process. These exercises are based on the idea that that simple physical exercise helps blood flow to the brain and can help improve the learning process by making sure the brain stays alert. These simple exercises are based on the copyrighted work of Paul E. Dennison, Ph.D., and Gail E. Dennison.

Every nerve and cell is a network contributing to our intelligence and our learning capability. There are 26 Brain Gym movements which are part of larger system called Educational Kinesiology.

BRAIN GYM		NOTES
1	DRINK WATER	Water comprises more of the brain (with estimates of 90%) than of any other organ of the body. Drink some water before and during class can help "grease the wheel". Drinking water is very important before any stressful situation - tests! - as we tend to perspire under stress, and de-hydration can affect our concentration negatively.
LATERALIZATION Concerns the way the left and right hemispheres interact. The left hemisphere is specialized in sequential logical operations (language and logics), while the right one allows us a holistic global vision of reality (music and spatiality).
2	Cross Crawl	Benefits spelling, writing, listening, reading and comprehension. It improved coordination for sports, and physical activities. It also benefits hearing and vision. Helps coordinate right and left brain by exercising the information flow between the two hemispheres. It is useful for spelling, writing, listening, reading and comprehension. · Stand or sit. Put the right hand across the body to the left knee as you raise it, and then do the same thing for the left hand on the right knee just as if you were marching. · Just do this either sitting or standing for about 2 minutes.
3	Lazy Eights	Improves reading comprehension and long term memory and also eye-muscles coordination, connection between hemispheres, bi-ocular and peripheral vision, and reading speed. · Draw horizontal eight's in the air with your hands.
4	Double Doodle	Helps with following directions, reading, spelling, math, sports coordination, and peripheral vision. Improves these learning skills of understanding of writing symbols, spelling accurateness, and Maths calculations. · Sketching two images with both hands.
5	The Elephant	Improves listening comprehension, short and long term memory, thinking ability, spelling and math. Activates the inner ear for improved balance and so integrates the brain for listening with both ears. It improves listening comprehension and attention, short- and long-term memory, and thinking ability
FOCALIZATION Develop and reinforce those neural paths which link what they already know (which lays in the back of their brain) with the ability to process and express the information (frontal lobes)
6	The Owl	Beneficial for listening comprehension, speech, spelling, mathematical computation, typing and computer work. Enhances attention and memory. · The owl's movements improve visual and auditory skills and also head rotation. · They lessen the neck tension which develops in distressing conditions. · The owl lengthens neck and shoulders' muscles while reestablishing width of movement and facilitating the blood flow to the brain.
7	Arm Activation	Improves penmanship, creative writing, and spelling. Improves attention span, focus and concentration. Also improves ability to express ideas. It activates the brain for expressive reading, diaphragm relaxation and deep breathing, hand-eye coordination and tool controlling skills. · The active arm lengthens muscles in the upper part of chest and shoulders. · When these muscles are contracted writing and tool controlling skills are inhibited.
8	The gravitational glider	Betters reading comprehension, mental Maths calculations and abstract thinking. · uses balance and gravity in order to lessen tension in the hips and pelvic area thus allowing to student to discover more comfortable postures when sitting or standing up.
9	The rocker	Activate the brain for study skills, left-to-right visual skills, attention and comprehension. · The rocker massages the hamstring and gluteus muscle groups (the bottom, in other words...). · It can be very pleasant after hours spent sitting in the classroom. · It also stimulates the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid into the spinal column
CENTRALIZATION Mostly relaxation exercises which help to reestablish the neural networks between brain and body and, this way, facilitating the passage of electromagnetic flow through the body. These activities help the chemical and electrical processes which take place during mental and physical efforts.
10	Brain Buttons	Improves right and left brain communication, writing, typing, computer work, reading, eliminating reversed letters and numbers. Helps improve blood flow to the brain to "switch on" the entire brain. The increased blood flow helps improve concentration skills required for reading, writing, etc. Activates the brain for reading skills and memorization. · Put one hand so that there is as wide a space as possible between the thumb and index finger. · Place your index and thumb into the slight indentations below the collar bone on each side of the sternum. Press lightly in a pulsing manner. · At the same time put the other hand over the navel area of the stomach. Gently press on these points for about 2 minutes. · One hand massages two spots below the clavicle while the other rests on the navel. The movement stimulates the carotid artery and this way enhances the blood flow to the brain.
11	Earth Buttons	Improves organization, reading, and mental alertness. Improves reading skills. · One hand fingers rest on the lower lip while the others stay on the pubic bone. · While having the sensation of a better connection between the upper and lower parts of the body the students feels more stable and centered.
12	Balance Buttons	Improve inferencing skills, critical judgement and decision making. Facilitates an open and receptive attitude. Improves spelling and math. improves the next learning skills critical and decisional capacities, spelling accurateness, and Maths calculations. · These buttons reestablish balance in every dimension: left-right, above-under, behind-before. · Massages the spot where the skull is attached to the neck and, at the same time, the navel.
13	Space Buttons	Helps organization, reading, and ability to focus on a task, increased interest and motivation. improves these learning skills focusing during a test, reading, motivation and interest. · One hand rests on the upper lip while the other lays on the back-bone. · It activates the brain for relaxation and concentration, eye-contact in communication with people
14	Thinking Caps	Helps with mental arithmetic, short term memory, listening comprehension, spelling, and tuning out distractions. It improves listening comprehension, public speaking, and spelling. Helps to focus attention on hearing. It also lessens tension in skull bones. · Gently pulls ears backwards and unrolls them with fingers. · They start from the top of the ear, massage them delicately and end on the lobe. · activates brain for hearing one's voice, short-term memory, inner dialogue and thinking.
15	Hook Ups	Benefits test taking, feeling more positively about a situation, typing or computer work, listening and speaking. Works well for nerves before a test or special event such as making a speech. Calm the mind and improve concentration. Helps mind and body relaxation. · Stand or sit or lying down. · Cross the left ankle on the right one. · Intertwine fingers and bring them near the chest. (Take your right wrist and cross it over the left wrist and link up the fingers so that the right wrist is on top.) · Bend the elbows out and gently turn the fingers in towards the body until they rest on the sternum (breast bone) in the center of the chest. Stay in this position. · close their eyes, breathe deeply for a few minutes and relax · Keep the ankles crossed and the wrists crossed and then breathe evenly in this position for a few minutes. You will be noticeably calmer after that time.
16	The energetic yawn	Scientific research has proved yawing to be a perfect exercise which brings oxygen to the brain and so enhances learning performances!
OTHERS
17	Neck Rolls	Benefits oral reading, silent reading, and study skills.
18	The Rocker	Increases mental focus, study skills, better posture, hand eye coordination, operating an computer, or vehicle.
19	Belly Breathing	Improves attention span, reading, oral reading and speech.
20	Calf Pump	Helps with the ability to complete assignments and follow through, listening and reading comprehension, creative writing, improved social behaviour, increased ability to communicate and respond, better attention span.
21	Foot Flex	Improves the ability to complete assignments and follow through, listening and reading comprehension, and creative writing, improved social behaviour, increased ability to communicate and respond, better attention span.
22	Alphabet Eights	Improves penmanship, spelling and creative writing.
23	Positive Points	Improves long term memory, public speaking, stage performance and sports performance. Improved attitude toward a specific event, issue or task.
24	Cross Crawl Sit-ups	Benefits reading, listening, math computations, mechanics of spelling and writing.
25	Gravity Glider	Benefits self confidence, balance and coordination, and reading comprehension. Assists better visual attention, mental arithmatic, and abstract thinking.