BRAIN GYM

A simple series of exercises could help your brain

function better, making you sharper, smarter and
far more confident. Brain Gym comprises very
easy body movements which have been designed
to coax the two hemispheres of the brain to work
in synchronisation.

Apparently when our brains become balanced,
our whole bodies respond, revitalising our natural
healing mechanisms, restoring health and
harmony. Brain Gym can do everything from
speeding up your reading to boosting self-esteem.
It can improve your eyesight and even increase
your creativity. It gives you a cutting edge both
in the office and in your personal life, improving
communication skills, helping you make better
decisions and even giving you a boost when
youre facing rejection or disappointment.

Brain Gym is the practical self-help side of
Educational Kinesiology, a system which
developed out of work with dyslexia and learning
disabilities in children. Researcher Dr Paul
Dennison found that very simple body movements
could help to improve brain function. Kay
McCarroll, whose dyslexia ruined her school
days, now teaches and promotes the system in the
UK. She says, It changed my life, quite literally;
I cant put it strongly enough. At school I was
always being told to try harder but I literally
couldnt work any harder. I was trying my level
best. Educational Kinesiology changed
everything. Now I have even written a book.

However Kay stresses that Brain Gym is not just
for children with learning difficulties; it can help
everyone, Even those who think they have
perfectly normal brain function will find the
exercises will help them perform even better.
Brain Gym can help everyone get more out of
their brains and more out of life.

USING BRAIN GYM: THE EXERCISES.
The following are examples of key Brain Gym
exercises. They are all very simple and each only
takes

a few minutes at most. The more you use them,
the more your brain will respond. However there
is one other important tip for improving your
performance which doesnt even require
performing an exercise. Drink masses of water,
says Kay McCarroll. Apparently water is
essential for the development of the nerve network
during learning. So keep a bottle of water on
your desk and sip it throughout the day.

BELLY BREATHING:
Place your hands on your abdomen.
Exhale through your mouth in short little puffs, as
if you are keeping a feather in the air, until your
lungs feel empty.

Now inhale deeply, filling yourself like a balloon
beneath your hand. (By arching your back
slightly you can take in even more air.)

Then slowly and fully exhale. Repeat this
inhalation and exhalation, establishing a natural
rhythm, during the course of three or more
breaths.

** This improves the supply of oxygen to the
entire body. It relaxes the central nervous system
while

increasing your energy levels. It can help improve
both reading and speaking abilities.

BRAIN BUTTONS:
Rest one hand over your navel.
With the thumb and fingers of
the other hand, feel for the two
hollow areas under the
collarbone, about one inch out
from the centre of the chest.
Rub these areas vigorously for
30 seconds to one minutes, as
you look from left to right.

** This stimulates the carotid arteries which
supply freshly oxygenated blood to the brain.
They help re-establish directional messages from
parts of the body to the brain, improving reading,
writing, speaking and the ability to follow
directions.

THE CALF PUMP:
Stand arms length away from a wall and place
your hands shoulder-width apart against it.

Extend your left leg straight out behind you, so
the ball of your foot is on the floor and your heel
is off the floor. Your body is slanted at a 45
degree angle.

Exhale, leaning forward against the wall, while
also bending your right knee and pressing your
left heel against the floor. Inhale and
raiseyourself back up, while relaxing and raising
the left heel.


Repeat three or more times. Then alternate to the
other leg and repeat.

** Improves concentration, attention,
comprehension and allows you to join in activities
more fully.

COOKS HOOK-UPS:
Start by sitting in a chair, resting your left ankle
on top of your right knee.

Grasp your left ankle with your right hand and the
ball of your right foot with your right hand.

As you inhale, place your tongue flat against the
roof of your mouth, about one-quarter of an inch
behind your front teeth. Relax your tongue as you
exhale. Close your eyes and rest in this posture
for four to eight complete breaths.
Now uncross your legs, placing your feet flat on
the floor. Lightly steeple the fingertips of both
hands together, as if you were enclosing a ball.

Keep your eyes closed as you continue to lift your
tongue on the inhalation and lower it on the
exhalation, relaxing in this position during the
course of four to eight complete breaths.
** This exercise connects the two hemispheres of
the brain and strengthens the bodys electrical
energy, particularly in stressful environments such
as offices. Reported benefits are increased vitality
and improved self-esteem.

CROSS-CRAWL:
Standing up, march in
place, alternately
touching each hand to
the opposite knee.

Continue during the
course of four to eight
complete, relaxed
breaths.

** This exercise is
wonderful for
improving reading,
listening, writing and memory. It co-ordinates the
whole brain.



EARTH BUTTONS:
Rest two fingers of
one hand under your
lower lip. Place the
heel of the other hand
on your
navel, with fingers
pointing downwards.
Breathe deeply as you
look at the floor.
Moving only your
eyes, look gradually
from the floor to the
ceiling, then down again. Repeat this for three or
more breaths, as you entire body and eyes relax.


** This stimulates the brain and relieves mental
fatigue. It also helps to enhance your ability to
focus on near objects.

THE ENERGISER:
Sit on a chair in front
of a table, resting your
forehead between your
hands on the table top.
Exhale fully.

Now, while slowly
lifting your head,
inhale deeply,
breathing into the base
of your spine.
Your torso and
shoulders should stay relaxed. As you exhale,
tuck your chin down onto your chest and begin
moving your head down toward the table, while
lengthening the back of your neck. Rest your
head on the table as you relax and
breathe deeply. Repeat three or more times.

** This keeps the back muscles toned and the
spine supple, flexible and relaxed. It improves
posture and concentration and is
very useful for those who work
at desks and computers.

THE ENERGY YAWN:
As you begin to yawn, lightly
press the fingertips of each hand
against any tight spots you feel
where your cheeks cover your
upper and lower molars.

Make a deep, relaxed, yawning sound while
gently stroking away any tension.
Repeat three or more times.

** This relaxes the jaw, releasing tension and also
stimulates and relaxes the eyes. It is said to even
improve creativity, as there is a relationship
between ease of jaw motion and ease of
expression.

THE GROUNDER:
Stand with your legs a little less than one leg-
length apart. Point your left foot straight ahead of
you; point your right foot towards the right.
Now bend your right knee as you exhale, keeping
the left knee straight. Your body should face
squarely to the front. Do the movement over three
or more complete breaths, then repeat facing the
opposite direction.

** This increases comprehension, short-term
memory, self-expression and organisational skills.

LAZY EIGHTS:
Extend one arm
straight out in
front of you,
with the thumb
pointing toward
the ceiling. In
the air, smoothly
and slowly trace
the shape of a
large figure 8 on its side.

As you draw the 8, focus your eyes on your
thumb, keeping your head upright, facing forward
and moving only slightly. Start tracing your 8 by
beginning at eye level. Move your arm up and
over to the left, around and back to centre, then to
the right.

Do three full 8s with one hand, then three with the
other and finally three with both hands clasped
together.

** This integrates both visual fields, improving
balance and co-ordination. Many people report
better vision after this exercise.

NECK ROLLS:
While breathing deeply, relax your shoulders and
drop your head forward. Close your eyes while
slowly and easily rolling your head from side to
side.

At any point of tension,
relax your head while
making small circles with
your nose and breathing
fully. Do three or more
complete side to side
motions.

** Improves breathing,
relaxation of vocal cords (for
more resonant speech).
Helps all kinds of
verbalising or thinking.

POSITIVE POINTS:
Above the centre of each eyebrow and halfway to
the hairline, you will find a slight indentation.
Lightly place three fingers of each hand on each
of these indentations.

Close your eyes and hold the points lightly,
pulling the forehead slightly taut, during the
course of six to ten slow complete breaths.

** These points diffuse the fight or flight reflex,
releasing emotional stress. Touching these points
allows a more rational response to stressful
situations.

THE ROCKER:
Sit on a
padded
surface (use
a mat or
towels) on
the floor
with your
knees bent
and your
feet
together in
front of you.

Lean back, with your weight on your hands and
hips. Rock yourself in small circles, or back and
forth, as you focus on melting away tension in
your hips and back of legs.

** This increases the flow of cerebrospinal fluid
to the brain, thus improving the ability to focus,
concentrate and comprehend.




SPACE BUTTONS:
Rest two fingers above your
upper lip. Place your other hand,
pointing downward, on your
lower back, with your fingertips
touching the tailbone.

Breathe deeply as you look up at
the ceiling. Gradually lower
your gaze to the floor, then look up at the ceiling
again. Repeat three or more times as your eyes
and the rest of your body relax.

** Holding these points improves attention, focus,
motivation and intuition for decision-making.

THINK OF AN X:
Close your eyes and
visualise the letter X.
Notice how your vision is
like the X your eyes co-
ordinate to connect left,
right, upper and lower
visual fields around a point
of focus.

Also notice the X-like
symmetry and organisation
within your own body, as each hip co-ordinates
with each shoulder.

** The X reinforces whole-brain and whole-body
co-ordination for ease of thought, communication
and performance.

THE THINKING CAP:
With one hand at the top of each ear, gently
unroll the curved parts of the outer edges of
both ears at the same time. Continue all the way
to the bottom of the ears. Repeat three or more
times.

** This helps you tune out distracting noises, it
increases listening ability, short-term memory and
abstract thinking skills.

THE SEVEN-MINUTE TUNE-UP.
This is a simple series of Brain Gym activities
which should be performed every morning. By
doing the tune-up every day before work, you will
feel better and function better than you ever have
before, says Paul Dennison.

You can also use the tune-up anytime during the
day when you need an energy boost or whenever
you need to feel at your absolute best. Use these
exercises: Belly breathing; Brain buttons; Cooks
hook-ups; Positive points; Cross-crawl.

GIVE YOUR BRAIN A BOOST.
We all have times during the day when we need
some extra help. Use the brain gym exercises
suggested below for those tricky times.

STAYING CALM: Earth buttons; Cooks hook-
ups; Positive points.

PROBLEM SOLVING: Cross-crawl; Balance
buttons; Neck rolls; Positive points.

KEEPING POSITIVE: Positive points; Cooks
hook-ups, Balance buttons.

GOAL-SETTING: Brain buttons; Cross-crawl;
Cooks hook-ups.

PUBLIC SPEAKING: The energy yawn; the
Thinking cap; Cross-crawl; Cooks hook-ups;
Positive points.

BEING ASSERTIVE: Positive points; Cooks
hook-ups; Balance buttons.

BEFORE DRIVING: Balance buttons; Lazy 8s;
Cooks hook-ups; Positive points.

BOOSTING SELF-ESTEEM: Positive points;
Cooks hook-ups; Balance buttons.

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY: Positive points;
Think of an X; Belly breathing.

DEALING WITH DISAPPOINTMENT: Positive
points; Cooks hook-ups.

KEEPING A SENSE OF HUMOUR; The
Rocker; Thinking cap; Energy yawn; Cooks
hook-ups.

COMMUNICATING EFFECTIVELY: Calf
pump; Lazy 8s; Energy yawn.
KEEPING ENTHUSIASTIC: Cooks hook-ups;
Calf pump.

SPEED READING: Calf pump; Cross-crawl;
Lazy 8s; Think of an X.

HANDLING REJECTION: Belly breathing;
Neck rolls; Energy yawn; Positive points; Cooks
hook-ups.