Brain Gym: 13 exercises that facilitate learning

How do brain gym exercises affect the brain?

Paul Dennison wrote his first book on brain gym in 1986, a technique that is applied today in more than 80 countries by specialized therapists, with the aim of introducing it into educational practice, sports, companies or health and personal development centers. . how do they Emilia Ferraris and Vicenç Claveriawho have consultations in Vilanova i la Geltrú and Barcelona.

Vicenç, who combines his work as a kinesiologist, high school mathematics teacher and teacher trainer, explains that he uses brain gym techniques both in the classroom and in individual therapy. It has been verified that they serve to improve concentration and to free oneself from emotional tensions..

Proof of their effectiveness is that students make them their own and put them into practice by themselves when they need them. Children who come to your office for their difficulties in following classes tend to improve their results in exams, as well as their self-esteem and their ability to express themselves.

“Every teaching context entails stress, because we feel judged,” explains Vicenç. The consequence is that one can come to feel blocked or incapable. The brain gym allows you to undo the blockage or difficulty through movement.

dennison designed 26 simple exercises, many of a playful nature, suitable for children from 4 years of age and adults of all ages, which favor effective communication between different areas of the brain and the sensorimotor system. To do this, the exercises act on the three planes or axes where all action takes place:

The laterality works the connection between the right and left brain hemispheres. This communication is essential for the integration of the visual and auditory fields, and for the ability to access rational thought. Centering refers to the relationship between upper and lower bodywhich has to do with the communication between the limbic system – the instinctive brain – and the neocortex, which plays important roles in functions such as the generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought and language. focuson which the relationship between the front and back of the body depends, is decisive for maintaining a posture that reflects confidence and openness to what is happening in the environment.

Why does it work?

The effect of the techniques is explained by the existence of a bodily brain, formed by the network of nerve cells of the central and peripheral nervous systems, which could have a certain link with the muscular system and the energy meridians described by traditional Chinese medicine. By stimulating this network, the exercises not only act on the intellectual abilitiesbut on aspects such as managing emotions, stress or relationships with others.

The repetition of intentional movements causes the organism’s response to become unconscious, so that, without knowing how, the person feels more competent in situations that previously caused insecurity.

One of Emilia’s patients, after a few sessions, dared to drive on one of the access roads to the city of Barcelona, ​​an experience that until then had terrified her. Now, before she gets into the car, she does switching on (see exercise number 2) and Cook’s anchor (number 8)… and it starts.

Dr. Carla Hannaford explains why brain gym exercises are effective. From research on child development, physiology and neuroscience, it has been proven that movement-related sensory experiences affect memorization in the short and long term.

For this reason, he proposes to educators that they insist less on intellectual routines and pay more attention to experimentation, physical movement and artistic expression.

The great virtue of brain gym is that it is an affordable and friendly technique, very suitable to be carried out in a group or with the family, which can help to function better, with joy and security, in any circumstance.

A personalized therapy

The brain gym offers each person the chance to develop their full potential, respecting their unique rhythm and characteristics. “Through the kinesiological tests of muscular response, the instructor can choose the exercises that suit each person”explains Emilia, which makes it possible to carry out individualized and effective treatments.

These reflex tests allow the emotional or unconscious causes of the problems that bring the person to the consultation to emerge. Therefore, in addition to physical exercises, in the sessions there is an awareness that is reinforced with visualizations.

The technique was created to help children and adults with some learning difficultysuch as dyslexia or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but it is currently another resource available to all types of professionals in sectors such as art, business, sports or personal development.

Vicenç explains the case of a dance teacher who incorporates the exercises in her classes. Emilia mentions other professionals, such as drawing teachers or sports coaches, and highlights the simplicity of the exerciseswhich can be done anywhere and under any circumstance, as well as the rapidity of the results.

Anyone interested in brain gym, without prior training, can take the basic course, taught by instructors certified by an international foundation represented in our country by the Spanish Association of Brain Gym Educational Kinesiology. This course lasts 32 hours and is the first of the four teaching levels. Emilia and Vicenç recommend the basic course to parents and teachers. They can apply the techniques with their children, students or themselves.