"My Brain and Body Aren't Friends"

"My brain and body aren't friends. They don't like to say sorry to each other". This is what my six year old client said to me as we sat outside on the step. He had been having a difficult time during our session and this young child was trying to articulate a confusing concept to a six year old- that his brain and body don't feel connected. 

He was trying to tell me that when his brain wants his body to do something (or vise versa) it doesn't always seem to work. They aren't "friends" and don't even "say sorry". To me, this meant they don't work well together and don't even seem to care.

This statement hit me hard. To him, his brain and body aren't working well together. And for me-well, I'm doing my best to help his brain and body become friends. I explained to him that the work and play we do at Brain Fit can help. That the work and play will help his brain and body work together better. And that when that happens- things would be easier. I'm not sure how much he believed me though, and why should he? What he knows is what he feels, and what he feels is that two different parts of his body are fighting each other. 

We were working on the STNR (Symmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex) that day. The STNR is a transitional reflex. Its primary purpose is to get the baby into the crawling position and it should have a very short life span.

However, one of the potential effects of a retained or unintegrated (not finished) STNR, is not being able to easily isolate the top half of the body from the bottom.  This is exactly what this child was having trouble with-isolating the top half of his body from the bottom. He couldn't isolate his top half in order to push my Big Green Ball with both hands simultaneously. 

And that is exactly when he felt like his brain and body weren't friends. His body was trying to fight the reflex activity. It was going against what the brain was telling it to do. It was going against the motor pattern that was still neurologically connected in his brain. The STNR Primitive Reflex was still active and was making his brain and body "fight", and not even "apologize". 

I feel confident that as I continue this work with him we will continue to see improvements. I know that by integrating his primitive reflexes it's like the equivalent of a peace treaty between his brain and body. A sort of "shake hands and make up" kind of thing. 

And I know that once his brain and body "make up" and say "sorry" to each other, life will be easier for this little guy. 

And that is what I want for him. 

The Future

The future is uncertain. Never has that statement been more relevant than today- almost 7 months since the first lockdown started here due to COVID-19.

Some people openly admit to this statement- that the future is uncertain. And some? Well some are a little more hesitant.

And some- well, many actually may not even be able to think about it yet. They many not be able to because they are still in fight/flight/freeze mode and that's ok too.

What I'm here to say today, in this blog post is this:

Remember.

Remember the time before COVID. 

Remember where you were in your life.

Remember where you were in your business (if that applies).

Remember the feeling you had as you started your day.

And when you remember, feel it again if it's something you want to feel again. Do it again if it's something you want to do again. Be that person again if it's someone you want to be again.

Get back the life you had if that's what you want. Just get it back.

At Brain Fit Academy, as I've mentioned so many times before- we work with kids. We work with teens and we work with adults. 

And we work with lives. 

And you know what I've seen? 

I've seen people change their stories. I've seen parents change their children's stories. I've changed my own story.

We have tools. We use movement. We change futures because we remember what we're supposed to be and we remember what we are meant to do.

Yes, a pandemic hit the world. Yes, it stinks and it put so much into a screeching halt. 

But you can remember. We can remember.

And we all- can get it back. Or even better yet? We can make it better.

And if you need help, just let us know. We'd be happy to remember alongside you.

We're a Team

When you hire Brain Fit Academy to work with your child, you get a team of people, not just one coach. We like to think of ourselves as a Brain Fit Family, and we like to stick to together like family.

In my blog post, "Everyone is so Different" I talk about how the clients that come to Brain Fit can be so different from each other, yet they all found their way to Brain Fit. The same goes for Brain Fit coaches. 

Pam Formosa (the business owner/director) and all of the coaches all came to Brain Fit for different reasons, and we all bring different strengths to the table. Many of us found our way there because of our own children (like me). Others had family that told them about us, and some just heard about us "through the grape vine". 

It doesn't matter how we got here. What matters is that we are here. 

We are here and we work together to help your child, teen, or adult (if it's you!). Yes, you have one coach that comes to your house and works with your child on a regular basis. Yes, they become your main point of contact. But please know, that we all help each other so that Brain Fit becomes the best support for you-our client (and family!) that we can be.

It's not uncommon for there to be texts and/or phone calls between coaches or between coaches and Pam- asking for creative ideas on how to integrate a certain reflex, or suggestions on how to handle situations that may arise (with integrity and privacy for the family of course). Or maybe the family is in need of educational advocacy support and we refer them to the advocate we have on staff.

There are also times when we call on the help of our fellow coaches in the form of overlaps. In the past, Pam has been very supportive of coaches working together for a session or two, calling on the strengths of fellow coaches to help further a child along. Like I said- we all come with different strengths and utilizing those strengths is how we support our Brain Fit families best.

Part of us working together as a team is when we spend time together during our staff meetings. As well as going over logistical items, we also spend time learning and sharing from each other. Unfortunately, COVID-19 has made these staff meetings a little more challenging, but virtual ones have worked when we can't be in-person.

The other great thing about this team is that we support each other in other ways too. During the pandemic "lockdown" we met weekly for awhile to do group Brain Gym® "balances". Sometimes these balances were led by Pam and sometimes by one of us coaches. But either way, we all helped each other through that challenging time. We stuck together like a family and helped each other. 

Other times, those balances might happen on a 1:1 basis. Coach-to-coach or coach-to-Pam. Knowing that you have support from someone else that "gets" what we do can be very empowering and helpful. We look out for one another and want to be sure the others are doing well.

Brain Fit staff are a family. Brain Fit staff and clients are an even bigger family. 

We're a family, we're a team. We're here to support each other, and we're here to support you. 

Let us show you our strengths- all of us.

Behaviors are Communication

I didn't listen to him. I didn't listen to his words that is. 

I had just arrived at my 8 year old client's house for our session.  We had been having most sessions outside due to COVID-19 and I was setting up in the yard while his mother was getting him ready to come out. All of a sudden I heard screaming and crying coming from inside. It was him. He was having a meltdown and saying things like "Leave me alone" , "I don't want to" and "I'm just tired".

I went up to the house as his mother was coming out. I confirmed with her that it was him I was hearing and asked if it was ok if I went inside. She told me that was fine. So, I donned my face mask and went inside.

I found him in his room- wrapped up in the blankets he uses for comfort. He went to the other side of the room, sat down on the floor and covered his face. 

I had heard his words. I had heard what he was saying before to his mother, but I didn't listen. Instead, I listened to his behaviors. His behaviors were telling me that he had gone into a fight/flight protective response. The MORO reaction had been triggered. 

Maybe, the reaction was from the (perceived) "sudden" change in routine. Even though it really wasn't "sudden" at all since I see him every week, and I know that his mother is very good at preparing him for what his day looks like. But, never-the-less, he was reacting. 

Regardless, I didn't listen to what he was saying because I needed to listen to his behaviors. I needed to listen to his behaviors because behaviors are communication. 

Every. Single. Behavior. 

That's right- there is a reason for every behavior that anyone exhibits. 

As I listened to his behaviors- in other words, observed the way he was hiding in a corner, the way he had the blankets over his head, the way he turned away from eye contact, I knew that he was trying to tell me something.  

And so- I responded. Not with words. Not with leaving him to "work through it", but with movement. 

I responded by asking him if I could do the Brain Gym® activity called Positive Points for him. And then I massaged his calf muscles- because when we go into fight/flight the muscles in the back of the body tighten. Next, I did another activity called Foot Lengthening, which helps give the body the sensation of safety and grounding. Lastly, I did an activity we call "Milk Shakes". This is a rhythmic movement of the body that can be very calming to the nervous system.

All of these activities took a total of about 5-7 minutes. To be honest, I'm not even fully sure of that time frame because I was fully present with my client-with this 8 year old boy. But I will tell you that it was a short amount of time. 

And you know what? Before I had even stopped doing Milkshakes with him, his system was more regulated. He suddenly sat up and said "Can we go outside now?" 

We headed out for our session and finished the hour doing our Brain Fit "play", "work" and "rest" like nothing had ever happened. 

As I said- behaviors are communication. 

Listen to them. They are trying to tell you something.

Safety

 It doesn’t really matter who you are, young or old, kid, adult, or teen. We all want (and deserve) and sense of safety. And I’m not just talking about safety as in feeling safe from physical dangers. I’m also talking about the sense of safety that comes from feeling emotionally safe. 

Generally, that sense of safety also comes with a feeling on contentment, of belonging and feeling loved. You see, one thing I have come to realize recently is that that sense of emotional safety, that sense of belonging and contentment, can be fragile. More fragile than I think many of us care to admit.

Right now, in the world as it is- nearly 7 months into the Corona Virus pandemic, I would imagine that many of us can relate to that sense of safety- of security (both physical and emotional) being shaken. 

However, isn’t it our right to feel secure? Isn’t it our right to be able to feel at peace? Aren’t we entitled to have an unshaken sense of security?

I would like to answer those questions with an emphatic YES!

So then, what about those kids and adults that don’t have that? What about the kids and adults that have spent the majority of their life in a fight/flight or freeze mode and don’t even realize it? 

I’m one of those people. I spent a great deal of my life in a freeze state. I was the “shy” child. I was the child that didn’t talk to others very often. I was the child that wouldn’t raise her hand unless she was 100% sure of the answer because I didn’t want to get it wrong or for it to seem like I didn’t know what I was talking about. I didn’t feel “content” or happy in my self.  And it’s not because I had an overly difficult childhood, nor did I endure (thankfully) any major traumas. 

I did however, have an unintegrated Fear Paralysis Reflex.  I’ve spoken about this reflex before, but basically, it’s the “freeze” in the fight/flight/freeze response. 

And when did I finally integrate (finish) this Fear Paralysis reflex? When Brain Fit came into my life- first as a client, and then as a coach. I integrated the reflex and am no longer the “shy” one. I talk to people, I willingly raise my hand in a workshop and am ok with being wrong. I feel content and happy most of the time, and when I don’t, I have tools (and people) to help me get back on track.

At Brain Fit Academy, we work with kids, teens and adults all the time that have lost that sense of security, that have lost that sense of contentment. Or maybe- like me, they never really knew it well to begin with. 

You see, when you can gain that safety back, when you feel comfortable and content with yourself and feel emotionally secure, things are easier. They just are. They are easier.

And that’s what Brain Fit does. We help make life easier. 

I’m eternally grateful for my life getting easier. Do you (or your child) need that too?

Breakthroughs

Sometimes, you have to go through the dark place to move beyond it. This is something that I think all of us learn at some point, don't we? Facing your fears, or emotions on a deeper level.

For tweens, I think this can be a tough thing since it might be very new to them. Being able to feel strong feelings and work through them can be hard- especially for those kids that are feeling (or recognizing) them for the first time. Not to say that younger kids don't have strong feelings, but as we get older we tend to be more in touch with our feelings and I think that can make them harder to face. And of course, the same could be said about older teens and adults too.

But if we think about those tweens, as they face these type of tough situations, what do we (as parents or teachers) do? 

We try to talk to them, right? 

Now before I say anything else- just as a little disclaimer here-please understand that what I'm about to talk about is just the approach we take a Brain Fit. I am not saying that talk therapy, or counseling or anything like that isn't beneficial because they definitely have their place. But one of the many things that I love about the approach we take at Brain Fit is that we can work others (or ourselves) through strong emotions and feelings without having to talk about them. We literally can move through emotions by setting an intention (a goal) and moving our bodies using different movement activities. Talking can be helpful, but my focus here is on movement.

I've mentioned in another blog post about how I have worked through many of my own struggles using the Brain Fit methods. I attended the adult primitive reflex class many times, as well as the Brain Gym® 101 class (also a number of times). And as I did so, I worked on me. I moved through my own struggles and experienced it first-hand. And I continue to use these methods on a regular basis. As a Brain Fit coach, I help my clients to work through their own struggles using the same approach.

Is it always neat and pretty and wrapped up with a bow? Nope. Are deep emotions ever?!? Does it sometimes mean that there are tears during a session? Yes, there could be. Do we do a lot of talking? No, because we don't need to. The purposeful movements do the "talking" for us. We move through the feelings by doing the movement activities that the body- the subconscious- tells us we need at the time. 

Afterwards? Some people might feel the shift- like a weight lifted. Some people don't, and that's ok too. Either way we could still see a breakthrough. Moving into the dark place so that we can move beyond it. 

And the coaches job? Well, our job is to help facilitate the movements and hold space for the person while they work through it. 

As I've said before, we're here to help. Sometimes that help is as simple as working through a primitive reflex or teaching Brain Gym® movements. 

And sometimes, it means we help you move through the dark place. 

Through the dark to the lighter, healing side- to the breakthrough.

It Might Get Worse

I emailed my son's Brain Fit Coach in a bit of a panic. We had recently started with weekly sessions and all of a sudden he started having an exaggerated response to noise that he never had before. His teachers were telling me that he was refusing to go into the cafeteria and was covering his ears. The teachers (graciously) allowed him to each his lunch just outside the cafeteria and even allowed him to invite a friend to eat with him.

Our coach responded to my panicked email with a completely calm response. She explained how when we first start working on these primitive reflexes, we might see an uptick in behaviors related to it before we see improvement. You see, she was working on the MORO reflex with him. The MORO is the earliest "fight/flight" response and is typically replaced by a "startle" response at 4 months of age. 

But what's SO interesting is that the MORO reflex is the reflex that is activated by sensory input. Sensory input such as touch, smell, noise, visual and movement. And what is a cafeteria? It's the epitome of a sensory overload party! The smells of food, the noisy middle school chatter, not to mention just the shear number of kids all in one room, talking, laughing, eating and moving around. No wonder this was the time that his MORO was getting triggered.

You have to understand remember, that the reflexes go through three stages: 

• Emerge
• Develop
• Integrate

When the reflex is just starting to emerge, it "shows up". The motor patterns start to show up. During the developing stage, the body is working through the movements- through those motor patterns, the movements in order to build the neural pathways. And during integrate, it finishes its job and gives way to more voluntary movements.

How does this relate to my son? Well, as I mentioned, our coach was working on MORO with him. I believe that he was still in the early stages of emerging at that point. Which, when you stop to think about it makes perfect sense. If the MORO reflex was only just emerging, those behaviors that we would expect to see in response to the activation of the MORO- sensory input or sudden changes would be heightened. We didn't see the sensitivity to the noise before because (literally) he wasn't even reacting to it. The MORO hadn't even started doing its job. He'd been going into cafeterias of that size and noise level for years and never had an issue before that point. 

To our coach, and to me (once I had the explanation) it made absolutely perfect sense. Activate the MORO and you see the behaviors as the body works through what it needs to work through. 

Did that stage last a long time? Nope- maybe a few weeks to a month? And as he continued to work through that MORO reflex (as well as other primitive reflexes) during his Brain Fit sessions, that intolerance for the cafeteria went away just as easily as it had come. He'd worked through enough of the movements involved in the reflex to get it closer to integration and build those pathways in the brain.

It's an ironic statement, me telling you that it "might get worse". But, in order to get better, it might have to get worse first.

It doesn't last. Trust me.

Asymmetrical Tonic....What Now??

I've been a teacher for quite awhile. 20+ years actually. I've taught pre-schoolers, I've taught 2nd graders, I've taught 4th and 5th graders. I'm also a mom to two teenage children. And in all that time of being a teacher and a mom, I had never heard of the Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex (ATNR) until about two years ago. Never.

Now you may be asking- why would this reflex be something that I would expect to know about as a teacher? Well, I'll tell you. It's because the ATNR is a reflex (that when unintegrated- or "finished") can cause a child to have all sorts of difficulties that could show up in the classroom.

Difficulties like:

• Problems with eye-hand coordination- especially for fine motor skills.
• Poor handwriting ability
• Awkward or contorted writing positions
• Holding a pen or pencil too tightly
• Poor eye tracking (following words left to right)
• Reduced reading fluency which could impact reading comprehension
• Drifting of left margin space on paper or writing that slopes down
• Difficulty with bilateral skills such as tying shoes.

Teachers, parents- any of these things sound familiar? Can you see the connection as to why I think teachers should be made aware of this important primitive reflex?

Let me tell you a little bit more about this reflex. 

This reflex is also sometimes referred to as the "fencing reflex". If you look at the picture below, you'll probably understand why. It looks like the baby is in a fencing position, right?

This is the ATNR. When the head is turned to the side, the arm, fingers and leg on the same side extend while the opposite arm and leg bend. 

The ATNR serves several purposes:

• While in utero, the head movement activates the reflex which provides continuous kicks. This develops muscle tone, stimulates the vestibular system and increases connections in the neural pathways. 
• After birth, the reflex helps ensure the baby has a free passage of air while lying on their stomach. 
• It is an introduction to laterality (the preference for one side of the body over the other) by training one side of the body at a time.
• It serves as the first eye/hand coordination experience, setting up the visual system for near point focus.

Now you must remember, that this is a primitive reflex. An early motor pattern that happens automatically. 

So for a moment, picture this:

Suzie is a 2nd grade student. She is sitting at her desk at school writing a few sentences on her paper (using her right hand). Someone to her right drops his pencil on the floor and Suzie looks over to see what happened. If her ATNR isn't full integrated- if it didn't finish it's job and give way to more voluntary movements of the arm- think about what happens. 

Suzie looks over to her right. This, in turn makes her right arm want to extend. But, she's writing on the paper! At this point, one of two things could potentially happen. Suzie could (subconsciously) grip the pencil tighter because her body has build up "compensations" to fight what the reflex wants it to do. By gripping tighter and tensing her arm she might be able to keep that hand in place where she needs it- on her paper. 

OR the other thing that could potentially happen is that when Suzie turns her head, her arm actually does extend, knocking over whatever she has on her desk, or just moving her paper out from in front of her.

Either way, it's not what we want to happen, correct? Suzie should be able to look in the direction of the noise while her hand remains casually placed on the paper where it was before the noise occurred. Look over at the noise, see it's nothing to worry about, return gaze back to paper and continue. That's what we want to happen, but it probably doesn't with a child that has an unintegrated ATNR.

This is only one quick scenario. If you look over the list of potential difficulties above, you'll probably be able to come up with a few of your own. 

I hope you are starting to get a better picture about why I think teachers and parents should know about this reflex. It's tremendously important for school! And, perhaps even more importantly, teachers and parents should know and learn some things they can do to help children integrate the reflex!

And yes, don't worry, I'm going to give you one thing you can do to help integrate the reflex. It's called "Lazy Eights" and it's from the Brain Gym® program. What you do is draw infinity signs (an 8 on its side). Like this:

Place your (or your child's) body in the middle of the 8. Then, you draw (or trace) with one hand, then the other hand, and then with both hands together. 

And let me tell you- you can get mighty creative with this symbol! You can make it on an easel or whiteboard. You can use paper. You can use your finger with shaving cream or finger paint. You can make a big Lazy Eight on the driveway with sidewalk chalk and walk (or skip or hop!) the eight. You can make it on each other's backs. There are so many ways to incorporate the Lazy Eight. And, among other benefits (which I won't get into in this blog post) all those Lazy Eights can help to integrate that stubborn ATNR.

The Asymmetrical Tonic Neck Reflex. An important reflex to know. An important one to recognize in children. 

Take a look at your own children, or students, or even yourself! 

Think your ATNR might not be integrated? Go grab some paper and start on those Lazy Eights!!

I Get It

I get it. I understand what it's like to have a child who struggles in school and in life. I get it.

I understand what it's like to stay up for hours researching a disability or symptoms. I know what it's like to worry every time there is a transition back to school. I know how stressful IEP meeting time of the school year can be. I know what it's like to be continually looking for different therapies and treatments- anything to help your child. I know what it's like to avoid doing activities or outings because of your child. I understand the pangs of guilt when you think you're not doing enough.

I know what it's like to be unsure of your child's future.

Writing this blog post, I'm putting myself out there. I am showing you my most vulnerable side right now- the side that is a fierce, relentless protector of my son. 

Cried during an IEP meeting? Done it. Yelled during an IEP meeting? Been there too. Secretly wished that my child was "normal"? Yes, that too.

I've done it. I get it. I'm still doing it, and it stinks.

Having a child that struggles, having a child with special needs or with learning challenges, or anxiety, or anything that makes life (at times) unbearably difficult, stinks.

I want to tell you- I'm here. 

The other Brain Fit coaches are here. 

Our owner/director, Pam Formosa is here. 

The entire Brain Fit Team is here. 

We are here to help. We are here for the kids and we are here for the adults. Many of us have children with their own struggles- it's not only me.

We want to help. We want to be there when others turn away. We want to be the person- the group of people, that can help alleviate fears. We want to be the people that listen when you need an ear. We want to be the ones to sympathize when all you need is sympathy. We want to be there to support you with your child's education- we even have an amazing advocate on staff! We want to be the objective set of eyes, looking through the Brain Fit lens.

We get it. I get it. 

You don't have to do this alone. We're here. Just ask.

Parents are Partners

Parents know their children best. They are the ones that kids spend the most time with. Parents know the ins and outs and the ups and downs of their children. Parents are usually the first ones to know if something is "off" with their child or if they are just having a bad day.

This is why parents are important partners for the work we do at Brain Fit. Often times, parents join us for our sessions. I like when that happens because (especially at the beginning) there is a lot of teaching to do- for the child and parent!

When my son was attending Brain Fit, I would join at the beginning for the Brain Gym® settling-in activity called "P.A.C.E." and then I would help him recap the week with our coach and discuss ideas for a goal. After that, I would take a chair and observe the session; occasionally chatting with our coach and asking about what she was working on with him. And, she would educate me as well- about the reflex he was working on, changes she was seeing, etc. 

We have a lot of on-going education at Brain Fit. So much of what we do is new to parents so one of the jobs that I (as a coach) have is to educate the parents as well as the child. As well as adult classes, parents receive on-going education from their child's coach during sessions.

I have mentioned in other blog posts how I want to empower my clients- the children. But I also want to empower the parents. Just like I said above, parents know their children best. If parents are given the same tools and knowledge that the children have, they can help carry it over at home. They know their children best and can help them by reinforcing what we teach. 

At times, I even have parents down on the floor with me during a session- learning a particular movement that they can do with their child, playing with us or even enjoying "rest time". It's a special time for the child when their parent is able to join in, it's very often joyful and relaxing. 

One time, in a Zoom session with one of my clients during the COVID-19 quarantine, both of us were lying down in another movement called a "hook-up". He was, obviously, at his house (on his side of the computer) and I was on mine. When we were finished, I looked up to see that his mother had joined him in a hook-up on the floor next to him. My heart melted.

Now, I would like to say that I understand that parents are not able to attend every session with us. I get it, I do. The older kids might want/need some independence and parents work or have things to do, and that's ok. But as I said, having a parent join the session can be a wonderful thing. The other benefit to a parent taking part is that it can really help the child to progress through the program faster. Parents and kids learn common vocabulary, movements and strategies that can be beneficial for not only them- but the rest of the family as well!

I love that the parents can be as much a part of Brain Fit as they desire. When we work with the child, we work with the parents and family too. Everyone becomes part of the Brain Fit family and we grow and learn- together.

There's Not Much Left

I did some Brain Gym® movement activities before I sat down to write this post today. I needed to. I was (what we call at Brain Fit) "out of the loop" and I wasn't able to access my thoughts in order to write. 

I will write more about the "Learning Loop" in another post, but for now what you need to know is that I am in the middle of a very stressful time in my life. My son transitions to high school starting tomorrow. 

Now, this would be a stressful time for anyone- especially since we are in the middle of a pandemic. But it's especially stressful for me because my son has special needs and is on an IEP (Individualized Education Plan). This means he receives extra support to help him succeed in school. However, due to the pandemic and pretty much everything changing, we don't even know what that support is going to look like for him yet. And that- is very stressful.

But this blog post isn't about me. It's about stress. You see, I acknowledge that I am in a stressful time in my life. However, there are many kids, teens and yes- adults! that feel this kind of stress and anxiety- All. The. Time.

The stress response (AKA the fight/flight/freeze response) is a natural, autonomic nervous system response that your body has in response to a threat- real or perceived. When your body is under stress, multiple things happen. These include:

• Increased heart rate
• Release of adrenaline and cortisol into the system 
• Tightening of the muscles in the back of the body 
• Breathing that becomes fast and shallow
• Dilation of pupils
• Slowed digestion

And what becomes harder when you're under stress? Thinking rationally, for one. How many times have you said something to another person (while under stress) that you later regretted? I know it's happened to me many-a-time. And not only thinking rationally, but thinking in general. Ever have the experience of getting sick or injured and not being able to do much of anything besides "veg out" on the couch? When I get sick, I can't even read. It takes too much brain power. Brain power that isn't there because my system is under stress and trying to fight off what ever sickness I have. 

So what if a child is constantly in that fight/flight/freeze state and is in school? Can we really expect them to learn anything effectively? Their brain and body could be working so hard trying to deal with that stress response that there's not much brain power left for learning. For some, learning is pretty much off the table. 

Sometimes, it may be that a child is not necessarily in that extreme fight/flight/freeze reaction, but is still pulling more brain power than should be necessary to do everyday things- such as write or even to sit in a chair easily. Unintegrated (dormant or not "finished") primitive reflexes can also pull brain power. You see, if those early motor patterns didn't finish the job they were there to do, then the brain and body is constantly working against those reflexes. 

Since the brain and body are constantly working against the reflexes, people build up what we call "compensations". Compensations are just basically "work arounds". Ways to get around the reflex activity to help you get by in life, but they aren't ideal. For example, a child that has sensory issues may choose to avoid things that make him/her uncomfortable. That might be as simple as choosing a different type of shirt or socks because they don't like the "feel". Or they just avoid the things that make them uncomfortable. 

These types of compensations take brain power. It might not seem like much, but it adds up. Day after day, hour after hour, compensation after compensation. What if that brain power was going to other- more important things like learning, or creativity?

At Brain Fit, we work to help our clients come out of the fight/flight/freeze response by integrating the primitive reflexes. We also integrate reflexes that contribute to the need for compensations in other areas. We finish off the motor patterns that the body is working so hard to fight. And, we empower our clients with tools (such as Brain Gym®) that can help them deal with the regular, everyday stresses that we all have now and again.

Integrating the primitive reflexes helps "free up" that brain power I keep talking about. 

Brain power that can go towards learning. 

Brain power that can go towards creativity. 

Brain power that can go towards the child feeling happier, more settled and less anxious. 

I'm using my Brain Fit tools more these days during this stressful time, and that's ok. In fact, that's what we want for our clients. There's always going to be times in life when there's "not much (brain power) left". 

However, thanks to Brain Fit and reflex integration that lack of brain power can happen a lot less than it used to. And, using the movement tools can help us get to the brain power that before- just couldn't even be accessed.

And once we access that brain power? Who knows where it will take us!

My Why

I want to help kids and families be happier. 

I'm going to say that again. I want to help kids and families be happier.

It's really that simple. That's my "why". In the post "People Often Ask Me", I talk about why I wanted to become a coach for Brain Fit Academy. And in the one called "The Passion for the Work Led me Here", I touch upon my passion for the work. 

Ultimately though? Being a coach, and the passion for my work are because I want to help kids and families be happier.  I want to help them find their smiles. I want them to enjoy the time they spend together as a family. I want the kids to feel happier in their skin and I want the parents to feel less stressed.

It's my why. This is what is getting me out of bed in the morning. This is what is driving me- even when I might be having my own stressful day or am just plain tired. My why keeps me going.

If you've been following my blog, then you've already got a pretty good idea about what we do at Brain Fit Academy. And, if you haven't read my other posts- you might want to check them out - *hint, hint*. 

Either way, what you need to know is that when we work with kids and families at Brain Fit, we can see some pretty amazing changes. Changes and growth in all sorts of areas:

It might be changes in behavior. Or, changes in school performance. Maybe the changes come in the form of balance/coordination. Or, it could even be less fear-based or sensory reactions. 

Like I said- all sorts of things.

And when changes happen in the child (and/or the parents!) you know what else happens? 

People are happier. 

The child is happier, the family is happier. 

This is my "why" remember? I want to help kids and families be happier!

So what do I do? 

I get up in the morning, I see my clients, work with them to the best of my ability and I enjoy every minute of it. 

My why keeps me going. My why gives me a sense of fulfillment in life. My why helps others. 

I don't think it could get much better than that.

Trust the Process

"Trust the Process" is one of the Guiding Principles for us at Brain Fit Academy. Sometimes it's easy to get caught up in the cognitive part of our job that it becomes difficult to remember that.  Even the best of us coaches have it happen sometimes.

It happened to me recently and it made me pause and think about what I was doing and the approach I was taking with a particular client. I kind of forgot about trusting the process! So, I took a step back and reevaluated and as a result, shifted our trajectory. 

And- here's the thing, in order to help us "trust the process" we use a technique called muscle checking.  I touched upon muscle checking in this blog post, but didn't do it justice. 

Did you know that our subconscious mind is 90% of our intelligence? It remembers everything we do, feel, see, eat, etc. By tapping into that intelligence we are able to get information about the harmony or stress in the brain/body system. 

Now, you may be thinking- come on now Amy- really? But- I'm telling you, it works. Muscle checking (AKA muscle testing) is a simple bio-feedback tool that can help us gain information from the client in order to help us trust the process. The body knows  and can help us figure it out. Not only can we find out what reflex we need to work on, we can also find out other information such as a good goal for that day, or if there are other things we need to focus on such as addressing the Six Human Needs.

The subconscious mind knows what to work on and even in what order.

Ok, I hear you at this point. You're saying that you want to know more about this amazing tool and the science behind it. 

I got your back. Let me explain.

First, let me start with the "sway" test. All living organisms have an instinctual urge to move towards positive and away from negative. Makes sense, right? By pure instinct, you're not going to walk into a burning hot fire in front of you- and you'll pull back if you get close- instinctually. 

But, what if it isn't a burning hot fire that you're faced with, but instead, a stressful thought or event. Guess what? Your body will want to pull back away from that too.

You can tune into that response- just by standing still, arms relaxed and by your side (eyes closed if you need to) and by paying attention to subtle movements. It may take a little practice at first, but you will see- your body will sway backward. Keep that negative thought or event in your mind and your body will pull back. It might be very slight, or it may be more pronounced, but it will move backward-away from that stressful thought or event. Muscle checking is such an amazing bio-feedback tool and can even be taught to kids!!

We have another way of muscle checking too- using the deltoid muscle. In general, our muscles have three states of being: 1/3 is contracted and ready for action, 1/3 is relaxed and surveying the situation and 1/3 is fluctuating between the two. By tapping into those muscle states, we can use the deltoid muscle to check for a "positive" or "negative" response. 

So, let's say that I wanted to use the deltoid muscle to confirm someone's name. What I would do is this: I would ask them to stretch out their arm in front on them, and I would apply slight pressure just above the wrist and push down as they (simultaneously) say something like "My name is __". If this is a "positive" response, in other words, a correct statement, the deltoid muscle "locks-in" and I will not be able to push the arm down. If the statement in incorrect, the muscle releases and the arm gives way. It's as if the person's brain was like "wait a minute.... that's not right!" and the muscle (in response) gives way.

It's actually very fun to see someone experience this for the first time. The look of shock on their face when they realize that (even if they are really trying) they just can't keep their arm up against that slight pressure. We tap into that subconscious intelligence and the body tells us the response through the muscles. 

Seriously, how cool is that?!?

So going back to trusting the process. With muscle checking, it helps us with that trust. We don't need to use our cognitive thinking brain to figure out what to do all the time because we can ask the body! 

Certainly, cognitive thoughts can help guide us in some respects and we certainly need to "think" during our sessions, but using muscle checking gives us an invaluable tool to tap into the part of the mind we can't easily access. The 90% that knows what that client needs on that particular day, for that particular goal, and even in what order to address it.

All we need to do is trust the body, and trust the process. 

It hasn't failed me yet...