Changes

My 12 year old client was balancing on my round yoga balancing board while simultaneously holding an infinity loop marble board and rolling marbles around it rhythmically. Have you ever tried something like that? It takes a tremendous amount of balance, coordination and focus to accomplish it, and there he was- doing it like it was easy as pie. 

To understand why this was such an accomplishment, you must first understand where we started.  When I began working with this child, he didn't even know where his feet were. By saying that- what I mean is that his proprioceptive system (the sensory system that helps you to know where your body is in space) was under-developed enough that he would literally "slap" his legs when we were doing our Brain Gym® Cross Crawl activity. He would do this because he needed the stronger sensory input to tell where his feet and legs were in space. He would slap his legs so hard that his mother and I were genuinely concerned that he would hurt himself.

I've talked a lot about Primitive Reflex Integration in my blog posts, but the topics I haven't touched upon as much are the sensory systems. Specifically, the Proprioceptive and Vestibular systems.

There is a lot of information I could get into about these two systems, but I want to just give you a brief overview so that you can have a better understanding of them. Primitive Reflex Integration is important for the development of these sensory systems and as a result we often see growth in this area. 

As I mentioned- the Proprioceptive System is the sensory system that helps us to "know where we are in space". Proprioceptors are located in our muscles, joints and tendons and proprioceptive processing contributes to gross and fine motor skills and posture. It also helps us to keep track of our body parts and control our body movements. 

So, if the Proprioceptive System isn't working as well as it should, kids (and even adults) might need more input to tell where certain body parts are. They might tap their foot so they can feel where it is, or they might need to look at a particular body part before touching it because they can't sense where it is without the visual input. This system also tells us how much pressure we need to complete a task. For example, holding a pencil or carrying a backpack. Without the appropriate input, we might grip the pencil more than is needed, or drop something as we pick it up.

The other sensory system I want to touch upon, the vestibular system, provides the brain with information about our relationship with gravity through our head movement. In simplest terms, it's our balance system. Located in our inner ear, it helps us with body awareness, gravitational relationship, balance and coordination. If the vestibular system is immature, it can cause us to feel dizzy more easily and to prefer being still rather than moving. Now, if a child is seeking vestibular input, we might see the opposite- a need to bounce, spin, etc. 

I've written before about how the body knows what it needs and the same applies for these sensory systems. When my son first started at Brain Fit, he would spin on our coaches toy (called a dizzy disc) at the beginning of every session. Now, he would not just spin, but would spin as fast as he could, for as long as we would let him. His body was seeking the vestibular input. His vestibular system was under-developed and needed the spinning to help move it along.

Similarly, this 12 year old that I am referring to, was also seeking vestibular input when I first started working with him. He would meet me at my car when I arrived and carry my big green ball into the house. He'd immediately start bouncing on it- as high and as forcefully as he could. I used to sit behind him and hold onto his waist for safety while he bounced. I would hold onto him while he worked his vestibular and proprioceptive systems. 

During this ball bouncing time, I knew exactly what he was doing. His body knew exactly what it needed and that big ball was the tool to help. This need to work the sensory systems didn't last forever, and eventually he told me I didn't need to bring the ball anymore. Just like how my son eventually stopped spinning on the dizzy disc at the beginning of every one of his Brain Fit session and moved on to other things.

I love to see the changes in kids as we do this work together, and the developments of these sensory systems are fun to witness. I know that the time during sessions spent spinning and bouncing and jumping and moving is all part of the process. It's getting specific type of movements into the body that are needed in order to continue development and help organize the brain.

During our Brain Fit sessions, the Primitive Reflexes integrate, the sensory systems develop, and the changes we see are noticeable and positive. 

It's a beautiful thing.

I Want to Shout it From the Rooftops

Have you ever believed in something so much that you just wanted to tell everyone you knew about it?

Maybe it was a new kitchen gadget that you bought and thought it was the best thing ever.  Or maybe it was a diet that worked well for you and you wanted everyone else to try it to.

I think it's human nature to share the things we enjoy and believe in with others- don't you? I mean when you feel good about something, you want to share it others and have them reap the benefits too.

That's how I feel about the work we do at Brain Fit Academy.  I want to tell people.  I want others to reap the benefits of the work and the knowledge.  I want parents to come for their children, and I want them to come for themselves. I want teachers to come for their students and for themselves.

I've written in other blog posts about how I have seen the benefits of Brain Fit. The benefits of Primitive Reflex Integration and Brain Gym® and Rhythmic Movement Training (and other modalities) with my son, my clients, participants at our classes, as well as myself.  

I want to shout it from the rooftops:

"HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF PRIMITIVE REFLEX INTEGRATION?" 

"DO YOU KNOW ABOUT BRAIN GYM®?"

It's not a new kitchen gadget. It's not a new fad diet. 

It's a way to change your life. 

It's a different way of thinking and approaching challenges.  It's a process that we trust. It's a way to bring smiles where there were tears. It's a way to dissipate fears. It's a way to calm a mind and it's a way to bring some peace back to a family.

I want to shout it from the rooftops. I want to tell all those I meet- especially those with children that are struggling.  I want the world to know that there is a place that can help.

Excuse me? (I say from the rooftop to all those below)

"HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF BRAIN FIT ACADEMY?"

"NO?" 

"LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT IT!"

Notice

When was the last time you noticed your ears?" 

I remember when Pam Formosa, the owner/director of Brain Fit Academy asked this question of myself and my teacher colleagues. She had come to the school where I was teaching at the time to present a workshop about Brain Gym® in the classroom and was teaching us how to do the activity called "Thinking Caps"- an activity where you massage your ears.

Actually, I should say that my principal and I invited Pam to come to my school that day. I had recently started working as a coach for Brain Fit and I wanted my fellow teachers to also learn about and understand the benefits of using Brain Gym® with their students- since I found the program to be so powerful!

Anyway, we were "noticing". In this case- our ears.  Noticing what our ears felt like. Noticing what the sound coming in was like. Noticing what our ears were doing-just noticing. 

Our ears!

In response to Pam's question "When was the last time you noticed your ears", I remember thinking- "Um, like never before Brain Fit came into my life?!?"

Now, today, as a coach at Brain Fit, and having gone through many classes, balances with Pam, and working with my own clients, I've "noticed" plenty of times.  And, I've helped my clients "notice" too.

Noticing helps us to change.  Noticing helps us be aware of what is happening in our brain and body.  Noticing helps us to see what needs to be worked on. And, among other benefits- noticing helps us see positive changes.

At Brain Fit- when we work with clients, we notice.  We might "notice" to see what reflex needs to be worked on that day and how our bodies are moving through the motor patterns of the reflex. We might "notice" emotions, or feelings in our body, or the way we are moving though the midlines of the body. We might "notice" how our body felt when engaging in a certain activity.  We might "notice" what activities are hard for us.

Noticing brings awareness.  

And awareness brings change. 

Now, the other thing we do when we notice? We do it without judgement or worry. We teach the kids this- "notice without judgement or worry". In fact, it's one of Brain Fit's guiding principles!

For some, noticing can be tricky. Just like me being asked to notice my ears- when was the last time a child was asked to notice things like:

• How do your feet feel? 
• Do you notice any tension or tight spots in your neck? 
• Was that activity easy, hard or too hard? 

As Brain Fit coaches, we actually have noticing "cards". This small, visual, "book" has different cards that can help children to notice.  For example, there is a card that says "How did your body feel?" and has four child-like figures and corresponding choices such as "tired" and "coordinated". There's another card that asks "How was your speed?". And again- 4 visual figures and options such as: "quick and smooth" and "too slow". These cards are a great tool and we use them frequently.  I find that as my clients expand their ability to "notice" they start to offer their own observations as we go through a session.  Again- no worry or judgement- just noticing.

Noticing is important. Noticing can be tricky for some- but can be taught. Noticing brings awareness and change.

Noticing- is powerful.

When was the last time you noticed your ears?!?