How is a Brain Gym  Consultant similar to a tutor, physical therapist, reading specialist, speech therapist or counsellor?

Unlike the above named  professions, a Brain Gym consultant  works with the learning of the student to allow it to unfold.

A Brain Gym consultant  addresses the personal motivation to learn and is also primarily concerned with the physical skills of learning. For example , the ability to use two eyes together, hold a pen and coordinate eye hand movements, listen actively, use both sides of the body etc.  The Brain Gym consultant does not emphasise curriculum or behaviour but addresses the whole person, who at any given moment  has untapped potential related to underdeveloped or blocked movement patterns. The emphasis is on learning readiness.

What ages can use Brain Gym  movements ?

Brain Gym movements are currently being used by people of all ages and all walks of life. Although the programme was originally designed for Kindergarten through to college level students in educational settings, it is now being used successfully with pre  – schoolers, adults and seniors.

Can Brain Gym help with special needs such as ADD, ASD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and learning difficulties or similar challenges ?

Children with special needs and learning challenges benefit positively from Brain Gym processes and performing Brain Gym movements as part of a daily programme.  Many teachers and parents use Brain Gym movements  as part of a  learning readiness  programme and a Consultant  specialising in this area may recommend a more intensive programme of simplified or  assisted application of the Brain Gym movements.

Can using the Brain Gym movements or balance procedures positively improve health and alleviate stress?

Research over the last 30 years show s a correlation between brain organisation (dominance patterns )  attentional deficits, allergies and  auto immune deficiencies  among other symptoms.

Balance of the left and right cortical hemispheres depends on cross lateral patterning, including binocular vision, binaural hearing, and contra lateral movement of  the body.
Common sense tells us what research has validated: chronic  one –sided behaviours (monocular vision, or excessive left or right handedness) especially with the context of whole body movement can polarise the sympathetic and para -sympathetic divisions of the autonomic nervous system. Both as a result and a possible cause of these one sided behaviours, chronic anger, frustration, and depression become part of the cycle of  habituated adrenal response and elevated levels of cortisone in the blood.

How were the Brain Gym movements developed ?

Many of the Brain Gym activities like the Owl , the Elephant, and Alphabet 8s were developed  from Dr Dennison’s  knowledge of the relationship of movement to perception and he impact of these on fine motor and academic skills. Others were learned during his training as a marathon runner, his study of vision training, Jin Shin Jitsu (a form of acupressure), and Applied kinesiology (taught to the public as  Touch for Health ).

The Brain Gym for Business book offers and easy guide for applying  these tools in a business environment.  A number of Brain Gym for Seniors programmes are being developed and taught both internationally and in New Zealand. They have been shown to  be very effective in helping older people to enhance, maintain and retrieve their physical  and mental skills.

How were Brain Gym and Educational Kinesiology started?

Dr Paul Dennison, Ph. D., remedial educational specialist and founder of the  Educational Kineisiolgy  Foundation ( U. S ) developed the Brain Gym programme over 25 years as director of California’s Valley Remedial Group Learning Centres. These eight centres offered Dennison’s students  a chance to actively explore the effects of specific movements to help them learn academic skills. During this time, he drew from a broad spectrum of innovative work in the fields of education , developmental vision, and personal development as he  focussed on the causes and the treatment of learning disabilities In 1980 he synthesised his work and began travelling and teaching internationally. Since that time   the Edu K  processes and applications have continued to evolve. The current  Brain Gym Handbook is based on the work of Dr Dennison and his wife Gail Dennison and was developed in collaboration with over 29 kinesiologists from around the world.

DR Dennison’s work is based on a n understanding of the interdependences of physical movement, language acquisition and academic achievement. His effective groundbreaking  approach grew out of his background tin brain research and experimental psychology. Together Paul and Gail Dennison have published fourteen books and manual, beginning  with ‘Switching ON:  A guide to Edu – Kinesthetics, 1980 . His latest book is  ‘Brain Gym and Me’, (2006) .