Brain Gym

Context

1. Begin with music already playing.

2. Please stand: We are going to wake up our brains using cross?lateral movements. Dr. Carla Hannaford, developmental neuroscientist, has found these movements to be tremendously helpful in helping both children and adults to learn and to concentrate better.

3. Are you ready?

4. Please feel free to watch if this is not comfortable for you. Also you will need some room around you not to knock anyone else.


Steps

1. Clapping in time to music. As they clap about eight to ten times: ?You want to be crossing the midline of the body - This helps thicken the Corpus Collosum strands that run laterally across the brain mass connecting the right and left brain parts.? Ready to switch movements??

2. Switch to slapping the shoulders ? right hand to left shoulder and vice versa. Do eight times. ? Ok, now we are going to change movements. Ready??

3. Arms diagonally overhead ? reach right arm up high over head to left and vice versa (eight times)

4. ?We?re moving onto more difficult things?. Cross crawl: Bend right knee up to meet or get close to left elbow and vice versa.

5. ?Be careful here especially if you have back problems?. Tap right foot with left arm behind you and vice versa

6. ?Now we?re going to put it all together. You can do it! Ready?: ?clapping (4) ? shoulders (4) arms overhead (4) cross crawl (4) behind you with feet (4) . ?Here?s a new one: pull on your ear lobes? four times each with same hand to ear. ?Massage your brain buttons just at top of rib cage? (both hands on both sides simultaneously at clavicles)

7. ?This one took me ?5? years to learn ? just kidding. Grab your right ear lobe with your left hand & right hand squeezing nose Now switch ? grab left earlobe with right hand and left hand squeezing nose. ?Ok in time to the music.? Demo for them while they hopelessly try and giggle.