About Brain Gym & BrainMoves
Brain Gym and BrainMoves help toddlers, preschoolers, children, teenagers, adults and seniors with learning disabilities, problems focusing, studying, taking tests, organizing and doing well in school. The movements help people easily cross the middle of their bodies and corrects other problems associated with learning problems and learning disabilities. The movements help everyone of all ages focus and learn more easily. Brain Gym and BrainMoves also help us relax and manage stress. The movements can improve communication skills, social skills, relationships, smooth out transitions, improve parenting skills, improve behavior problems, reduce chemical imbalances like ADD and ADHD, anxiety and depression, managing chronic illness and pain and help resolve issues with food, alcohol and/or drugs.
Brain Gym
Dr. Paul Dennison (PhD in education) founded the Educational Kinesiology Foundation (now known as Breakthroughs International) in southern California in 1987 to teach professionals, parents and other adults how to use Brain Gym to help school aged children with learning disabilities. Brain Gym has been translated in to 40 languages and has consultants and teachers in 80 countries. Any teenager or adult can take a Brain Gym introductory workshop or Brain Gym 101 class. You can learn how to do the 26 Brain Gym 101 movements and two of the six in-depth balances in my Brain Gym workshops and classes. You will know how to use Brain Gym with your students, clients, children, family, friends and for yourself right after you finish a workshop or class!
BrainMoves
Diane Malik, M.A. has been a licensed Brain Gym teacher and consultant since 2002. She also has a masters degree in counseling psychology since 2002. Diane developed BrainMoves to help people of all ages with delayed development, balance, coordination, learning disabilities, chemical imbalances, addictions, PTSD and other mental health diagnoses, behavioral, psychological, emotional and physical problems. BrainMoves works based upon the same principles as Brain Gym but has a much larger set of movements specifically designed to help with the kinds of problems listed above. BrainMoves has movements for all of the age groups, including babies, toddlers, preschoolers, school age children, teenagers, adults and seniors.
Using Brain Gym & BrainMoves with "Goals"
Brain Gym & BrainMoves “goals” tell our brains and bodies where to create new, cross lateral neural pathways
A goal is a positive belief. For example, a teenager can write a “goal” like “It is easy for me to focus when I am in
class.” When we do the BG and BM movements with a goal/positive belief it tells our brains and bodies exactly what problem we want to improve and exactly where to create the new cross lateral neural pathways in our brains and bodies.
Goals/positive beliefs tell our brains and bodies which reflexes to relax and/or which behaviors to change
Relaxing reflexes helps people have more control over their emotions. It helps them to think first and then respond to situations and other people instead of reacting automatically. People usually feel more relaxed, more positive and confident and stronger right away when they do the Brain Gym and BrainMoves movements with goals/positive beliefs.
Parents, Teachers & Other Professionals Love Brain Gym
Parents
Parents tell me that doing Brain Gym & BrainMoves for five minutes a day help their children listen better and do better at home and at school.
Toddlers & Preschoolers
Young children tell me that BrainMoves is fun to do, makes hard things easier and makes their brains feel better.
Children & Teenagers
Children and teenagers tell me that doing Brain Gym & BrainMoves makes it easier to focus, do homework and study for tests, stay calm in social situations, improves their self esteem and help them do better at extracurricular activities like sports, music, dance, art and chess.
Adults
Adults tell me that doing Brain Gym & BrainMoves helps with anxiety, depression, eating properly, exercising, being a better partner and parent, improves their communication and organization skills, improves job performance and helps them prioritize their time.
Teachers & Special Ed Teachers
Teachers and special education teachers tell me their students learn faster, focus better, listen better, behave better and get better test scores with ten minutes of Brain Gym and BrainMoves a day.
Occupational Therapists & Speech Therapists
Occupational therapists and speech therapists tell me their patients get well faster with ten minutes of Brain Gym and BrainMoves in every weekly session.
Physical Therapists & Massage Therapists
Physical therapists and massage therapists tell me their patients get well faster with five minutes of Brain Gym and BrainMoves in every weekly session.
Mental Health Professionals
Psychotherapists and other mental health professionals tell me their clients get better faster when they do Brain Gym and BrainMoves for 15 minutes at home one time between their weekly sessions.