Two new studies appearing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science and earlier reports say that brain activity is as equally linked to schizophrenia as it is to skillful meditation.
Dr. Mel Levine, MD in his workshops which focus on the learning process advocates a non-labeling approach that pinpoints and manages the students specific weaknesses and strengths in such a way that does not stigmatize them or oversimplify them.
Dr. Paul Foxman, in his well known book, Dancing with Fear ( 2007) looks at the relationship that anxiety plays in our society.In all of these studies we are realizing the power our brain has to derail our perceptions and thoughts and make our life uneasy or to foster healthy perception and help us to achieve a richer inner life experience.
Results from the above mentioned studies indicate that our brain is a complex community. All the members of this community are cells and as such are active as is reflected in their electrical discharges. How these discharges occur contribute to the different experiences we have in our daily life. EEG recordings back up this study of the brain by reporting on the rate and intensity at which cells on the brain's surface send messages. Some brain waves for example, the gamma ones, send their messages at around 40 times a second. Wow!
According to researchers at the University of Wisconsin, gamma activity expanded across the brain during meditation but according to psychiatrist Robert W. Mc Carley of Harvard, the absence of gamma activity can cause dysfunctional neural activity and schizophrenic symptoms.
As we learn more about the power and function of our brain we can then apply some very simple activities that will make our daily life better, our children less anxious and learning the positive enjoyable experience it should be.There will be much more study on this subject as more and more educators have to deal with children experiencing learning difficulties.
I know as a Structure of Intellect practitioner and a certified Life Management Skills Leader that the brain has to have the precise rhythm and timing to effectively process information, perception , memory and consciousness. In other words kids and adults learn better and feel better when their brain is in balance. I train the brain before I ask it to work. Through a sensory integration program, my students use a ball and a balance board to create rhythm and precise timing in the brain. I am then able to use their intellectual strengths to help train their weaknesses. It's beautiful and it works!
Here are some tips you can try at home to prepare your child for the best learning experience:
1) Create a space for studying. It should be quiet with 60 beat music playing in the background. The brain self-organizes better when it listens to Vivaldi rather than pop music.
2) Give your child a protein snack before or during homework time. Avoid sugar or foods known to be allergens. These foods break up concentration and focus.
3) Do some brain gym exercises before homework time. Any of the cross-patterning where you touch your left hand to your right knee and visa-versa will stimulate both right and left hemispheres.
4) Ask your child to hold their breath for 5 to 10 seconds actually re-energizes our brain's electrical patterns and clears brain fog quickly.
When I use these simple techniques with my students I've seen great results in their ability to prepare for a quiz, an exam or study time. When the brain's timing and rhythm are restored to a healthy balance, depression, anxiety and learning disabilities are healed and they make advances in reading, writing and arithmetic.
As an education coach, I am thankful for the above mentioned studies on brain function. It helps all of us understand more about how we learn and even more importantly gives us new approaches to try at home and in the classroom. We are finding out that we can become super learners while being balanced and calm in our everyday life.
Joan Gibson
Joan Gibson
Optional Title: Four Ways To Train Your Child's Brain For Success.
[http://www.joangibson.ca]
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