Exercises for Whole Brain Learning

Brain hemisphere exercises make learning so much easier, more fun and less stressful. When you are able to access both right and left sides of the brain, you are more productive and focused.

In the last article, a simple, brain hemisphere exercise called cross-patterning was introduced. Marching in place while bringing your opposite hand to your opposite knee wakes up the brain and recharges the energy in your body.

Another way of integrating your brain hemispheres and focusing your mind is an exercise called Crossing the Midline:

1. Hold a pen in your RIGHT hand and draw the infinity symbol on a piece of paper. Trace the symbol several times and follow the tracing with your eyes. The larger the paper, the more eye muscles can be used.
2. Repeat while holding the pen in your LEFT hand.
3. Repeat while holding the pen in BOTH hands.

 Eyes are so important for reading, learning and processing whole brain information. The simple act of reading can weaken the eye muscles due to the continuous movement of the eyes back and forth across a page. Add fatigue, stress, poor lighting, etc. and vision can be inhibited.

Moms, for years have been telling their children that they have yes in back of their heads. Well, Moms you are right! You actually "see" in the area in the back of the head called the Primary Visual Area.

To reduce stress in the eyes, locate the bump, called the mastoid process, in the back of the head - about 2 inches right and left of the midline and about 2 inches above the base of the skull. Or, think about shining a light through the pupil of the eye and having it come out the back of the head. that's the spot!

1. Massage the eye points gently - the Primary Visual Area - while;
2. Slowly bringing your eyes around a giant imaginary clock, both clockwise and counter-clockwise;
3. Repeat with eyes open and then closed, taking deep breaths as you go.

An energy exercise to reduce stress and integrate the brain hemispheres is called the Overload Exercise. Use this any time you are stressed, overwhelmed or overloaded.

1. 
   Place one hand on your navel, while the other hand massages below the
   clavicle (collar) bone, to the right and left of the sternum;
2. Massage above and below the lips while continuing to hold the navel;
3. Massage the tailbone;
4. Reverse hand positions and repeat steps 1 through 3.

 You will find yourself or your child taking a deep cleansing breath after this exercise. The cob webs in the brain seem to go away and the lights come on! Now it is easier to go back to the task at hand. thinking is so much easier.