554 S. San Vicente Blvd. #204 Los Angeles, CA 90048
What is Brain Gym®?
"Movement creates intelligence." Paul e. dennison
Brain Gym is a system of movement activities designed to reduce stress and enhance learning.
The Brain Gym program was conceived and developed by Paul E. Dennison, Ph. D., along with his wife, Gail E. Dennison, an artist and movement educator. The Dennisons recognized that knowledge grows simultaneously with movement and play, and crafted a system in which the refinement of key sensorimotor abilities can make learning a pleasure.¹
For more than 30 years now, in a field they call Educational Kinesiology (Edu-K), the Dennisons have expanded upon the premise that when certain physical skills are in place, learners no longer have to think about how to read or write—instead they can enjoy what they’re reading or writing.
At the heart of Edu-K are the 26 elegantly simple Brain Gym activities, which encourage stress release and sensorimotor coordination. These activities become even more potent when used in a five-step process known as a balance, which draws out the learner’s potential through self-awareness, noticing and goal setting.
The Edu-K program and the Brain Gym activities are taught in 87 countries around the world. This educational model—one that works without “fixing,” diagnosing or prescribing—draws out new possibilities for children and adults in:
reading
writing
listening
spelling
math
problem solving
memory
accuracy
focus
attention
comprehension
physical coordination
behavior
emotional balance
self-confidence
self-calming
Children with disabilities and diagnoses, such as ADHD, often respond especially well to learning through movement, as it gives them an opportunity to experience moments of physical stability, balance and the safety of internal stillness.
Intelligence lives in the mind and the body. And when they work fluidly together, learners of all ages and abilities can find new pathways to success!
Brain Gym is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation, Ventura, CA, www.braingym.org
[1] Dennison, Paul E. and Gail E., Brain Gym Teacher’s Edition 2010. 4.
THE KEY TO LIVING AND LEARNING
"True learning is not just mental... the brain is informed by movement and the senses." - Paul E. Dennison and Gail E. Dennison, Brain Gym co-creators
"To 'pin down' a thought, there must be movement. A person may sit quietly to think, but to remember a thought an action must be used to anchor it." - Carla Hannaford, Ph. D.
"An increasing body of literature... shows that motor development, movement and exercise facilitate thinking and learning." - Lynne Kenney, Psy. D.