Left Brain-Right Brain-Old Post
Left Brain-Right Brain
I read a post in Katzen_Fl's blog about psychosis, and we got into a discussion on mental health. I worked in a mental health day treatment program for four years in a voluntary capacity teaching art classes. As in most of my volunteer jobs, it became a full time job and I was beginning to neglect my family. I learned so much more from the clients than they learned from me. But while there I helped the art therapist with classes and she joined my class to use her art therapy. One of the classes she did was left brain right brain. Katzen_Fl has voiced an interest in this issue so I will tell you what I learned from this.
This was taken from Educational Kinesiology for Kids, by Dr. Paul E Dennison. There are exercises designed to help children express themselves, be more receptimve and make new experiences their own and be aware of their own uniqueness. As a baby and small child we are more receptive to growth. Crawling is an exercise that uses both sides of the brain. By five many of us are already stuck in a set pattern of learning. When the student learns more useful neurological patterns and unlearns patterns adopted because of physical or emotional trauma, they have a more healthy growth pattern. Hence the introduction into mental health. The system of learning called cross crawling or patterning has been recognized for years as a technique to restore neurological function when there has been severe brain damage. The right brain hemisphere controls the left side of the body and consciousness of left eye and ear. The left brain is in charge of the right side of the body, eye and ear. When one side of the brain is active the other side may do one of two things. 1. Cooperate and coordinate movements with the controlling hemisphere. 2. Switch off and block integration. Doing exercises repatterns you to cross the midline between brains and let go of conscious control.
You can put on your thinking cap before listening or speaking by rubbing ears from inside out and from top to bottom. On the outside of the ear. This helps you to listen, pay attention and remember.
There are six brain gym activities: 1. For balance, hold the bone behind your ear while touching your navel. 2. For receptive energy, Hold below your lips and in front of your pubic bone. 3. For expressive energy, hold above your lips and tailbone at the same time. 4. To relax, squeeze your shoulders, one at a time, while turning your head slowly each way. 5. To relax your jaw and eyes, yawn big and loud. 6. To cross the midline, do neck rolls very, very slowly. To feel more alert, rub below your collarbone while holding your navel.
Cook's Hook-Up's are postures which realign the energy of the body when it is disturbed by forces beyond the conscious control of the individual such as weather, processed foods, magnetic fields, etc. This exercise places your body in the form of a figure 8 which enables a person to cross their midline preventing a switching off of brain energy flow. Place left ankle over the right knee. Hook-up your right hand to your left ankle. Hook-up your left palm to your left foot (over the ball) Hold this position for one minute, breathing deeply, with eyes closed; tongue may be placed against the roof of the mouth during inhale. Next, uncross legs and place the fingertips together while continuing to breathe deeply for one minute. You can do this in a group, passing a heart or a peacepipe. (yes I said peacepipe) and speak whatever is on your mind. This was quite humorous in the mental health center.
It is thought that once you are repatterned it will not have to be done again. Do the cross crawl. Stepping in place with the knees high touching your left hand to your right knee and your right hand to your left knee. This is an activity which makes you "try". To turn on your reflex brain you just have to look up to the left. Clasp your hands together tightly and imagine your brains working together. Do the cross crawl and look in all directions, left, right, up, and down. If this is easy you should be switched on.
I have lost this twice today. I don't know if there is a limit on how much you can write or if it is my computer. I will try to put the rest on the next blog. I know you are doing these exercises. I am thinking that I hope you are not really getting into it at work and people think you are weird.
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Wednesday January 4, 2006 - 03:34pm (CST) Edit Delete
Next Post: Left Brain-Right Brain 2 Previous Post: Cleaning Frenzy
Comments(4 total) Post a Comment
[dele…
Thank you!
Wednesday January 4, 2006 - 01:46pm (PST) Remove Comment
red74…
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Sure! This would go with yoga well. There are a lot of centering techniques in both these exercises, plus the relaxation and breathing.
Wednesday January 4, 2006 - 09:03pm (CST) Remove Comment
Shay …
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OH wow, I pushed my chair back here at work sat on the floor, and tried to read my screen at the same time to see if i was dong it right. My boss walked by and asked me if I was ok, or if I needed a break. I told him I was trying to be more efficient. ( he he )
Thursday January 5, 2006 - 09:07am (PST) Remove Comment
red74…
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You are a riot. I knew you would be an asset to my blog. As I was writing this I could see all these people doing this at work.
Thursday January 5, 2006 - 11:29am (CST) Remove Comment
I read a post in Katzen_Fl's blog about psychosis, and we got into a discussion on mental health. I worked in a mental health day treatment program for four years in a voluntary capacity teaching art classes. As in most of my volunteer jobs, it became a full time job and I was beginning to neglect my family. I learned so much more from the clients than they learned from me. But while there I helped the art therapist with classes and she joined my class to use her art therapy. One of the classes she did was left brain right brain. Katzen_Fl has voiced an interest in this issue so I will tell you what I learned from this.
This was taken from Educational Kinesiology for Kids, by Dr. Paul E Dennison. There are exercises designed to help children express themselves, be more receptimve and make new experiences their own and be aware of their own uniqueness. As a baby and small child we are more receptive to growth. Crawling is an exercise that uses both sides of the brain. By five many of us are already stuck in a set pattern of learning. When the student learns more useful neurological patterns and unlearns patterns adopted because of physical or emotional trauma, they have a more healthy growth pattern. Hence the introduction into mental health. The system of learning called cross crawling or patterning has been recognized for years as a technique to restore neurological function when there has been severe brain damage. The right brain hemisphere controls the left side of the body and consciousness of left eye and ear. The left brain is in charge of the right side of the body, eye and ear. When one side of the brain is active the other side may do one of two things. 1. Cooperate and coordinate movements with the controlling hemisphere. 2. Switch off and block integration. Doing exercises repatterns you to cross the midline between brains and let go of conscious control.
You can put on your thinking cap before listening or speaking by rubbing ears from inside out and from top to bottom. On the outside of the ear. This helps you to listen, pay attention and remember.
There are six brain gym activities: 1. For balance, hold the bone behind your ear while touching your navel. 2. For receptive energy, Hold below your lips and in front of your pubic bone. 3. For expressive energy, hold above your lips and tailbone at the same time. 4. To relax, squeeze your shoulders, one at a time, while turning your head slowly each way. 5. To relax your jaw and eyes, yawn big and loud. 6. To cross the midline, do neck rolls very, very slowly. To feel more alert, rub below your collarbone while holding your navel.
Cook's Hook-Up's are postures which realign the energy of the body when it is disturbed by forces beyond the conscious control of the individual such as weather, processed foods, magnetic fields, etc. This exercise places your body in the form of a figure 8 which enables a person to cross their midline preventing a switching off of brain energy flow. Place left ankle over the right knee. Hook-up your right hand to your left ankle. Hook-up your left palm to your left foot (over the ball) Hold this position for one minute, breathing deeply, with eyes closed; tongue may be placed against the roof of the mouth during inhale. Next, uncross legs and place the fingertips together while continuing to breathe deeply for one minute. You can do this in a group, passing a heart or a peacepipe. (yes I said peacepipe) and speak whatever is on your mind. This was quite humorous in the mental health center.
It is thought that once you are repatterned it will not have to be done again. Do the cross crawl. Stepping in place with the knees high touching your left hand to your right knee and your right hand to your left knee. This is an activity which makes you "try". To turn on your reflex brain you just have to look up to the left. Clasp your hands together tightly and imagine your brains working together. Do the cross crawl and look in all directions, left, right, up, and down. If this is easy you should be switched on.
I have lost this twice today. I don't know if there is a limit on how much you can write or if it is my computer. I will try to put the rest on the next blog. I know you are doing these exercises. I am thinking that I hope you are not really getting into it at work and people think you are weird.
Tags: Edit Tags
Wednesday January 4, 2006 - 03:34pm (CST) Edit Delete
Next Post: Left Brain-Right Brain 2 Previous Post: Cleaning Frenzy
Comments(4 total) Post a Comment
[dele…
Thank you!
Wednesday January 4, 2006 - 01:46pm (PST) Remove Comment
red74…
Offline
Sure! This would go with yoga well. There are a lot of centering techniques in both these exercises, plus the relaxation and breathing.
Wednesday January 4, 2006 - 09:03pm (CST) Remove Comment
Shay …
Offline
OH wow, I pushed my chair back here at work sat on the floor, and tried to read my screen at the same time to see if i was dong it right. My boss walked by and asked me if I was ok, or if I needed a break. I told him I was trying to be more efficient. ( he he )
Thursday January 5, 2006 - 09:07am (PST) Remove Comment
red74…
Offline
You are a riot. I knew you would be an asset to my blog. As I was writing this I could see all these people doing this at work.
Thursday January 5, 2006 - 11:29am (CST) Remove Comment
