brain gym parkinson
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JoAnna Shaw
CONSONANTS CLEARlY, A D
UNDERSTOOD EVERY WORD.
THE FOURTH SESSIO : 9/6/06, 10 - 11:30 A.M.Bill chose to work on his voice today.
Pre- _. _. He lOId me a story about his dog, and demon-
howl when Bill would hit high notes
cblriJJlet.His voice was breathy, his conso-
i difficult to understand him. His
dido't like the sound of his voice.
He also p. his clarinet. It was hard for him to produce a
sound, and there was no discernible melody. It sounded more
like playing a scale to warm up.
Learning Menu: Spinal Walking*, Navel Radiation*, and
Movement Reeducation* on feet and calves. His focus was to
relax the tendon guard reflex*.Post-activity: Bill told me the same story about his dog. This
time he enunciated his consonants clearly, and I understood
every word. There was breath supporting his words. His eyes lit
up as he noticed the difference. He reported that the internal
sound was still not to his liking, although the external sound
was significantly different.
Compared to the conclusions of our prior balances, in which
his voice had become progressively less audible, for him to
have a strong voice at the end of the balance was a big shift.
Then Bill played his clarinet. It seemed difficult until he took a
sip of water, then the music started to flow. He played "It Had
to Be You" and smiled at his accompli hment. It was verysweet. I felt serenaded.
During this session we played with the Energy Bal1 (a toy
with a battery that
THIS TIME HE ENUNCIATED HIS lights up and makes
a siren sound when
two metal conduc-
tors are touched,
available from most
stores that sell science-based toys). In the three prior sessions,
he had not been able to get it to light up and make a sound.
After sipping about half a glass of water, this time he was finally
able to get the ball to light up and make its sound. Again he waslearning something about the importance of sipping water for
conducting the electrical energy in his body, and especial1y his
brain.
Besides playing his clarinet, Bill's homeplay was to do the
fol1owing self-help activities that emphasize relaxation of the
tendon guard reflex: the Foot Flex, the Owl, the Energy Yawn,
Bel1y Breathing, and a variation of the Energizer.
reversed. (His diaphragm would contract rather than relax when
he breathed in.) I learned that he played the clarinet, and still
had one in his room. So playing his clarinet became Bill's per-
fect homeplay in order to practice his breathing. He was also to
sip water through a Krazy Straw, a device that reeducates the
sucking reflex.
I trained Bill's caregivers to assist him with his Brain Gym
homeplay. The following are excerpts from the notes that I
made during the fourth balance session, when Bill's voice came
forward.
G B RAIN GYM W IT H P EO PL E
H O H AV E P AR KIN SO N'S D ISE ASE
Can Brain Gym help my speech?" This was the question
posed to me by an elder in a local retirement community.
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the
al nervous system that often impairs the subject's motor
and speech. Bill had been diagnosed with the disease thir-years before, and he had other health challenges that
red him to receive twenty-four-hour professional care.
had heard about Brain Gym@through his leadership role
he resident council that approved expenditures within
ment community. Seeking to train caregivers and
tial assistants in the B .
program. with a goal 0
ing falls. I had recen
presentation to the adJi11iIristra
tors. Bill had r ecei\ one of
my brochures and a copy of a
Brain Gym- Journal' enti-tled "Lifelong Leaming- (July
2005, Volume XIX, o. _) for
his review.
Brain Gym, like the
Educational Kinesiology sys-
tem of which it is a part, is a
movement -based educational
el. Its instructors and consultants do not diagnose, treat, or
mpt to cure any medical condition. We seek to support indi-
als in noticing the correlation between their goals (or
nce of goals) and their daily patterns of movement.
ugh a five-step balance process, we help them learn new,
effective patterns of movement.
ll asked to meet with me to explore whether Brain Gym
d help him regain his vocal tone and enunciation. He had
pleted a series of physical and speech therapies, but was
struggling to be heard and understood. Parkinson's can
t swallowing, and hence the speech, as it progresses, and
had been told that there was nothing more to be done. So
n Brain Gym help my speech?" was his first question to me,
lated by his caregiver.
s I am careful not to make promises I can't keep, my answer
ill was, "I don't know. Many people have been able to reach
ical and mental goals with Brain Gym. I don't know if it
help you unless we give it a try. One key to success is thatbe able to do your homeplay* activities every day, to rein-
e the balances we'll do. It will help if I can train your care-
rs to help you with the homeplay."
ll committed to try out Brain Gym for a few sessions to see
it would go. For his first half-dozen balances, we met once
sometimes twice a week. In those initial balances, Bill
ed he was quite dehydrated and that his breathing was
nna Shaw, Oregon, U.S.A.
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HAPPY DE VEL OPME NTS
After sixteen meetings over a period of L X months, Bill
wrote a nice testimonial letter in support of the retirement center
training caregivers and residential - istants in Brain Gym. In
his letter, Bill said, "I have worked bard in this program. It bas
improved my speaking, strength.a m
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feelings, and physical sensations differed depending on their
focus. This was helpful to them as, at the start of the program,
many had encountered difficulty accessing the self-awareness
equired for noticing.
In the pre- and post-activities and learning menu, I taught
about differentiating the Puppet (one-sided or homolateral)
movement from the Cross Crawl (contralateral) movement.
Here they learned about relaxing their reflex into one-sided
movement (arm and leg automatically move at the same time on
he same side of the body) so that their contralateral core pos-
ural movement pattern might be restored and active when theychose to walk, write, read, or use other life skills. Every partic-
pant preferred the Puppet movement when starting the pro-
gram and when under stress. Again, the muscle checking
helped them learn about relaxing muscles for the Puppe IDO\'e-
ment and activating muscles for the Cross Crawl.
I noticed that many of the participants' automatic movemen
were similar to the developmental reflexes I see in children and
adults with learning and other stress-related challenges, except
more pronounced. In particular, these participants often had a
high degree of reactivity between the movements of their eyes
and of their body (a developmental reflex known as the asym-
metrical tonic neck reflex or ATNR). When I would ask some-one to follow the movement of an object with her eyes, it was
not unusual for her arm or leg to follow the same path.
In most balances, the learning menu included Dennison
Laterality Repatterning, Three-Dimension Repatterning*,
Homolateral Reflex Repatterning*, or Total Core
Repatterning*. NavelRadiation* before TH ES E E LD E RS W E RE LE A RN IN G
repatterning also H O W T HE IR T HO UG HT S,proved a helpful
learning menu item. F EE LI NG S, A ND P HY SIC AL
In my experience the
repatteming processes, SENSATIONS DIFFEREDunique to Brain DEPENDING ON TH EIR FOCU S .
Gym@ and Edu-K,
have the greatest success in allowing the movement of the eyes
to differentiate from the movement of the body and letting less
effort be used in such activities as reading, writing, and walk-
ing. Those who experienced some degree of this differentiation
after several balances that included repatterning were the same
individuals who seemed to make the best progress toward their goals.
At the start of each session, we would explore through mus-
cle checking how well, after doing their homeplay, the partici-
pants could sustain relaxed muscles for the Puppet movement
and looking at parallel lines and active muscles for the CrossCrawl and looking at an X.
One thing that I explained in the very beginning was that,
when we do a balance, all parts of the brain begin to cooperate.
This means that the various areas of the brain (for thinking,
feeling, action, and so on) can function more effectively as a
unit. Generally, patterns in pre-activities show an imbalance
toward thinking too much or reflexive action, with little con-
nection to feelings. So those who allow their feelings to come
up in the balance process are (and were, among these partic
pants) the most successful in achieving their goals.
POSITIVE FEEDBACK
Many heartwarming testimonials came from the SOPS
project. Even during the introductory workshop, many car
givers said that they noticed changes in the walking gait of the
loved ones. Some participants who had shuffled their feet an
walked as if falling forward began picking up their feet an
transferring their weight from one foot to the other.
One caregiver called me to say, "Tom would not be walkin
today without your program." Tom had been completel
dependent for all of his self-care needs. Before the Brain Gy
program. he couldn't lift his arm more than an inch on his ow
After a fe\\' sesSlODS.be was walking, dressing himself, feedin
the garbage!
One described as "debilitating fatigue
before the progralIIl. HeI' energy level was so low that she w
unable to spend m time with friends as she would ha
liked. She strug ed to _ her hair in the morning, and had
use a wheelchair to hop. Ye her energy began to shift from t
first day of the "Introduction to Brain Gym" workshop. At t
end of the workshop she spoke up, saying, "I was a skeptic
She told the story of how hard it had been to dry her hair a
how this had changed after the first day of the workshop. In h
last balance session, she shared how she had recently walk
through the Colorado Airport without a wheelchair and how s
could now enjoy shopping at Macy's with a friend.
LAVONA'S STORY
Another participant, LaVona, experienced such significan
changes that she actually assisted in the second twelve-hou
Brain Gym workshop that I gave for the SOPSG Phase 2 grou
LaVona has recommended Brain Gym to other people in h
community who have a Parkinson's diagnosis. She wrote a t
timonialletter about what she had noticed in herself and othe
and told me she would be happy to have her name, as well
excerpts from her letter, used in this article.
I was a participant in the Brain Gym sessions for Parkinson
patients and their caregivers. The first day. I saw expressions
helplessness and depression. The second day. frowns we
replaced by smiles. Patients who could not talk the day befo
began talking. A patient who could not lift his arms witho
help was lifting his arms by himself. Patients were feeling po
itive effects from Brain Gym. A cheerful ftelingfilled the roo
We set goals on the second day. Parkinson s had affected
handwriting. and I wanted to be able to write larger and mo
legibly. On that very day. my handwriting improved. I have co
tinued having private Brain Gym sessions with 10 Anna. So
of my goals have been:
1. More energy and endurance so I could accomplis
more at home
2. More ability to comprehend directions
3. The ability to relax
4. More physical balance
5. An improved posture
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Jo Anna (right) and La rima formeda good working relationship.
I have progressed in all of these goals .. \(v endurance and
nergy level has so improved thai Fill 1101completely ahausted
when the clock shows L:30 p.. Even though Fm slcJl\; I
ccomplish much more in lilY Itome. I also walk, garden. and
elp care for our yard. DoiItg Bruin Gym has enabled me 10
nction much better thall I ill the past.
Following directions is . ~ easier. My understanding is
mproving, along l\ . ~: My ability to relax is also
etting better. HOl\. that is!
My balance
mproved. Ip and dOl\
also crnd
e noticed
positiveumges within
>'Self as I have
rked towards my goals. I have a long ways to go before my
oals are completely reached. But I'm excited about my progress.
I have learned that through our lives we establish patterns of
ehavior in our brains. These patterns influence our physical
nd mental health, however the negative behavior patterns can
e changed. They can be replaced with positive, healthy patterns
at will make our lives healthier, happier, and more productive.
A Sample of LaVona's Handwriting in October 2006,
Before the Brain Gym Workshop
La Vona's Handwriting After the Brain Gym Workshop
and Several Balances
As I write this article, three months after the end of LaVo
SOPSG Brain Gym program, I can report to you that she
been able to sustain her gains by doing her Brain Gym ho
play every day.
THE hE E TS OF S UCCESS
The successful results achieved by the Parkinson's sup
group participants were an outgrowth of their own desire
ability to learn about their mind-body relationship and to g
through the balance process. Educational Kinesiology was
to them. Yet, with a leap of faith many were inspired enougsign up for the program.
In my introductory comments, I invited workshop par
pants to play with the activities and to detach from wantin
change their Parkinson's symptoms. I also followed the d
ing-out concept, saying, "Are you open to the possibility
your prognosis might change? The mind is a very powe
force in this process. If you believe you can or you can't,
are right."
Many of them had previously surrendered to the "fate"
saw others experience. Many had stopped setting goals, a
encouraged them to choose a life-skill goal that they c
move toward.
There is a tendency to attribute the successes people ach
in Brain Gym to the learning menu activities they used. A
truly, repatterning did contribute much to these folks' succ
Yet their inspiration, their intention to find purpose in their
their willingness to show up for weekly or bi-weekly sessi
to stick out the tough times when feelings and memories c
up, and to do the homeplay activities also greatly contributed
their success.
There are Brain Gym~ Instructors all over the world,
some in your own area will have a wealth of experience w
ing with adults and children who had a variety of goals anvariety of physical, mental, and emotional challenges. G
www.braingym.org to fmd an instructor or consultant in y
area. I encourage you to call and interview them to determ
if they have experience in helping people with similar c
lenges and goals to your own.
I gratefully acknowledge those who invested their time, fa
ities, and money in this program. I give thanks to those w
whom I had the pleasure and honor to facilitate balances. T
were as much my teachers as I was theirs. May the work we
together bless the lives of many others, as well.
Jo Anna Shaw has been a licensed Brain Gym@instructor,
Intention Mapping70 coach. and a workshop facilitator si
1993. She has a masters degree in business, and has been
ognized by Brain Gym@International with the Outstand
Achievement Award for her contributions to the field
Educational Kinesiology. Jo Anna facilitates private sessi
and workshops in Jacksonville, Southern Oregon, and ha
website at . She can be reac
by email at. and by t
phone at (541) 899-4447 ...
BRAIN GYM JOURNAL - MARCH 2008
http://www.braingym.org/http://www.braingym.org/