Brain Gym® and Writing

A number of years ago I was teaching a Brain Gym® course to a group of very interested elementary school teachers, on their own campus. We had just completed a lesson on Dennison Laterality Repatterning (DLR), one of the key “balance” processes taught in the Brain Gym work. The group had watched me demonstrate the process with one of the course participants, they'd partnered with each other to practice facilitating this process themselves, and we’d discussed their experiences. I answered questions throughout.

Then came a request: “We’d really like to see what it looks like when you facilitate DLR with a child.”

As it turned out, the son of one of the course participants was just down the hallway, participating in a weekend arts and crafts day, and she “volunteered” him to be my student subject. I asked her if he had any specific issues to address, and she said that writing was his biggest challenge at school and at home. He found it so difficult to put ideas down on paper that he would often cry through all of his writing homework, which took simply ages to accomplish. 

I’d never met this child – and, as a presenter, I must say that this kind of demonstration is always a risk! – but I invited her to bring her child, whose name was Asher, to our classroom, trusting in the Brain Gym balance process to support him in making whatever kind of change was best for him.

What follows is the sharing the mother wrote shortly thereafter, accompanied by two samples of Asher’s handwriting, done about four weeks apart.

January 15, 2010

My son Asher is a second grader who had been demonstrating anxiety and stress during handwriting since kindergarten. During handwriting times he complained of stomachaches, headaches, and would often break down in tears even before the pencil touched the paper. During kindergarten and first grade he often wound up in the nurse’s office during handwriting. His teacher finally caught on to the coincidence and brought it to my attention.   

Second grade requirements have included monthly book reports. Asher could read a chapter book from start to finish in a day or two. However, when he sat down to write about what he read it seemed like he could not put what was in his head down on the paper. Book reports took up to 3 hours to complete and always involved a meltdown or two.

During a Brian Gym 101 class that I was attending, Asher was given the opportunity to receive a balance, as a demonstration of facilitating Dennison Laterality Repatterning (DLR) with a child. Coming up with one sentence for the pre check handwriting took several minutes. He could not organize one thought to put down on paper. Kathy Brown, the licensed professional leading our class, had to support him in getting the words out. The handwriting itself was fairly sloppy. The letters were not uniform in size and the spacing was not even. Asher was teary the entire time and his face was tense and unsmiling. Following the DLR, Asher appeared relaxed and was even smiling. Kathy had him sit down and write another sentence. This time he sat for only a second or two, smiled the biggest smile, and then wrote a sentence with fluidity and ease.  Kathy asked him how that felt, to which he replied with a huge smile and big thumbs up.

Later that night we were driving in the car and I was explaining the repatterning process to my husband. I told about how Asher learned to write under stress and that is why handwriting has been so difficult for him. From the back of the car I heard Asher say, “Yeah, dad, because when I learned to write in kindergarten, there was a lot of pressure.” I have to say, I welled up with tears of joy and sadness. Joy because the “pressure” he had to endure so long had been lifted, but sadness too because he suffered though it in the first place.

It has been 2 weeks since his DLR. He now has writing topics every day in class. Upon picking him up from school this week, Asher told me about a topic they had to write about. He said, “Mom, we only had to write 5 sentences, but I wrote 9, because bigger is better.” I can’t express my feeling at that moment. This child who could barely get one sentence down on paper without bursting into tears because it was “too hard,” had written 4 more sentences than what was required. I can’t wait for his next book report!

Sincerely,

Danielle Hansen

Asher’s mom and future Licensed Brain Gym® Consultant

Here is a sample of Asher's writing from shortly before his Brain Gym session. It took 45 minutes with much coaching.

Here is a sample of Asher's writing one month after his Brain Gym session. It took 25 minutes and much less help. 

In communicating recently with Asher's mother, I asked how he was doing these days - actually six years later. She replied, "Asher continues to do well and writing is now one of his best subjects in school. His essays and book reports are quite accomplished and he no longer has anxiety related to his writing assignments." How wonderful to hear! 

I love this work!

If you'd like to find out more about the Brain Gym® program and how it can support change in many different ways, I have some suggestions. 

• You could read about it. Allow me to recommend the book I authored, specifically to introduce people to Brain Gym: Educate Your Brain. Click here to learn more, or to buy your own copy. (Note: While I mention DLR in many place in this book, I do not explain the steps here; you can experience this process in a private session  or learn how to facilitate it in the BG101 course.)

• You could experience the Brain Gym balance process yourself! Schedule a private session with a consultant near you. The Brain Gym website offers information about consultants around the world. If you live in the Phoenix area or plan to visit, I'll be happy to schedule a session with you in my own office. 
• You could participate in a Brain Gym® 101 course, and learn how to facilitate this amazing process, to support yourself in making changes you'd like to see in your own life, and in supporting others as well. Dennison Laterality Repatterining (DLR) is one of the key processes taught in this course. Consultants around the world offer the BG101 course. You're welcome to take one of my upcoming BG101 courses in Phoenix: July 22-23-24, 2016 or November 11-12-13, 2016. I'll have courses posted for 2017, also. Click here for my web page on the BG101 course. To stay updated on course offerings, you can subscribe at this link. 

A new way of moving through life could just be a few moments away! 

Wishing you all the best -

Kathy
©Copyright 2016 Kathy Brown. All rights reserved.
Brain Gym® is a registered trademark of the Educational Kinesiology Foundation • Ventura, CA  •  www.braingym.org

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