Enhanced Classroom Learning With Brain Exercises & Brain Gym
An innovative program designed to teach students to activate their brains through specific body movements is helping children throughout the world be better prepared to learn. With back to school in full swing now, this is welcomed news for both educators and students alike. The program, Brain Gym http://www.braingym.com, was developed by former classroom instructor, Dr. Paul Dennison, and is based on Educational Kinesiology, which is the science of enhanced learning through movement.
Dennison intends to awaken students, parents and teachers to an understanding of the interdependence of movement, learning, and brain development. The principles in his program are so widely accepted that his Brain Gym program is becoming the standard in schools around the world and recommended by tutors and teachers and those looking for better health and well being. Teachers who incorporate the Brain Gym movements within their daily classroom routine rediscover that joy of teaching for which they originally chose their profession.
The Brain Gym program provides a series of simple movement activities that optimize brain activity, while integrating the mind and body. The lessons taught are profoundly simple, can be done anywhere, and work well for all ages. The concept is so simply, yet so effective. And that's why it works. Those who practice the exercises enjoy doing them, so they want to do them consistently. They also see positive results, which is a driving force for continuing to do them on a regular basis.
Following are some sample exercises, how to perform them, and the benefit achieved:
Cross Crawl - Simultaneously lift your right hand and left leg, lightly tapping the hand just above your left knee. Then return the hand and leg to a resting position as you lift your left hand and right leg, touching your left hand to the place above its opposite knee. Continue this back and forth pattern for a minute or so, as though walking rhythmically.
Accomplishes - Improved left/right coordination; enhanced breathing and stamina; greater coordination and spatial awareness, enhanced hearing and vision. Helps with spelling, writing, listening, reading and comprehension.
Energy Yawn - While pretending to yawn, close eyes tight and massage the areas covering the upper and lower back molars. A deep relaxed yawning sound is made while massaging the muscles. Repeat the activity three to six times.
Accomplishes - Perfect for classroom teaching as students can add to their own movements. Improved expression and creativity, improved balance, and relaxed thinking during mental work.
Lazy 8s - The student aligns his body with a point at eye level. This will be the midpoint of the 8. The student chooses a comfortable position for drawing the Lazy 8, adjusting the width and height to fit his needs. He starts on the midline and moves counterclockwise first, up, over, and around. Then from his waist he moves clockwise: up, over, around, and back to the beginning midpoint. As the eyes follow the Lazy 8, the head moves slightly and the neck remains relaxed. Three repetitions with each hand separately and then both together.
Accomplishes - Teaches visual attention and improves ocular mobility skills needing for reading. Helps with the mechanics of reading (left-to-right eye movement).
Positive points - Lightly touch the points above each eye, halfway between the eyebrows and the hairline, with the fingertips of each hand. Use just enough pressure to pull the skin taut, and hold the contact for about a minute.
Accomplishes - Helps with organizational abilities, study skills, test performance and sports performance, public speaking, stage performance and reading aloud.
Arm Activation - Reach up above your head with your left arm, feeling the arm lengthen from your rib cage. Hold your arm just below the elbow with your right hand. Now isometrically activate your left arm for a few seconds in each of four positions away from your head, forward, backward, and toward your ear. Rest your left arm again at your side. Now stand and let your arms hang comfortably by your sides.
Accomplishes - An increased attention span for written work; improved focus and concentration without over focus; improved breathing and a relaxed attitude; an enhanced ability to express ideas; and increased energy in hands and fingers.
When students are introduced to Brain Gym, they seem to love it, request it, teach it to their friends, and integrate it into their lives without any coaching or supervision. This movement-based system offers additional assistance to children with learning difficulties and helps them achieve the best of success in their academic paths.
"The teachers in the classrooms are instrumental in making the Brain Gym program work," said Dennison. That's why Dennison takes great strides in providing detailed instructions, informational charts, hands on workshops, and all the tools necessary to achieve success.
Detailed in Dennison's latest book, Brain Gym and Me, Reclaiming the Pleasure of Learning, is one pilot program and the positive results from it after implementing Brain Gym. The conclusion was that students reported learning physical skills, trusting their own bodies, plus self-esteem and easier reading while teachers expressed gratitude for this effective tool to enhance teaching strategies.
The book also details how Dennison once walked through the halls during one school visit, and saw children using Brain Gym throughout the school day without teacher direction. "That was great validation that our program works," he said. "If we look inside the classroom, we'll see that active learners are those who are lively and active. Such children physically reach for information and opportunities to express themselves, barely containing their enthusiasm for knowledge as they write, turn pages and relate with their peers. The children who are not moving will appear stressed, passive and bored. In either case children can't hide their authentic feelings about learning. These feelings are apparent in their movements, demeanor and body posture."
Patty Gottwald, a pre-school teacher at Mason County Eastern in Michigan, was quoted in an article in Ludington's Daily News recently talking about the Brain Gym Program. She states she attended a Brain Gym session, which showed teachers how their students can activate parts of their brains through certain body movements and concluded, "It makes children more ready to learn."
Dennison's book, Brain Gym and Me: Reclaiming the Pleasure of Learning, which explains how to bring Brain Gym into the classroom, is currently in more than 80 countries receiving astonishing worldwide media attention recently with segments on CBC Radio's 1 "Ontario Today" and City TV, "Breakfast Television" and a full-page article in Woman's World Magazine, May 8th edition. It provides excellent examples of how many have succeeded and how Dr. Dennison skillfully takes them on this journey. It also explains how he overcame his own learning challenges to become an internationally known educator and authority on cognitive skills and reading achievement.
Want your children to achieve the best in academic success? Then look into the Brain Gym Program at your school and stop by the Brain Gym site for additional information, http://www.braingym.com. Dr. Dennison is also available for media interviews and would welcome the opportunity to demonstrate some of the 26 exercises that make up the Brain Gym Program. He is also available for workshops and speaking engagements. Contact Publicist Diana Ennen at diana@virtualwordpublishing.com, (954) 971-4025 for details.
Purchasing the Right Home Gym for a Fitter you
Simple home gym equipments such as power racks are suitable mainly for simple weight training exercises but they lack versatility. Multi home gyms allow variety in your fitness regimen. A good home gym lets you perform many types of exercises from bench press and leg curls to sit-ups and butterfly.
Another thing to consider is that home gyms are usually used by more than one user in the household, so it is more cost effective to purchase one that best meets all the users' requirements. It is more practical if the home gym provides more than one workstation with two or more weight stacks so that more than one user can workout at the same time.
Home gym equipments nowadays include frames, cables, pulleys and weight-plates. To ensure you purchase a good quality home gym, check that the frames are made of rustproof steel, and test the cables for strength and durability. It should have a good combination of weight-plates to suit different needs. The bench should be adjustable for perfect body positioning for different exercises. Also check whether the individual components come with a lifetime warranty.
Home gym costs can range from $350 to more than $3,500 depending on the complexities of your home gym equipment. You could also buy your home gym equipment in parts, and some brands even offer options for various additions. Buying home gyms can be mind-boggling so it is recommended that you go read up on home gym reviews by health and fitness experts to learn about the pros and cons of different home gym brands available on the market.
Is A Home Gym A Good Idea?
In the modern society, people are often too caught up in the day to day grind to really pay attention to less urgent matters in life such as losing weight, much less which local gym to join. Then there is the issue of having to get your gear ready and get down to the gym at the right time to avoid overcrowding or before it closes. If the weather turns unforgivingly cold and wet, the last thing on your mind is to have a thorough work out at the gym. Who would not want to be sat in front of the fireplace with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book?
For many of us who wish to shed a few pounds by dieting and exercising but simply could not find the time to attend the gym on a regular basis, create your own home gym. If you have some extra space and enjoy the comfort and privacy of your own home, a home gym is a good place to start. There will be no constraints such as opening and closing hours and the unavailability of certain equipment during peak time at the gym. You will also save money in transport costs and membership fees.
However before you embark on your shopping spree looking for the latest gym equipment that uses the latest cutting edge technology, it is worth pointing out that these exercise machines do come with a hefty price tag. Not only are most of them bulky, heavy and space-consuming, they cannot be easily and quickly disposed of if you get bored of them. Granted, gym membership fees can be quite expensive too, some of them even lock you into a fixed term contract but for those that don't you have the option to terminate your membership and receive a partial refund. To attract new members, some gyms even give away free memberships for a limited period of time so you are given the opportunity to sample the different facilities and equipment and decide for yourself if you like it or not. If you purchase your exercise equipment from the internet or as seen on TV advertisements and decide later that they are not suitable, you might have to pay for expensive return shipping costs due to their weight and size.
There are also an increasing number of home gym users who sustain injuries while exercising due to excessive physical exertion and inappropriate use of the equipment. Gym instructors, professional trainers and dieticians however are trained to reap the maximum benefits from the different exercise machines. They have the expertise and knowledge to guide you every step of the way to help you achieve your target weight. They understand your body type, weight loss requirements and subsequently prescribe the correct machine to use that is set at the right pace specifically tailored to your needs. In addition, home gyms do not provide the social aspect of exercise and strength training. Making new friends at a gym who share the same goal as you to lose weight provides you with the extra motivation to stick with your weight loss programme whereas at home, you may be distracted by other things as your interest tapers off. So unless you are very disciplined, joining a gym may not be a bad idea after all in the long run.
Different Methods in Carpet Cleaning
One of the reasons why most people buy carpets and rugs is to add beauty to their home. Carpets usually add additional color tones to a room's interior. Some of these are beautifully designed as well. These are just some of the many reasons why keeping them clean is very important at all times. There are a handful of ways to keep carpets clean. Let's check them out.
Dry cleaning is the implementation of machines that are designed for this purpose. These machines use dry compounds. This type of cleaning is less labor-intensive and perfect for people who like their carpet to be clean in the soonest possible time. The cleaning compound is spread evenly on the carpet, attracting dust, dirt and grime. They are then vacuumed off, leaving the carpet clean.
Wet cleaning is generally the use of detergent-based cleaning solutions and soaps. After application, these are thoroughly rinsed out of the carpet, removing all the dirt and grime. This type of cleaning typically requires a longer time, as the carpet needs to be dried and treated. This service is usually offered by carpet cleaning companies. Carpet cleaning experts know a lot more about both dry and wet cleaning methods.
In our own homes, we can find a few solutions off the shelf that can be used for carpet cleaning. Just a quick search online and one can see some homemade cleaning solutions and tips on how to use them. Some of the well-known products are lemon juice, ammonia, and others. Vacuum cleaners also do the job well. In Clearwater, carpet cleaning solutions can be easily made from everyday materials.
With the advent of green living and restoration of our environment, a lot of carpet owners are also employing companies which offer green methods and solutions in cleaning. Clearwater carpet cleaning companies use environment-friendly materials which aren't harsh and leave carpet fibers safe from deterioration.
Whichever type of cleaning is chosen, one must consider a few things before getting the carpet cleaning of their choice. They could be anything from time, the type of carpet they have, and the size of their carpets, among others. Residents in Florida can call their trusted Clearwater carpet cleaning company for advice.
Building a Gym in Your Home
There is nothing wrong with going to a professional gym to do your daily workout. In fact, it's usually the best place to get away without hassles and just do your workout without interruption.
Still, there are advantages to having a home gym as well. You don't have far to travel. You don't have to compete for equipment or wait for it to free up. You can train whenever you want - if you're a night person, you can train at 3:00 am if you so desire. And you have no monthly or annual gym fees.
So let's say you decide that it would be really nice to have a home gym. How do you go about building one?
First you have to find a location for your gym. It's probably not feasible, unless you're a professional athlete to construct an actual gym building. What is more likely is that you will choose an existing area somewhere in your home and convert it into a gym area. So what are your choices?
The three most obvious choices are the garage, the basement, or a spare room in the house. When choosing a location keep in mind what type of exercise equipment you're going to have in your gym. For example, if you plan on having a treadmill in your gym, you are going to need quite a bit of space. However, if you decide to go with a multi-purpose gym, you can get by with less floor space.
If you have a garage but no car, the garage is a perfect spot. It has concrete floors so if you have heavy equipment, you don't have to worry about damaging your indoor floors. If you decide to locate your gym inside the home, you might think about installing rubber flooring which is used in many health clubs and exercise gyms. The main benefits of rubber flooring are that it will dramatically decrease the noise levels so you won't disturb others in the house. In addition, however, they are also slip resistance (there's nothing worse than having slick floors in your gym area), easy to maintain, and extremely durable.
Another good option if you're building your gym inside your home is to install wall padding. Again, soundproofing is the main benefit. But it also helps to protect your walls and doors.
Now it's time to start selecting your gym equipment. Hand weights and ankle weights are always a good first choice. whether you're looking to get in shape or simply to stay in shape, hand and ankle weights give your a ton of flexible options. You can build your exercise routines solely around them or you can include them in the exercises that you already do to add resistance. Metal weights are the best and will last forever, and if your floor is padded, you don't have to worry too much about damaging it.
A flat bench is especially good for upper body exercises such as the arm, shoulder, and chest muscles. But they can be used for a number of other exercises as well and a flat bench doesn't take up a lot of space.
An exercise mat or pad will provide comfort for you while you do sit ups, stretches, and other toning exercises.
And finally, a fitness ball is a very versatile piece of exercise equipment. You can do upper body exercises. But you can also do balancing exercises. And with the right exercises, it can be great for building six pack abs.
How To Ensure You Are Satisfied With Your End Of Tenancy Cleaning, London Company
If you talk to many people you may hear that they have been dissatisfied with the services of end of tenancy cleaning, London companies that they have hired. Since it can be expensive to hire a service to provide you with cleaning, London for your home you want to increase your chances that you will be happy and satisfied with the results that are achieved. Here are a few tips that can make it much more likely that you will be happy with the services of the end of tenancy cleaning, London Company that you hire.
The first thing to do is make sure you do a background check on any company offering cleaning, London. There are many different companies that offer cleaning; London and not all of them are willing or able to perform equally well. If you are going to be spending money on end of tenancy cleaning, London you want to make sure you are dealing with a skilled and reputable company.
You may want to either speak with friends and family that have recently hired a company offering end of tenancy cleaning, London or speak with landlords in order to find out who they recommend. If you are contacting a company that offers end of tenancy cleaning, London but did not get their name from someone that has used them in the past you may want to ask for references and make sure you call them.
You also want to make sure that the company offering cleaning, London has experience with jobs of your scope or type. Some companies offering cleaning, London may not be used to dealing with residential companies. They may be more used to working with an industrial space. This may mean that they are not as skilled in dealing with upholstered items such as furnishings or they may not be used to dealing with areas such as kitchens. Certain areas, such as bathrooms and living spaces are common to both residential and commercial units and any company offering end of tenancy cleaning, London should be able to handle these areas for you.
When speaking with a company about the cleaning, London that will be done it is important to be specific about what you want and what you are looking for. Make sure that notes are taken that outline which areas you want taken care of and what jobs the company offering the cleaning, London will be responsible for. If a company offering end of tenancy cleaning, London does not know that they are supposed to clean a specific area they may miss or overlook that area. This can lead to results you are disappointed in.
It is also important to talk to the company offering cleaning, London about the conditions they can expect when they arrive. If there are problems with odours from damp or from pets it is important to let the end of tenancy cleaning, London Company know so that they can bring the proper cleaning products and equipment with them.
If you are clear about your expectations and are upfront with the company that will be doing your cleaning, London you have a much higher chance of being satisfied with the work when it is completed.
How To Ensure You Are Satisfied With Your End Of Tenancy Cleaning, London Company
If you talk to many people you may hear that they have been dissatisfied with the services of end of tenancy cleaning, London companies that they have hired. Since it can be expensive to hire a service to provide you with cleaning, London for your home you want to increase your chances that you will be happy and satisfied with the results that are achieved. Here are a few tips that can make it much more likely that you will be happy with the services of the end of tenancy cleaning, London Company that you hire.
The first thing to do is make sure you do a background check on any company offering cleaning, London. There are many different companies that offer cleaning; London and not all of them are willing or able to perform equally well. If you are going to be spending money on end of tenancy cleaning, London you want to make sure you are dealing with a skilled and reputable company.
You may want to either speak with friends and family that have recently hired a company offering end of tenancy cleaning, London or speak with landlords in order to find out who they recommend. If you are contacting a company that offers end of tenancy cleaning, London but did not get their name from someone that has used them in the past you may want to ask for references and make sure you call them.
You also want to make sure that the company offering cleaning, London has experience with jobs of your scope or type. Some companies offering cleaning, London may not be used to dealing with residential companies. They may be more used to working with an industrial space. This may mean that they are not as skilled in dealing with upholstered items such as furnishings or they may not be used to dealing with areas such as kitchens. Certain areas, such as bathrooms and living spaces are common to both residential and commercial units and any company offering end of tenancy cleaning, London should be able to handle these areas for you.
When speaking with a company about the cleaning, London that will be done it is important to be specific about what you want and what you are looking for. Make sure that notes are taken that outline which areas you want taken care of and what jobs the company offering the cleaning, London will be responsible for. If a company offering end of tenancy cleaning, London does not know that they are supposed to clean a specific area they may miss or overlook that area. This can lead to results you are disappointed in.
It is also important to talk to the company offering cleaning, London about the conditions they can expect when they arrive. If there are problems with odours from damp or from pets it is important to let the end of tenancy cleaning, London Company know so that they can bring the proper cleaning products and equipment with them.
If you are clear about your expectations and are upfront with the company that will be doing your cleaning, London you have a much higher chance of being satisfied with the work when it is completed.
How to Guarantee Safety in Abseiling Window Cleaning
There are certain jobs where the focus on safety is needs to be as concentrated as the focus on the quality of the work.
This certainly goes for commercial cleaning and if you're hiring a commercial cleaning company, you need to place great emphasis on checking their health and safety credentials. How?
The best thing to do is to look carefully at a company's accreditations and polices. In relation to abseiling window cleaning, there are several things that you need to look out for, all of which represent key policies of a top commercial abseiling window cleaning company.
Quality Control: ISO 9001
ISO 9001 is the internationally recognised standard for the quality management of businesses. This is to say that any company displaying the ISO 9001 symbol is committed to quality workmanship, dedicated to providing first class customer service and a willingness to work towards improving efficiency in all areas of the business. These are important attributes for an abseiling window cleaning company. There is a lot more to top cleaning companies than just doing a good cleaning job. An ISO 9001 company will have a good internal infrastructure and a well structured management and supervision operation.
Fully Trained and Qualified Staff
Obviously abseiling window cleaning teams need to know how to abseil and clean effectively on the outside or inside of a very high building. Make sure any commercial cleaning company you employ have fully trained Industrial Rope Access Trained Association (IRATA) cleaning teams. Only then can you be sure that the abseiling window cleaning will be performed safely and professionally.
Also, make sure you look out for an indication that the cleaning company are members of the British Institute of Cleaning Science. This will show that the company is dedicated to being the best and is committed to maintaining high cleaning standards. Membership dictates these rules must be followed.
Make sure your abseiling cleaning team is dedicated to safety and quality; demand the high standards those in the industry worth their salt will be only too proud to boast.
Tanning Salons That Make Sure you Receive a Perfect All Over Tan
In most cases when a person wants to get tan they go top the beach or they sun tan out in their back garden. This way of getting a tan can be somewhat painful if you don’t take care about getting sunburned. To get a painless suntan you can go to a tanning salon. Here you will be able to get a bronzed skin and you will not have to worry about your skin getting peeled.
In a tanning salon you will find trained attendants who will check on you during the tanning session. When you are getting ready for your session the attendants will make sure that you are dressed in the appropriate clothes. You will also find that these attendants will give you a choice of tanning lotion which will be applied to your body.
To make sure that you receive a perfect all over tan, the lotion will help ensure that you don’t burn from the neat of the tanning beds in the tanning salons. Now before you start your tanning session the attendant who is helping you with the tan will ask what sort of tan you are aiming for. They will also provide you with information about the safety precautions which will help you to have a great looking tan minus any health dangers.
Once you have been informed of all of these details you will be given a sun block lotion to apply. This lotion will prevent your skin from getting burnt while you are under the tanning salons sun beds. Before you get into the sun bed you will be given a choice of having a full body tan – where you will to be completely undressed – in which no tan lines will be visible at the end of the tanning session. Or you could choose to have your sun tan while you are wearing a swim suit.
Now to protect your eyes from the heat of the sun bed you will be handed a pair of protective eye glasses by the tanning salons attendants. Having protected yourself from the possible problems of the sun bed you will be left to tan for a certain period of time. At the end of the tanning session the salon attendants will come and raise the lid of the tanning bed.
The service that tanning salons provide will give you the opportunity of getting a sun tan. This sun tan that you will get is a sunless tan. You will need to make sure that you go to reputed tanning salons for a quality tan.
Go Green with Organic Kitchen Towels
Bored from your normal kitchen having the same old kitchen towels, kitchen linens and other furnishing fabrics. So it is the time when your kitchen needs metamorphism from normal to organic to protect your family & nature. As more and more consumers are getting aware of eco friendly & organic concept, the green organic kitchen towels are getting very hot and you can get these in numerous designs, colors, texture and patterns. These are also called green kitchen towels or natural kitchen towels.
The most common fabrics are cotton, hemp & bamboo. Most of the organic kitchen towels are hypoallergenic Also like normal towels you will find different sizes, colors & patterns of kitchen towels that are used for drying dishes, as hand kitchen towels, tea towels and hanging kitchen towels. All these organic kitchen towels have good water absorbing tendency that makes them a perfect kitchen furnishing.
Learn About Different Organic Kitchen Towels
We keep on talking about organic, natural and eco friendly concept. But what this is all about. The organic kitchen towels like any other organic furnishing or product are made from the fabric that is grown organically without the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Also for the processing of fibers, production & dyeing, non-toxic chemicals are used. Every organic kitchen towels like other organic products will have the label to guarantee that the product is really organic. But the tag also depends upon the specif rules of the country from where the organic products is coming. Based of most common fabric the organic kitchen towels can be:
Organic Cotton Kitchen Towels
Cotton is the most widely grown organic crop that is used to manufacture these organic kitchen towels. You can decorate your kitchen with colorful and trendy cotton kitchen towels. Stripes, embroidery at the corners, piping, floral pattern and geometrical patterns are common to see on these cotton kitchen towels. You will also find natural kitchen towel sets which can have two, four or six towels. Honeycomb style is common & very popular in this category of towels. Also these are unbleached and un-dyed to give more natural touch. Cotton terry kitchen towels are also in vogue, which comes in this category of kitchen towels.
Organic Hemp Kitchen Towels
Hemp is taken from the flax plant that is again grown without harsh chemicals and Europe is the best source of hemp fibers. Thus any product of kitchen furnishing that is made from organic hemp will be of finest quality if made in Europe. Organic hemp kitchen towels are generally of soft and have natural color as these are not bleached or dyed. When you use these organic hemp kitchen towels in your kitchen then the whole atmosphere goes very natural & pure. Hemp fiber is also anti-bacterial & anti mold in nature with high water absorbing and quick drying capacity. This makes the hemp kitchen towels the perfect accessory for kitchen linen.
Organic Bamboo Kitchen Towels
If you are ready to spend bit more money to your kitchen furnishing then do not miss the bamboo kitchen towels. Bamboo is another plant that eco friendly and bamboo kitchen towels are anti fungal, antibacterial and biodegradable in nature. It is also very easy to dry organic bamboo kitchen towels and they have more water absorbing tendency & softness than cotton. You will either find 100% bamboo kitchen towel or blends of rayon with cotton or bamboo fabric. Rayon is also made from bamboo cellulose.
Advantages of Organic Kitchen Towels
Organic kitchen towels are safe not to the nature but also to you and your family as these have anti allergic, anti-fungal and anti mold qualities.
While processing and dyeing no harsh chemical is used so they do not pollute the nature and its resources like water, air & soil.
These can be recycled easily which again is beneficial for nature as less resources will be used to grow the plant and to process it.
Major Brands for Organic Kitchen Towels