The Tortoise:Sustainable Attention, Abilities & Powers

I once heard that the difference between a genuis and everyone else is that a genius can sustain his or her attention for a much longer time on one area of thought. Sustaining our energy is the key to many issues in people's lives:learning, attention, completion of tasks, and self mastery. As a younger person, I would hurl myself into every task, because unconsciously I thought I needed a "running start" to be able to finish it. I got through even simple tasks by brute force and speed. Partly this was my unregulated neurodevelopment and partly this was the message of my society that I must try very hard. However, through development, I have learned the truth of the tortoise and hare story for myself. Instead of "slow and steady wins the race", I think I would rephrase it: "as fast as sustainable, wins the race."

Some might argue, "Isn't the pace that is sustainable always slow? And will this turn us all into lazy louts?" I think not. Like the long distance runner, without knowing the sustainable pace, the complete race cannot be run. The conscious thinking Upper Brain (the cortex) often thinks that by not listening to the messenger in the Lower Brain, it can push through the warnings of coming overstress. And the Upper Brain can, but at a price. Using this ability to push through against all stress warnings can give us great ability to survive in times of need. The occasional use of this blocking can take a toll, but is usually survivable. It is OK to ask if it is worth the price, before a full out, unbridled plowing through life.

When we use this override functioning, day-to-day, through our life, the price is one of exhaustion and illness. This is not efficient.Using the knowledge of a sustainable energy level, more gets done in the long run. So how does one know about how to keep a sustainable pace through the activities of life? I believe that this can be best done by checking in and looking for the stress signals from your autonomic nervious system. The next blog entry will examine checking in and knowing your stress signs.

Trunk Extension Reflex

As I was doing research into the Trunk Extension Reflex, I came upon this study that links the ability for volitional Trunk Extension and hip stability.

Dynamic iso-resistive trunk extension simulation: Contributions of the intrinsic and reflexive mechanisms to spinal stability
Journal
Technology and Health Care
Publisher IOS Press ISSN 0928-7329 (Print) 1878-7401 (Online) Issue
Volume 15, Number 6 / 2007 Pages 415-431
Subject Group
Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology

As I am always looking for ways to stabilize the hips to improve vestibular functioning and balance, this information intrigued me. Extending the heels and crown and sustaining for a 7 seconds stretch, appears to be one of the most powerful integration tools in postural reflexes, especially for adults. Those with retained ATNR, Moro, Spinal Galant, Perez or a number of other reflexes find that the Trunk Extension stretch is an important addition to their program.

HANDLE Principles 2: There is no silver bullet

As the year mark of the passing of Judith Bluestone comes around, I will continue the principles that she articulated and developed as a part of the HANDLE Approach.

There is no silver bullet. There is no "cure" for neurodevelopmental issues. Only through gentle challenges of weak systems can we harness the developmental power that each of us has within our body-brain system. This can move us forward in our functioning.

There are many snake oil salesmen offering the "answer" to autism, ADHD, dyslexia and so on, but although many approaches can help individual systems, no one approach can "fix" these issues. The truth is that we should reframe our search into helping people with their own personal goals that are evading them. A goal might be to talk, to walk or to play a musical instrument.

Nutrition, cranial sacral therapy, speech, OT, PT and many more approaches can give a piece. The HANDLE approach works on the sensory-motor and body senses better than any therapy that I have seen. When I added the reflex motor resources to the mix, I find a powerful tool to help most people make their goals. And this is powerful indeed. Thanks, Judith.

Marietta, GA-Postural Reflex Course Notes

Even with icy weather, a very enthusiastic group it was last weekend! We were very lucky to have in attendence, Max, 18, who has Asperger's Syndrome. He was our very excellent model for most of the activity explanations. During the Parachute Reflex explanation (see below), Max's mom noted that Max had to cognitively learn social space and often overestimates (is too far away) as an overcompensation for coming too close as a young child.
On the second day, many people were feeling changes in their reactions to stress. Many felt peace. Sharron says:
Personally I sense a greater freedom to laugh and relax. I gave a 20 min presentation Monday night on brain integration therapy to a home school group and was not as conscious of apprehension as in other days and enjoyed myself.

The Abdominal Sleep Reflex continued the relaxation and the Trunk Extension Reflex brought everyone back together. We are excited to be offering the HANDLE Intro course on this unique sensory-motor approach. March 19, 20, and 21 is the Big 8: Primary Reflexes and Development on March 26, 27 and 28th.

A special thanks to Rhea Brashear and the gang at Morning Star Montessori for sponsoring these courses.

Reflexes and Development of Social Relationships

It is widely understood that primary and postural reflexes are a built-in protection to us. They helps us move away from stimulus that may be harmful and protect us from falling. But fewer people consider the developmental benefits that reflexes offer.

Very clearly our sensory systems are functionally refined by our reflexes. Vision, audition, proprioception, and even tactility are drivers of reflexive reactions, as well as being developed through the reflexive movements.

Fewer experts yet see language and social development as an outcome of typical reflex development. Since language and much of social relationship are rooted in spatial concepts, our development of spatial understanding is key to mastering them. When we say, "We get along well.", we do not consciously remember that being "a long" another is a relationship of being spatially adjacent to another. How does that spatial alignment develop?

Some animals imprint on their mother and this establishes their "position" and "relationship" with her. As humans we use much more complex bonding in relationship development. However, some of our humble reflexes work to develop being in sync with those around us. As an example, on of our postural reflexes, the Parachute Reflex, is obviously for protecting us in case of a fall. Our arms reach out reflexively

when we trip. This safey mechanism is also a measuring stick of "closeness" in other social ways. When we "bring someone into our sphere" we are allowing one to come into our proscribed safety zone, and not "keeping one at arm's length". The handshake is the original safety device: dominant hand out (no weapon) and at arm's length.

Different cultures use the arm measuring stick in differing ways, but in the U.S. the preferable social distance is still at arm's length. This is just one of the many ways that original reflexive responses of our brainstem advise socially learned behavior and emotional responses.

8 Postural Reflexes Plus One in GA

I will be giving the 8 Plus 1 Course on this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Marietta, GA. How is this course different from the Big 8 Primary Reflexes? Well, postural reflexes are lifelong reflexes that we have for equilibrium, righting and safety in movement. An example is the Parachute Reflex. Hopefully, when you trip and fall, your arms go forward to protect you. You do not think, "I am going to put my arms out so that I don't hit my head." This is no time for cognitive decision making, the brain stem leaps to the task. If the Parachute Reflex in hypo active and the arms do not raise high enough, ouch, the face plant will be the end. If hyperactive and the arms raise too high in front, ouch, face plant again is the result. Whether you are conscious of this dilemma or not, the brain is aware that if you fall, the results could be serious. This underlying anxiety can change the way we move.

If you can come join us.