I am attending Breakthroughs International Conference Malaysia 2021
I am really looking forward to 29th July as it will be the start of the first Virtual Breakthroughs International Conference (BTiC 2021). It is a 4-day event featuring speakers and presenters from around the globe pin-pointing specific areas of movements that can, and do impact the way we learn, socialize, live and go about our daily tasks.
Called “Gatherings” in its early years, the Brain Gym® annual conference has its beginning in 1988, and held only in the US. Its first foray into the international scene was in 1998 in Toronto and since then the conference has been moving around the globe, alternating between the US and other cities in the world. I was never able to attend any of the annual conferences as the combined costs for flights, accommodation, meals, conference fee and time duration stopped me; all the time.
This time I will be able to watch and listen to some 30 speakers and presenters talking about their work and the kind of impact they have seen. It may not be the same as attending a physical conference, where there will be time to meet other participants and enjoy some camaraderie and exchanges of ideas BUT as said earlier that would not have happened for me. Thus, I am really delighted that the annual conference with its impressive line-up of speakers and presenters will be coming to my house. Perhaps most important, is the news that, the conference will be recorded and as a participant I can access the recording for another 30 days. Hooray!
Personally, I am checking through the list of keynote speakers and presenters in the conference as I do not think I will be able to sit through all the talks for four days. I plan to choose specific presenters because there will be time for Qs & As after each presentation. At the moment there are a few speakers and presenters whose topics interest me greatly.
Nicholas is 25 this year and, there are still areas in which he has trouble and difficulties with; my main objective is to support him. He falls into a category of “neither here nor there” (this is a tale for another day). I am looking for topics that we can do together.
Among my personal list of speakers are:
Professor Piero Crispiani and Dr Eleonora Palmieri, who will co-present their work, specifically Cognitive Motor Training (CMT) and Champion Pressing Practices for neuro-activation. I googled the Crispiani Method and came up with a demonstration by Dr Palmieri on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Qp3IX2HDcSw?t=74.
There are similarities in the activities shown of the cross-pattern movements for enhancing cognitive functions as in the Laterality Dimension of Brain Gym®; that is, crossing our left and right brain hemispheres. But, from the little that I have seen of the movement patterns in the activities, I find that the patterns are more complex and that great importance is attached to rhythm and fluency. The CMT is based on the Praxic Motor Theory which is about the enormous amount of information and complex neurological processes that have to happen before we do anything; that there are sequences and procedures to all that we do; that there is feedback and adaptation for us to do better. I definitely would like to learn more as I would like to see more fluidity of movements from Nicholas. Perhaps it would also help solve my problem of “right” and “left”. I would say right and point to the left or the other way round.
I am also delighted to discover that I am acquainted with an instructor in Malaysia, Joyce Moi, through our common involvement with Special Olympics Selangor. Moi is a Level 1 and Activity Gym Instructor. She did her training under the founder, Professor Crispiani and Dr Eleonora Palmieri. She is also the local representative for Malaysia and South East Asia. Here she shares her experience using The Crispiani Method. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nrYV8q703KR0bxHc6D-5KGTXDUGjBdTg/view?usp=drive_web
Ron Jones
Another speaker I am looking forward to, is Ron Jones, Historical Kinesiologist and Physical & Health Educator, who believes exercise is the key to good health, both physical and emotional. Plus, I like it that he is going to talk about old style(classical) exercises and their benefits. Thank goodness for the internet, I am able to learn more at https://ronjones.org/Bio/Bio.htm. There is really a lot of information here. The one I particularly like is the “Exercise Library”, where he has compiled a huge list of exercises with details on how to execute the exercises and what they are good for. I thought that is super generous of him. And if you are a history buff, there are many interesting stories about the old-style exercises; some of which I remember doing when I was in primary school many moons ago.
Patricia Leahy
And one other presenter is my instructor of many Brain Gym® workshops, Patricia Leahy. She is inviting participants to experience a balance using a learning menu called the Motivation Integration Technique. This technique is from her new Brain Gym® course 385-MTD Motivation of the Three Dimensions. I haven’t a clue but this one is for me. The last workshop I attended was Cellular Memory Integration and that was really a journey of discovery.
Actually, there are really so many amazing speakers and presenters in this conference, speaking about their experiences and demonstrating their expertise on areas that support learning, healing, awareness and self-help for anyone and everyone. Find out more about the presenters and their topics at https://btic2021.online/
N.B. The main picture is of Nicholas baking
“By education. I mean an all-round drawing of the best in child and man in body, mind and spirit.” Mahatma Gandhi