Why I Became Interested in the Brain Part 3: The 3rd International Brain Education Conference and Olympiad

As soon as I started noticing the benefits of practising Dahn Yoga, I began to think of all the different people that this could help. My desire to help other people become healthy, happy and peaceful led me to become a part-time instructor and then, in April of last year, a full-time instructor at the Burlington Dahn Yoga Centre.

Last August, I had the opportunity to be part of the 3rd International Brain Education Conference and HSP Olympiad in Ellenville, New York. The conference, sponsored by the International Brain Education Association, included Brain Education workshops for parents and teachers and lectures by neuroscientists and educators about the effects of Brain Education on the brain and on the health and well-being of individuals and organizations. I learned that these programs had been used in Korea in companies, schools and other organizations, and even the military. In the US, a curriculum had been developed specifically for schools and was being used with much success across the country.

The HSP Olympiad includes friendly events which showcase the potential of the brain. The events test participants' cognitive, motor and sensory systems (the ability to perceive information using subtle body senses rather than the five senses of sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste). Children and adults from Korean, Japan and the US competed together and there were a lot of smiles and laughter.

Marek participating in the HSP Gym Event at this year's Olympiad

HSP Body Sense Perception Event

What really stood out for me wasn't the individual abilities of the competitors, but the kind of environment that was created by the trainers and competitors that allowed for each person's potential to shine. I was also struck by the brain's potential beyond what we normally expect and felt how, with this potential, creative and productive solutions to the problems of humanity and the earth could be found.

The HSP Olympiad is a display of the 4th Step: Brain Integrating, which can be achieved through advanced Brain Education training. I talked about the three layers of the brain before: the neocortex (the "thinking" brain), the limbic system (the "emotional" brain), and the brain stem (responsible for basic life functions). Do you ever feel like your thinking, emotions and body aren't working together? Brain Integrating means getting these three functions of your brain working together. It also means integrating the left (more logical and analytical) and the right (more creative and spontaneous) sides of the brain so you can use them together well. Using our brain in an integrated way allows us to tap into the immense potential of our brains.

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