Welcome to Dance Teacher Tidbits with your host Jessica Strong, the Creative Director and Owner of Dance to Learn®️! 

In the Dance to Learn®️ Program, we follow the BrainDance Warm Up. BrainDance is a whole Brain and Body warm up created by Dr Anne Green Gilbert that follows 8 patterns of movement we explore naturally from birth:

Those patterns include:

- Breath

- Tactile

- Head/Tail

- Core-Distal

- Upper/Lower

- Body-Side

- Cross Lateral

- Vestibular

The next Pattern in BrainDance is Head/Tail. This pattern is important to build the flexibility of our spine as well as create a pathway for brain-body connectivity. Our spine is our body’s central support structure that connects different parts of our musculoskeletal system. We must keep our spines strong and healthy to do simple everyday tasks including standing, sitting and walking. 

Having a healthy spine is important!

🟥The spine is the pathway from the brain to the rest of our body. Spinal exercises allow these messages to flow safely and easily by strengthening the brain-body connection.

🟧 Spinal flexibility allows our body to bend, twist, and reach more easily.

🟨 Spinal exercises can improve our posture. Poor posture can change the weight loading of our spine and interfere with our brain’s ability to communicate to all parts of our body.

Popular exercises for the head/tail pattern could be:

🟥Cat/Cow Stretch

🟧Head/Hip isolations both individually and together

🟨Downward Dog Stretch

🟩Sphinx

🟦Cobra/Child pose stretches

Here’s how we taught this pattern for our Pumpkin Pie BrainDance:

We made a bowl 🥣 with our legs by sitting in a butterfly stretch. We pretended to pour in our ingredients (reach hands up & look at hands). We then stretch forward towards our feet and pat the floor like we are filling up our bowl. Repeat 2-3 times. Next, remain seated in your butterfly stretch, and take your pretend spoon and mix up your ingredients. Rock your pelvis side to side as you mix with your hands circling. Repeat to the other direction.

Learn more about BrainDance by enrolling in our BrainDance Master Class on Demand:
https://learn.dancetolearnuniversity.com/courses/braindance-master-class

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