The Key to Effort, Focus and Success
During each Life Skill class, we shift the groups state from normal to Peak State. How?
The first thing we do is change our physiology. We change the way we are standing. Shoulders back, clear, loud tone of our voice, and our body language demonstrate power, enthusiasm and energy!
The group chants the 3 Magic Words: “Yes I Can!” At the same we get everyone to focus their mind on a goal that we verbalize. This starts to create feelings of inspiration throughout the entire group! One of the reason this happens is because of Endorphins.
Endorphins are natural chemicals produced in the body to reduce pain and boost happiness. They are most often associated with exercise since the release of these “feel-good” chemicals cause a state of euphoria and is usually known as a “runner’s high.” However, most any exercise will cause this state of happiness and it is also boosted through laughter and excitement.
In recent years, studies involving endorphins have begun to focus on how this chemical contributes to learning. Physical activity is essential to brain development. Basically, when we feel good, we learn better. Intellectually stimulating the brain when endorphins have been released, helps even more. For the last five years, neuroscientists have been encouraging parents and teachers to work on stimulating the good feeling chemicals in the brain. The mind-body connection is a powerful thing.
By stimulating the positive neurotransmitters in the body, we will combat the cortisol and, therefore, have more happy children and teens. Physical activity leads to happiness, happiness leads to better learning, better learning leads to increased knowledge, increased knowledge leads to more confidence and so on.
Life Skill instructors create a learning environment that releases endorphins so that students apply more effort and are better able to focus. They teach with the brain in mind and utilizing game-based learning. For instance you will seethe instructors use teaching methods that are specifically designed to increase the students’ endorphin levels. Here are two techniques you’ll notice:
- Up The Rep: The use of “up the rep” as a teaching skill in class helps the students have more energy throughout an exercise, which ultimately leads to them exhibiting more effort. For example, if students are practicing side kicks on a bag and they are told to do 20, the goal is for the 20th kick to be the best one. However, students often start out full speed and their energy depletes as they get closer to the 20th rep. The best thing to do is have them start out their reps easier and increase their power as they get to 20. That way they end with their best one yet! This gives the students a rush of endorphins and they finish the exercise feeling stronger.
- Neurobics: The use of “neurobics” in class helps the students by increasing their neural stimulation and, therefore, they become more focused. For example, if the students are doing pushups, instead of counting to 10, count in colors or characters, or even count backwards. This will increase the neural firing in their brains and keeps their minds from wondering.
By utilizing these techniques, the endorphins in the students’ brains increase. Students Focus their Minds, Focus their Bodies. They use good posture and move their bodies with the Kung Fu Power Moves, and reach “PEAK STATE. Then they feel better and, therefore, learn better. The combination of having more energy and being cognitively stimulated leads to more: Effort + Focus = Success! Not only in class, but in all areas of their lives!
If you want to give your family the Peak State Advantage to Survive and Thrive in 2020
contact us today:
Life Skill Martial Arts
322 Millbury Avenue, Millbury, MA.
www.lifeskillma.com
508-917-0369