Olympics For The Brain At United Nations

Main Category: Neurology / Neuroscience
Also Included In: Psychology / Psychiatry
Article Date: 09 Aug 2008 - 0:00 PDT

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The Olympics in China may be testing the physical capabilities of athletes from the United States, Europe, Asia and Russia, but what about their brain power? The fourth annual Brain Health, Smile, Peace Olympiad, held at the United Nations, August 12, provides a forum for mental competition.

The Olympiad is a three-day event culminating at the United Nations with more than 500 children and adults participating in events such as "Speed Brain" -- a contest to find details in a glance at a complex visual picture, with hip-hop and martial arts demonstrations to round out the day.

"The Brain Olympiad showcases the potential of the mind, exploring the role of motor, sensory, emotional and cognitive systems as they work together," said Dr. Sung Lee, International Brain Education Association's Secretary.

Coaches at the Olympics in Beijing, China, have learned to place as much emphasis on mental fitness as they do on the technical requirements of sports such as gymnastics, swimming and track, in order to ensure athletes are at the top of their game.

The Olympiad takes this sports reality further, putting the health and wellness of the brain at the top of the brain-body connection. New ideas and findings from teachers and scientists about how to better use our brains will be presented, showing the human brain is capable of far more than we normally ask of it.

As the Olympics are designed to bring people together across cultural divides to compete in peace and hope for the future, so the Brain Olympiad is about creating new pathways to solve world problems.

"Children from Asia and North America will be attending and working together to prove the power of the mind," said Lee. "What better way to end the terrors we live with -- war, poverty, hunger, terrorism -- than to coach a new generation to the peak of their brain potential."

The Olympiad is sponsored by the International Brain Education Association (IBREA) and the Korean Institute of Brain Science (KIBS).

The techniques on display at the Brain Olympiad are taught in 240 elementary and middle schools and in Dahn Yoga centers across the United States. For more information, visit http://www.ibreaus.org, http://www.dahnyoga.com, and http://www.ilchi.com.

IBREAUS
http://www.ibreaus.org

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