Inspiring Children: Smart Exercise and the Essence of Learning

by Francesco Garripoli

There is something so fundamental to the understanding that our children are our future that it almost seems a cliché. Yet we read much about the wide range of troubling topics involving children, from seemingly ubiquitous substance abuse to the emergence of the Indigo Child, that sometimes we feel there is little we can do to make a difference.

As parents, we do our best to raise our kids so that they will grow up healthy and reach their potential, but the truth is that it takes a community to raise a child. Though you parent your child the best way you can, sooner or later he or she will encounter the real world and it is then that the principles you instilled will be put to task. It is the amalgam of parental guidance, extended family influence, the schools, peer support/pressure, television, radio and all other societal influences that impacts a growing child.

When my wife Daisy and I hold our Smart Exercise program at Kapaa Middle School, we take a deep breath and remember that we are becoming part of each child’s learning process… a part of their educational memory. This is both exhilarating and humbling. We developed Smart Exercise to offer holistic education in a fun and simple way, creating a learning environment that honors the mind, body and spirit. As I see the students joyfully following Daisy through various martial arts moves and when they laugh with me as we go through various teamwork skill-building exercises, I know that they get it.

When we all do our focused breathing and energy balancing together, there is a sense that each child is getting exactly what they need to succeed in the world. Throughout our varied program, designed to keep kids’ attention and challenge them enough to hold their interest, we weave subtle messages about the dangers of substance abuse. We make a game out of discussing what food is good for you and what food may be tough on your body. We are constantly amazed at the inherent wisdom that young people display when they are free to express themselves in these safe but structured sessions.

Kids seem to listen and process more deeply when they assimilate information from multiple sources rather than being told facts in a rigid way. Getting youngsters to draw their own conclusions sometimes takes a little longer, but this is the way to achieve real comprehension. When we do certain movement exercises that have been shown to improve brain function by stimulating hemisphere connectivity, we engage the students in the theory. It’s amazing to see the inner questioning that goes on, the processing that takes place, and then the conclusions that are reached by so many of the kids during these sessions.

Physical exercise that can make you smart… mental exercises that can strengthen your body… this is how ancient wisdom and cutting edge research dance together. Calling up all that myriad cultures have developed, from stretching movements to diaphragmatic breathing, from the power of positive thinking to the benefits of teamwork - this is what we are being asked to offer our youth. It will take everyone who can contribute to help guide the next generation.

Take a big breath, stretch out … remember the positive difference your dreams can make.

Francesco is an educator who has studied Eastern philosophy and healing for over 25 years. Chairman of the non-profit Kahuna Valley, he is an author and Emmy Award-winning television producer.