Why Juggle?

Why not?

Juggling is a fun and very beneficial activity - for all ages.

It improves your rhythm, hand eye co-ordination, timing and it gives you a bit of exercise too. More importantly, it involves whole brain integration (see my earlier post regarding Left-Brain, Right-Brain).

When you are concentrating on the task of juggling, it is a great way to relax and forget about everything else for a moment, attaining what is called a "relaxed state of concentration". It is acknowledged that athletes perform best in this state, what is commonly referred to as being “in the zone”.

Still need convincing?

In edition 427 of Nature (311-312), dated 22 Jan 2004, researchers from the University of Regensberg in Germany found that learning to juggle causes certain areas of your brain to grow.

In the article Neuroplasticity: Changes in grey matter induced by training, researchers discovered that absolute beginners who learnt to juggle over a period of three months had increased their grey matter in areas associated with processing and storage of complex visual motion functions.

But they also discovered that brains returned to their original size when they stopped juggling ie this effect was transient. 'The brain is like a muscle, we need to exercise it," said Dr Arne May who led the research team. A case of use it or lose it.

So want your brain/brain power to get a boost? Learn to Juggle!

And then the next time you encounter a problem/issue - Take a time out, go juggle and when you have attained that relaxed state of concentration, see if a solution or at least some light at end of the tunnel presents itself.

You will be surprised at the results.

I have run many juggling workshops (from 8 to more than 120 pax) and participants often are skeptical at the beginning. But at the end, they not only had great fun, but they take away an important skill (which many secretly wished they knew how to) that gives them a fun way to achieve whole brain integration.