Book review: symphony of reflexes
A friend recommended this book as it helped them help their child using the insights and techniques provided along with the right professional support. What I get from reading this book is a wonderful insight into the existing knowledge around reflexes and an understanding that there are experts in reflexes with specific therapeutic methods that can help people suffering from apparently unrelated conditions.
I had no idea how many reflexes there are, and there are more reflexes than listed in this book. So, if you thought human movement was a simple affair, you quickly realised how wrong you were.
This article provides a short review highlighting the value of Symphony of Reflexes to those interested in child development and the wider topic of human maturation. Many of us may recognise the concept of retained reflexes and the impact they may have had on our development and may still have.
In short, I found the book fascinating because it covered in detail an area that has always been presented as quite simple. I now realise this is a highly complex area with plenty of important research. Learning even a little about this fascinating topic will be extremely useful for your life, and now that my eyes have been opened to the topic of reflexes, I am excited to learn more.
My main thoughts are:
Symphony of reflexes is a fascinating book that emphasises the need to work through developmental phases properly, from babbling to crawling to walking. The message is not to rush a child’s development; instead, support it and let children develop their own learning approach and curiosity.
In this book, author Bonnie Brandes provides important guidance for parents and anyone wanting to understand how children develop and how best to support that development.
Movement throughout life is fundamental to good health and a quality life. Lack of quality movement often leads to problems throughout life, which can be resolved with the correct care.
I also like the holistic nature of the research. The emphasis is not just on movement; at the end of the book, particularly on dietary, social, and other factors contributing to the whole.
We learn that reflexes reflect fundamental movement techniques, and like any technique, reflexes need to be given time and space to be learnt properly.
Bonnie clearly introduces reflexes, highlighting the amazing information already known and the value of finding an expert if necessary. It also makes many references to BrainGym.
We learn about common life challenges associated with failing to learn basic reflexes properly. The life challenges reflect the symptoms of not learning these reflexes properly and represent what aspects of life have improved for patients who have found ways to learn these reflexes properly.
The book shows how continual quality movement throughout our lives contributes to a better quality of life.
- Highlights the need for humans to progress through all stages of movement, from babies to toddlers, children and beyond
- Shows corrective activities that can help if the initial reflex has not been learnt and incorporated correctly into normal life.
This review of the book, taken from its foreword, is a great summary.
Bonnie has assembled an incredible amount of information and organized it in a helpful and straightforward book. No matter how we are interacting with our environment, whether we are catching a ball, riding a bike or holding a paint brush, each of these activities have their roots in The Symphony of Reflexes.
Dr. Donald Gerken DC, DACCP, CSTD
