Bal-A-Vis-X the journey to Tucson, Arizona 2010
2010 Mesa Verde School - Arizona
Bal-A-Vis-X the journey to Tucson, Arizona 2010
Balance, Auditory Vision Exercises, (Bal-A-Vis-X) is a programme from America developed by founder Bill Hubert. The workshops are now available in the UK, and here is my story of travelling to the USA in November 2010 to take part in the training.
The Bal-A-Vis-X workshop was in Tucson, Arizona. During the daytime, it was scorching hot with temperatures reaching 27ºC and then dropping to 18ºC or lower at night. These contrasts between very hot days and cold nights were normal for November but took a bit of getting used to for me.
“it felt strange leaving my responsibilities as a mother in the departure lounge”
While I was incredibly excited about my trip and the opportunity it gave me to learn more about this amazing programme, I was also very worried about leaving my five-year-old daughter. This was the first time since her birth that I was going away without her and it felt strange leaving my responsibilities as a mother in the departure lounge. Would her dad be able to comb her hair properly or would she turn up at school with hair fashioned like a bird’s nest?
As a distraction from the long flight, and from my worries about my daughter’s hair, among other things, I took the book documenting the development of Bal-A-Vis-X (Resonance: Elise and Other Bal-A-Vis-X Stories) written by Bill Hubert. Bill was leading the training I was going on and, as I was his special guest from the UK, I wanted to be prepared with as much background knowledge about him and his programme as possible.
2010 TV interview with Usha Patel -Raviv Practice London. Click the image for the clip
Bill Hubert, with his three assistants, flew in from Kansas the day after I arrived. We were staying in the same hotel, but this was no coincidence as it was all pre-organised by Bill. As his guest on the workshop, I would travel and dine with him and his team from Kansas. After introductions, we went to start the first day of the training and I felt reasonably confident having practised the 'individual' exercises the day before in my hotel room.
On arrival to the venue, it was clear Tucson was a favoured place for training and the hosts at Mesa Verde School had held the training there many times.
“as the day progressed, my confidence slowly evaporated as the bouncing, throwing and catching became more complicated”
At the start of the training, the entire group of 40 attendees stood in a big circle as we learnt the first exercise 'one ball bounce.' The synchronised rhythm that 40 people created bouncing their single balls on the wooden gym floor reminded me of African tribal chanting or The Kiwi Haka. The rhythmic bounces created an indescribably magical atmosphere of unity and purposefulness. It was clear what silent reverence the participants had for Bill and his three young assistants.
However, as the day progressed, the bouncing, throwing and catching became more complicated. My own glitches in coordination were now showing up. Many of the attendees had more experience under their belt as they were doing the workshop for the third or fourth time. My only previous experience, on the other hand, was the two exercises I had done with Kiran (see previous blog). But I was quietly determined.
As the first day of training came to an end I was exhausted and so, together with Bill and his assistants, I went to refuel and reflect on the day. Bill’s assistants were of school age ranging from 18 to 19, and some of them came from the very same school Bill had taught in for many years. I was very keen to hear their stories and how they came to work with Bill.
One of the assistants - Lara - told me she had been diagnosed with ADHD. I was slightly taken aback by this, as Lara was a calm and well mannered girl with no apparent signs of impulsiveness. My immediate assumption was that she was on medication, but this was not the case. She had previously been on medication but, since starting Bal-A-Vis-X, and using it over a period of a few years, she no longer needed any at all.
It was at this moment that I knew for sure my decision to travel and learn more about Bal-A-Vis-X had been the right one, and I was incredibly excited about how it could help the children who were my clients back in the UK.
However, Lara’s story was so inspiring that I felt Bal-A-Vis-X could be so beneficial to people in the UK that I could not restrict to just my clients. I started toying with the idea that Bill could come to England the following year and hold a workshop in the UK. I don’t know if it was the great sense of euphoria the days spent bouncing had left me with, but I knew that I really needed to push to make this happen.
After sharing my thoughts with Bill, he said I had a big challenge ahead of me if I undertook such a task. However, looking at Lara sitting at the table calm and collected waiting patiently for her dessert, I thought of all those parents in the UK whose children were on Ritalin (a commonly prescribed drug for ADHD diagnoses). Undeterred, I felt it needed to be done and I wanted to make it happen.
In my next blog, I’ll let you know how my plan went to bring Bill to the UK. Spoiler alert: it was a huge success!
If you’re ready to jump straight in and get involved with a Bal-A-Vis-X workshop right away, you can find out more here.
Or maybe you want want to find to find out how Bal-A-Vis-X is used in a therapy setting? Here is story not to be missed.
During the three days of my training, a TV crew arrived to make a short news feature for local TV on Bal-A-Vis-X. Here is the short news reel created by News Anchor Scot Kilbury whose wife also taught at Mesa Verde School.
Dyslexia? Dyspraxia? ADHD? ASD? Speech & Language? Developmental Delay? Anxiety?
Is every school day a struggle? As a parent, you may feel exhausted and on this journey alone. Each year you see the gap getting wider. You need to do something - change the approach, help your child learn for themselves, find a way to turn this around - to help while you can - do this NOW. the first step is free.
About the Author
Usha Patel is a Neurocognitive Therapist and Director at Raviv Practice London. Parents searching to help their suspected/neurodiverse child can get evidence-based solutions with results in as little as 8 weeks. Those in search of jargon-free help can get started straight away.
