Poverty in a Big City

You know where this place is.

This is one of those cities where people have to ride MRT just to go to work.

High-rise buildings are everywhere in this city.

Look at those cabs. Middle to High class families are those who can afford to ride them.

And that hotel? Some might be having a good night's sleep inside their rooms, after enjoying the party and eating world-class gourmet.

But...

 

Awakening Interests: A Visit to an Art Gallery

I’m a left-brained person. I’m not an art student. I just learned to appreciate art – LATELY. Impulsively, I went to the Art Fair hours after my nose-bleeding agenda in Makati. Imagine the transition from a left-brained session to a right-brained activity within the day. It felt unusual.

Upon reaching the venue, I started capturing photos of portraits that amazed me. Two hours are not enough for me to document the artworks that stimulated my curiosity.

During the last minutes of my stay at the gallery, I went inside a room which had a “writing on the wall”. It says there, Jaime, then below it, the complete name, Jaime de Guzman. I wonder who Jaime de Guzman is. The room has paintings and crafts all created by the same artist. Then I saw an old man sitting on a wooden sofa in front of me. He was busy talking to a lady who looked like she belongs to an upper-class society.

I couldn’t leave the area yet, even if the venue is about to close. The paintings struck me. I didn’t know why.

After so much hesitation to leave the area, I asked a lady exhibitor who the old man is. She confirmed that the old man is the renowned Filipino artist, Jaime de Guzman. She introduced me to him and I had a chance to talk to him. He asked me if I was an art student. I told him that I wasn’t. But I could appreciate artworks.

We couldn’t talk much; the venue’s closing. All artworks I’ve seen were awesome. But the last room I visited was remarkable.

I Love Afternoons: Kite Flying with Amihan and a Pal

I admit I wasn’t able to fly a kite during my childhood years. Not even once. Not even attempted. That’s why now that I have reached adulthood, I’m filling my life with activities I have never done before.

During Amihan (Northeast Monsoon) last year, my mind was pre-occupied with kite-flying. But I never had a chance to do it.

And so Amihan came back this year. And I wanted to fly a kite. The longing for it was so intense. I didn’t want to let go of Amihan without flying a kite.

Until the day my heart’s desire was granted. I saw an online ad asking for volunteers to be with children with cancer on post-Valentine’s Day. One of the activities to be done was KITE-FLYING!

I immediately signed up.

And the picture of my heart’s desire came to life on Hearts’ Day. I saw how children battling with lifetime disease play and enjoy just like normal children. Everything seemed fine. I met one of them and we became pals on that special day.

I learned how to make a kite. And fly one. It was hard. I need to run. Mine got stuck on a tree branch but I managed to pull it. Its red tail remained on the branch. Aww.

Seeing big kites fly so high was so amazing. And my eyes saw how the children with cancer run as fast as they could. THERE WAS NO LIMITATION AS TO WHAT THEY COULD DO ON THAT DAY. It touched my heart.

I enjoyed flying the kite with Amihan and some children until sunset. I was thankful that it was a meaningful day. I gave my kite to my new pal. It had a message for him.

I Love Afternoons: Path of Detachment

And there was compassion. Suddenly, I saw his mother’s tears of joy fell from her eyes. So genuine. Yes, there was joy, yet I could feel she was still in dire need.

It was sunset. It reminded us that it was almost the end of the day.

As I walked along the path leading to the exit, arched tree branches swayed to the will of the wind.

I met so many strangers today but I shall go home alone.

Baroque Classical Music and Super Learning

Are you guys able to effectively retrieve what you perceive?

Are geniuses born? Or are they made?

Have you tried to research about people with super normal abilities, yogis with super memory and instant calculators?

Did you know that these people could perform astonishing mental feats while their bodies were in a state of rest and their brain waves were at a relaxed rhythm?

Interestingly, these people didn't strain or coerce their minds to function. They performed effortlessly! Magic tricks? Nah! It happened because their physical and mental efforts were not involved.

But then you will ask me because what I was saying was contradicting. Isn't it that when we do intense mental work, our pulse and blood pressure rise, and we get more stressed?

This is indeed paradoxical, but like what I’ve mentioned about those people, it only means that there is a way to have a relaxed body state while at the very same time the brain is doing some math or memorizing history.

This is the goal of Super Learning. But what is Super Learning? It is a system that helps people to learn large amounts of information quickly and easily.

But then, is relaxation the only thing that is required? The answer is no. If relaxation was all that is required to obtain Super Learning, then those who are half-awake during the class discussion would come out as bright students. We all know that when we are relaxed, people can't concentrate firmly. But then as soon as people began concentrating, relaxation disappears and stress returns.

What people need to learn and retain what they learned is to have the ability to concentrate without the physical and mental strain.

Based on yoga theories on music and research on psycho-acoustics, a very specific form of music with a very specific rhythm can induce a relaxed state in the body, but the major difference is, it kept the mind alert and  be able to concentrate.

Can anyone achieve Super Learning? Yes, possible, through the use of baroque classical music.

Why baroque classical music? Classical music? Well, I understand that not everybody likes classical music, but I guess you're going to learn to like it if you want Super Learning. The key is to find the right kind of music for the right kind of effect.

16th to 18th century music by Bach [bahkh]/bætʃ/, Vivaldi [vi-vahl-dee]/vɪˈvɑldi/ , Telemann [tey-luh-mahn]/ˈteɪləˌmɑn/, Corelli [kaw-rel-ee] /kɔˈrɛlli/ and Handel /ˈhændl/ are called Baroque music. Slow or Largo movements with string instruments of this music have the greatest effect on Super Learning.

In slow movements, there is a familiar and potent rhythm which is 60 beats per minute, beating like a slow human heart. As you listen, your body listens too and follows the beat. As your body relaxes, your mind becomes alert. You don't have to tell the muscle to relax. All you have to do is to be with the music.

In an experiment, those students who just recited their materials without the music have learned, but immediately complained of fatigue and stress.

Here in the Philippines, there are Super Learning schools already. These schools use Super Learning principles. The classrooms have subliminal music and they claimed 35-50% increase in children's IQ.

I once interviewed a parent of a child who was a product of a Super Learning school. The child started schooling at the age of 2 1/2 years. Starting preschool, the child became a gold medalist for music & movement, writing, arts & crafts for 3 consecutive years. Imagine the age of the child. Imagine the number of fields that the child studied. Imagine the number of gold medals for 3 consecutive years.

This child entered the first grade at the age of 5 1/2 years and she received the first honor, became a math wizard, silver medalist in science, and a champion in poetry. Now, the child is in the 6th grade, at the age of 10 and still included in the top 5 of the class and the youngest of the whole batch.

You would tell me, I'm already old! But this I tell you, age, is just a state of mind. In learning, there's no age requirement.

“Oh I don't have the money to enroll myself or even my child to that school!”

Well, I didn't say that you or your child must enroll in that school. Of course, enrolling is better. But, you can learn on your own.

So how do we do this?

The basic method would be:

First, you are going to prepare the baroque music to be played in the back ground.

Second, use an eight-second cycle for pacing out spoken data. For the first 4 seconds, you remain silent, then for the next four seconds, you do recitation, whatever may that be, whether multiplication table, history, languages, etc., just make sure the data you recite will fit for four seconds.

Third, repeat the second step.

You can record your voice; you can listen to it before going to sleep. You can also try doing arts and crafts, or doing sports. There are other variations, and there are other methods and exercises that you can research. It's all up to you. Using baroque music is just part of the whole method.

With what I have said, baroque classical music has an overall effect of eliminating the stress of hard mental work. In listening to this type of music, your body is using its energies more efficiently. Just never forget these:

First: It's possible to attain Super Learning using baroque music

Second: There are no limits to what you want to learn.

Third: You can learn on your own.

Suggested reading and Source: Superlearning by Lynn Schroeder and Sheila Ostrander