A Reflection of Carla Hannaford’s Trip to China

Amy Choi (Hong Kong, China) Oct 19, 2014

All teaching activities of the 2014 Kinesiology Masters in China Series featuring Carla Hannaford, Ph.D. were finally concluded in Dalian today.

I had the opportunity to concentrate on the manuals and course materials in relation to the courses that Carla taught in China this time. I interpreted for Carla on-site in two of her courses and lived together with her for several days. This gave me the chance to gain new insight in revisiting old materials, and to experience once more the life attitude of this 70-year-old master.

Firstly, I would like to talk about the books written by Carla. Her first famous book is Smart Moves. From the angles of physiology and neurology, this book examines why learning does not merely happen in the head but also inside the body, and why integrated movements such as Brain Gym can enhance learning. This is an important book for us to understand the development and education of children. Her second book, The Dominance Factor, explores people’s “basal dominance profile” which starts to form in the embryo from nine weeks onward. In other words, a person’s learning, behaviour and inter-personal relationship is influenced by his or her dominant brain, eye, ear, hand and leg. Dominance patterns allow one to understand the various constraints one faces in stressful situation between oneself and others, and realize where one’s natural gift lies. This book teaches us to respect everyone’s learning and behavioural patterns. It also enables us to know how to transcend one’s challenges through integrated movements, and make better use of one’s own natural gift. Her third book, Awakening the Child Heart, examines the issues of coherence against the background of the fast moving and stressful society nowadays. In the modern society, parents work very hard, trying to provide everything for their children, but, in fact, have neglected what is most important to them – child heart and coherence. This has led to a series of “problem child” phenomenon, and has even caused social problems. The purpose of this book is to enable us to understand the importance of the issues, awaken the child heart, and stimulate coherence. Her fourth book, Playing in the Unified Field, explores the essence of human existence from the angle of quantum physics. It says that we are all Vibrational Interference Patterns (VIPs): there are you in me and me in you. We are influencing each other in a unified, magnetic vibrational field. It further explains from the angle of quantum physics that formless things such as emotions, passions and goals will affect our physical reality. With such understanding of the essence of life, it can be said that to live with consciousness in coherence is the direction for every person and every family. Furthermore, we are the master in creating the reality of our own lives, learning in every moment, influencing others and this world. The last book summarizes her understanding of the essence of life and her attitude towards life.

Carla gave training in several courses during this trip, including “Smart Moves: the Physiological Basis of Learning”, “Dominance Factor” and “The Balance and Power of Resonance”. Personally, I felt more deeply about “The Balance and Power of Resonance”. It was because when I sponsored this course in Hong Kong10 years ago, there were things I did not understand then. But now they became clear to me after I went through different experience in the past 10 years. This course could be said as the implementation of the ideas and theories advocated in her later works, Awakening the Child Heart and Playing in the Unified Field. Through sound, music and resonance games, this course inspired people to use whole body listening, express will power through sound, and achieve resonance and creation through action. The purpose is to foster imaginative and conscious human creation. During the course, we went through three balances, including (1) deep listening, (2) expression of self and will power with sound; (3) creativity with resonance. What messages and balance! When I was doing interpretation there, my mind and mouth were busily working; but at the same time, I was caught up in resonance and felt deeply touched. There were a few times, I had to hold back my tears before I could speak. There was even once when I was translating the questions and answers between a student and Dr. Hannaford, I couldn’t stifle my tears and cried.

I believe those who met Dr. Hannaford in the five cities of China that she visited this time were deeply moved by this teacher who has travelled to more than 160 cities to give lectures. Everyone could feel her vitality, charm, presence, curiosity about everything, respect and love towards human beings, and living things even if it is just a flower and a blade of grass. She does what she preaches. In her daily life, she lives out the “coherence” that she advocates. It makes one wonder how much inner work and balancing this master has done in her own time, and how many times she has to make choices of coherence when she was met with incoherence in the path of her life? This time, I deeply felt that a master has made herself shine since she has put all her spirit to life to live in coherence.

Let’s pay tributes to Carla Hannaford, Ph. D. once again!