Ilchi Lee’s 3 Exercises for Better Memory and Focus

Improve your memory by improving your focus with these fun brain-body games.

How often do you experience a “senior moment”? While we may feel particularly concerned about our memory as we get older, memory skill can be developed at any age. Our kids and other students in our lives may also benefit from strengthening their memory, even at a time when almost anything can be looked up within seconds.

In fact, easy access and constant exposure to an endless stream of information may be one underlying issue. It may hinder us from forming a memory in the first place.

All of this information may make it harder for our brains to discern what’s worth remembering. And it may make us form a habit of not paying much attention to all of the information, or even on what we’re doing. Or our attention may be split between multiple screens or between what we’re doing and what we’re watching.

So to develop our memory, we can start by strengthening our focus. We can train ourselves to pay attention to information or sensory stimuli moment by moment. In other words, we can be mindful.

Here are three exercises “kids” can do to practice paying attention in a fun way from my book, Power Brain Kids: 12 Easy Lessons to Ignite Your Child’s Potential.

1-2-3-2-1 Clapping Game

1. Sit on the floor.
2. Clap your hands once in front of the chest and then once more on the floor.
3. Clap once again in front of the chest, and then twice on the floor.
4. Clap once again in front of the chest, and then three times on the floor.
5. Now clap once in front of the chest, and twice on the floor.
6. And again, clap once in front of the chest and once on the floor.
7. Continue to follow the 1-2-3-2-1-2-3-2-1 sequence of clapping, seeing how long you can maintain the rhythm. To add a challenge, try slowly increasing the speed.

Alternative: Try this clapping game in pairs, clapping each other’s palms instead of the floor.

3-6-9 Counting Game

1. Sit or stand across from a partner. Or, if three or more are participating, stand or sit in a circle.
2. Each person counts a number, starting with 1.
3. If your number contains a 3, 6, or 9, you must clap instead of saying the number (e.g., 9, 16, 32, etc.). If the number has more than one 3, 6, or 9, or a combination of these numbers (e.g., 66, 93, 36, etc.), you must clap twice.

Energy Ball Meditation

Prepare children for this exercise with some stretching and relaxation. This activity is also a great way to relax and calm the mind before bed. It can also be used to ease test anxiety.

1. Sit comfortably with your back straight, preferably in the cross-legged position. Relax your shoulders and tilt your head slightly downward. Place your palms facing upward on the knees.
2. Close your eyes and focus on the surface of the palms. Feel any sensation on the surface of the palms, perhaps tingling or warmth.
3. Gently lift the palms up from the knees and slowly bring the palms closer together until they are about two inches apart.
4. Focus on the sensation between the palms. Inhale and slowly draw the hands apart, feeling the sensation growing between the palms.
5. Exhale and feel the energy “ball” shrink between your hands.
6. Continue to follow the breath as you grow and shrink the energy ball.

See more Brain Education exercises for kids in Power Brain Kids, and learn how to have the best energy flow for memory formation in Water Up Fire Down: An Energy Principle for Creating Calmness, Clarity, and a Lifetime of Health</em>.

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