Are You Exercising Your Right Brain Or Your Left? By Bronwyn Bowery-Ireland.

Submitted by bron.bi on Tue, 07/27/2010 - 15:30

I feel as though I am in pursuit of knowing myself more or maybe it is understanding myself more, if these two things differ. I have arrived back in Shanghai, my home these days. One of the first things I rushed out to have was a massage. I have missed my deep muscle Chinese massage. As I lay on the bed being massaged I was aware of different parts of my body and where some parts felt strong and others weaker.

My other special ritual is to go to the gym most mornings. Around the corner from my home there is a three star Chinese hotel. In the basement there is a gym which no one uses. I have made a deal with the hotel to let me use it for a great six monthly fee. What I have observed about myself at the gym is that one side of the body is stronger than the other. I am right handed and yet the left side of my body is much stronger than my right. I have also done an assessment on my brain and found out that I am right brained. So I wonder whether my left side is stronger because this is guided by the right side of my brain?

From these two activities I have come to understand more about my physical strength. Now my thoughts go further and I wonder how my physical being is guided by my emotional state. Is it possible that how I feel emotionally will determine my physical strength as well? I recently wrote about how I feel connected to the land and now I feel like I need to take this to a deeper level. If the right side of my body is not as strong does this mean that I am emotionally not connecting with it? And if I am not connecting with it in the same way does this mean that only half of me is functioning? Does this also mean that one part of my body is full of positive energy and the other is not as positive? Maybe there is no connection between physical strength and positive energy but I think there is.

I am starting to feel like I am opening Pandora’s Box, an insurmountable number of questions leading to more questions. If one side of my body is not as aligned then does this mean I bring this negative energy to every conversation and overall to the energy of the universe?

There is one thing I do know. The pursuit of learning more about myself takes me to places I have never anticipated and I must say they are so exciting. To open my mind to new possibilities stimulates ever nerve ending in my body. Oh but wait is this just another right brain activity – thinking creatively and that is why my left side is stronger – oh what a web we weave.

How well do you know your body? What are its strengths and challenges? Maybe these are great questions to ask your coach this week? Get to know yourself a little more. And watch out – are you exercising your right brain or your left?
 

Comments

In Pursuit of Me

Fri, 07/30/2010 - 08:51

For a long period of time I was operating from a place where my physical body was not aligned with my brain or emotional state and continued to push myself despite the obvious signals. Now, well on my way to better health - I too am on a mission to learn more about myself and actually started my journey today in the doctor's office for a complete and thorough physical. I want to operate at a 100% capacity to enjoy fully life's rewards and challenges! Me and my body are going to have a long courtship that started today!! Bron, Great article and timely!

Is your soul aligned with your footsteps?

Mon, 08/02/2010 - 16:20

The subject is a literal translation of a Chinese book I once read. I thought this very well describe one's state of being. This is another metaphor of physical body (footsteps) being aligned with the brain (soul). Get well, Be well, Stay well! Cheers! Lynda

Opportunity

Sat, 07/31/2010 - 20:53

It is always wonderful to hear someone share their own story through the mind body connection. You saw a place in your life where there was an opportunity to grow and you seized it. A journey always begins with one step and you seem to be more than a few steps in. I hope you will share more of rewards and challenges along the way.

Thanks for the brain workout!

Wed, 07/28/2010 - 19:10

Hi Bron, I appreciate all the great questions, and both sides of my brain got a workout just pondering them... LOL. I know that there is a deep connection between my brain and my body, both from reading about this connection and experiencing it within myself. Your questions will support me in becoming more aware of what that is. I so enjoy this human experience. Thanks for heightening my awareness!

Awareness

Thu, 07/29/2010 - 19:57

Thank you for sharing your reflections. Maybe that is the first step to building the mind body connection. We build it first through our own awareness. It is only when we are aware do we have the opportunity to create change.

Polarity

Wed, 07/28/2010 - 18:20

Hi, If you worry for your right part of your body, you can practise some yoga exercises - are some "polar" exercises ( Trikonasana, Garudasana, etc) . Exercises are enhancing right or left parts af our body, depending which part are u practising more. Padmasana, depending what leg is upper, is doing the same for our brain.

Thank you for sharing this

Thu, 07/29/2010 - 19:53

Thank you for sharing this great option to help us with our mind body connection. I can see how this can greatly support our development. What results have you noticed from this practice?

Dear Bron, Thanks for yet

Wed, 07/28/2010 - 14:10

Dear Bron, Thanks for yet another "mind-blogging" article. But first, Welcome Back! Here's what I found about Right brain vs. Left brain. So what you said has evidence! http://perryduke.org/bicameral.htm "Two of us in here In the 1960s Roger W Sperry discovered that the brain has at least two very different " thinking modes". Brains are made up of two hemispheres connected by the corpus callosum. The left-hand side - which actually controls the right side of your body - tends to deal with number, logic, language and structure. The right-hand side - which controls the left side of your body - handles things holistically, and specializes in imagery, colours, and spatial and musical awareness, amongst other functions. This specialization is a general pattern, and may be stronger or weaker or even reversed in some instances. Overall, there is a lot of evidence for this specialization: understanding this bicameral mind allows us to make better use of our brains." Warmest Regards, Lynda Bor Shanghai

Lynda,

Thu, 07/29/2010 - 20:02

I appreciate the link to more information on this topic. I am glad to see it got you "thinking" should we say on the left and right brain development and the link to our bodies. With all this information it is opens up possibilities for what is next in our journeys in self development.