Message: It is thought that exercising “crossing” and “number eight” movements (e.g., in Tai-Chi) helps to improve the balance between the right and left brains. Here’s an exercise that you can do even if you don’t know how to do Tai-Chi.*
The hemispheres of human brain are asymmetric, operating in difference contexts: the left is mostly logical and the right side is mostly intuitive. It is possible, by exercising inter-hemispheric interaction, to balance these two aspects of one’s cognition.
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Number eight figure
Basic posture. Extend the right arm in front of you at the level of eyes. Don’t move the head.
- Draw horizontal #8 figure, moving the right wrist. Follow your fingertips with eyes only
- Increase the amplitude of the movement, including elbow, then the whole arm
- Further increase the amplitude in horizontal direction, making steps to the right and to the left
- Increase the amplitude in vertical direction, reaching up and lifting on the tiptoes and down, squatting
- Combine vertical and horizontal components
- Same with both hands, palms directed to each other
- Feel the “body” of the number eight figure between your palms
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* This exercise is a part of the Therapeutic Movement classes taught by T. Zilberter at the MetroSport Athletic club, Durham NC in 1992-1995
There is a tendency for the two cerebral hemispheres to operate in two very different contexts: with most people (right-handed) the left is verbal/logical and the right side is non-verbal/intuitive, another words, left hemisphere is for verbal and analytical thought, the right for intuitive, philosophical, holistic patterns of thinking:
LEFT ……………………………………… RIGHT
primarily verbal primarily non-verbal
‘mathematical and numerical’ ‘musical and spatial’
concerned with details concerned with paradox and pattern
prefers reductionism concepts prefers holistic concepts
What they name left brain’s linear knowledge and right brain’s holistic knowing are not necessarily alternative, they can be mutually enriching. Making hemispheres working together, even on very simple tasks including the movement ones, helps to promote their interactions.
An important bundle of nerve fibers called the “corpus callosum” is situated between the right and left hemispheres. The left and right sides of the brain communicate with each other via this neural pathway. It is thought that ‘crossing’ movements, when the right and left sides of the body work reciprocally, force hemispheres to cooperate. The pattern “right arm-left leg, then left arm-right leg” is used, for example, in walking. This pattern is generated by nervous system at the level as low as the spinal cord, so we consider this movement task automatic. Spinal cord is perfectly symmetrical. No wonder that there is no problem of right-left halves interaction in spinal cord, the both halves are perfectly cooperative.
When we try to perform unfamiliar movement pattern requiring the reciprocity, it is not enough to use the spinal cord only. The hemispheres have to work using the corpus callosum and cooperating. The more sophisticated right-left movement interplay we have to imply, the more we exercise right-left hemisphere interaction. All kinds of movement patterning figure eight, especially with the whole body participation and the eyes following the fingertips, are ideal for this exercising. Remember — horizontal figure eight is a symbol of Eternity? This type of movement has especially flowing, meditative character and feels very calming.
