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.
