Now …. the right side
We must close our eyes and invoke a new manner of seeing
…a wakefulness that is the birthright of us all,
though few put it to use. – Plotinus
Our whole brain and mind is important for full functioning in life. Both the left and right sides of our brain interact extensively to understand, make sense of our world, to communicate and engage in life.
However, we have become a culture and a species of what we can call ‘Left-Brain Dominance’.
Whilst this has been helpful for several centuries, with our ability to develop our self, our societies and our species as ‘the thinking creature’; creating ever bigger, ‘better’ things; mining the resources of our planets natural world; working things out in a logical, linear, systematic and scientific way; it has had its side-affects.
While the ‘left-brain dominance’, has had benefits, it has had its disadvantages for our self and our humanity.
These have included the lessening or loss of our innate ability to see, feel, understand, be and know in a more intuitive, holistic way. The ability to see around an issue or idea rather than approach it from the front looking for the end. We often don’t see the bigger picture, the various issues and options. We have developed the linear, logical rational ‘Left-Brain Mind’ and lost the intuitive, creative, wisdom, whole Mind – Heart Knowing of the ‘Right-Brain Mind’.
This has also compromised our appreciation of creativity, the arts, philosophy and the Spiritual or Sacred domain of our being, not to mention the ‘feminine’ aspect of our Psyche. This has caused a large focus on materialism, the gaining of things rather than experiences, understandings, insights, deep joy, sharing and caring with others.
As the inner is reflected in the outer, so too the outer reflects and creates the inner. This is so true for the world we are creating and living in, now with dire consequences for the continual survival of the planet and the health of not only other species but that of our own.
If part of the purpose and meaning of our life is to experience joy and well-being, happiness and contentment; to create ‘Sustainable Well-Being’, then we need to shift our focus.
We need to ‘get it! – Right-Now’!
Life is experienced through our senses always only in the ‘now’. What attracts and distracts us from life and living now is our thinking. Thinking about the past – what has happened; thinking about the future – worrying or wishing about what might happen. Most of this thinking is the result of left-brain dominance; without intuition, feeling or wisdom understandings.
Many of our issues, stress and consequent illness is a direct result of or related to the mis-use of thinking. Mental health issues, while complex, are often a result of unhealthy thinking, both in topic and quantity.
The Buddha in his wisdom emphasised ‘Right Thought’ as the second factor of his ‘Eight Factored Practice Path’ for living mindfully in an Enlightened Way.
The way to health, wellness, living life right now and feeling more fulfilled, is to not be caught up and caught out with so much thinking. Think Right and Think Less! Using the Right side of our brain enables a different way of mind and being. This enables our Inner Knowing, Listening, Seeing, Feeling and Intuitive Understanding.
Whilst we have been socialised and conditioned into thinking with the left-brain dominance, new understandings in neuroscience and psychology, echoing the timeless understandings of the Eastern Meditative Traditions, now show how we can train our brain to enhance our mind to move right.
Meditation is primarily a Right brain activation and activity, allowing more of our whole brain to be engaged.
We don’t need to give up on thinking or using our left-brain mind, we simply need to develop or ‘re-mind’ to an old skill and ability that we had a long time ago and regain it’s use. Here a whole-brain approach to life becomes possible; with the ability to shift between the right-left sides of our brain as well as use the two sides together. This allows greater mindful sensing, deeper feeling, intuitive knowing, insights and understandings.
Now is the time to Get Right Now, relax and connect into Life. Now is the time to access our innate ability for Inner Listening, Seeing, Feeling, Knowing and Being. To understand deeply and to experience Life more fully.
Meditate Right, be Right Minded; Get Right into Life – Right Now!
John B.
