Right vs. Left

This isn’t the usual wannabe pundit’s diatribe, where, from the comfort of an easy chair, he/she spews liberal or conservative rhetoric at the masses. This is about the right and left hemispheres of the brain, sources or symbols of creativity and logic. And, rather than getting into a conversation where I make my case via spotty recollections of neuroscience journals and metaphysical literature, I’m simply going to relate a personal experience and you may glean from it what you will.

The other day I found myself with a little down-time and felt like it would be nice to practice some Tai-Chi. The particular form that I know is one that I picked up several years ago and actually taught up until recently. It is a 30 movement form designed for people with arthritis or other conditions which would preclude them from participating in a traditional Tai-Chi class. I find performing it to be a relaxing alternative to other forms of exercise, especially when I know that my body needs a break from high-intensity training.

I found a suitable space and began moving through the various postures. The essence of Tai-Chi, as I understand it, is to be physically rooted into the earth as well as mentally rooted to the present moment, so I set about doing just that. I completed the entire form twice through and was beginning my third and final round. Out of nowhere, I noticed a pronounced tingling sensation in the center of both palms. Immediately, I became aware that this was the opening of two energetic hot-spots that are much discussed in Chinese medicine (the specific name of these points eludes me but I recall that there name means “bubbling wells”). Continuing with the form I felt a familiar warm, tingling sensation rush through my body. This in itself is not unusual as I have experienced the sensation during meditation, long runs, practicing Chi-gung, and even while reading. The sensation is truly an ecstatic one and brings with it a marked clarity of thought and an awareness that I am experiencing something of great spiritual import. It is almost as if I am receiving an energetic gift from whatever power makes up the essential ground of creation. Good stuff right?

So, I finished the form and what do I do, I promptly begin discounting the experience via a stream of logical rationalizations and reductions. Why, after I felt my spirit profoundly stirred, would I immediately brush it off as the expulsion of neurotransmitters interfacing with the synapses of my brain? Witnessing this inner conflict play out, I reminded myself that I am not alone in this. Sometimes we experience a happening that transforms us and, once the initial giddiness wears off, we eagerly rush back into the comfort of our preconceived notions. Does it not take an equal leap of faith to believe that we exist as the result of random interactions between inert particles that just so happened to bump and grind into the multitudinous forms of life on this earth? My contention is that the various and seemingly exclusive systems of belief are not mutually incompatible. Whether a believer in Science, God, Allah, Earth spirits, The Tao, or whatever else it seems as if Reality willingly accommodates our notions regarding its nature.

What I am determined to take from this particular episode is that I have the option of taking MY reality at face value. If my personal experiences tell me something, why not listen? In embracing this path, I do have much to lose, namely comfort, predictability, and arrogance. Fear will present itself at every turn and my courage will be tested. However, there also seems to be much to gain. I can’t say what just yet, but that is likely the point.