Left Side/Right Side?

[Tama]

I hope you forgive my enthusiasm in posting, I feel like a kid in a candy store. I was curious about the importance of left side, right side work. Does it make a difference if a person is left handed as opposed to right handed, or what if they are ambidextrous?

[ralph]

Hi,

 

I'll try to give you my thoughts about this. The teachings in our tradition comprise a fair amount of exercices. Some of these involve the use of your hands. In this case, the way it is done is always the same, using one hand to do one thing, the other hand to do the other.

 

The reason for that is that each new student can built on the exercice and if it's always done the same way, it adds momentum to the exercice itself. Same goes for the recapitulation exercice, it is always done in the same manner for this reason.

 

Ultimately, since it is a question of intent, it would not make a big difference to switch sides.

 

As for the left handed or right handed question, I would say the makers try to practice so they can all become ambidextrous. If they don't, it doesn't matter.

 

R

[Tama]

Thanks R. Are these exercise meant then more for engaging the whole brain as opposed to just the side one operates out of the most? For many traditions I have heard that using the dominate hand is recommended. I am abi. so was looking for a little clalrification.

[ralph]

We never talk about the brain or the brain sides. We talk about energy.

 

I'm not saying it doesn't exist or it has no use, I just think what we call brain activity is a consequence, not a cause.

[douglas]

I'm not saying it doesn't exist or it has no use, I just think what we call brain activity is a consequence, not a cause.

yes indeed mr. ralph. right-on.

[douglas]

"The second attention is a shift towards the left side of your energy, . . . ." ---

 

anyone care to comment on the left and right sides of our energy?

 

-d.

[nixrana]

I wouldn't see them as separate containers holding liquids or anything. It's more about polarity isnt it? With energy flowing round in spirals...

[douglas]

I was going post last night "never mind. I've got my answer now." I'm glad I didn't.

[nixrana]

There again, I did make that up on the spot , it doesn't ring true to me all that much. It could be that are totally different modes of awareness, with peculiar traits each of their own. Left-side is in my understanding more akin to a heightened state of awareness, in which incomprehensible things can be said to exist, while the right side is more your everyday mode of awareness that we ordinarily live in. Perhaps someone else can answer in more detail.

[silenceseeker]

In general, dreaming energy has been associated more with the left side and mind/reason with the right, maybe it has to do with the actual physical wiring of the brain. I remember back when I started here, I would often feel a presence behind me and to the left. It wasn't my death, it felt more like a person and I did not find it threatening. I'm pretty sure now that it was my loosely formed dreaming body. But that has gone away and I don't really think of the second attention in terms of physical coordinates. There might be some traditions that do work with accessing it that way though, I can see how that could work.

Lorrie

[silenceseeker]

I meant to add that there are some physical body correlations, such as the naval area being where we connect with the world.

[douglas]

thank you.

 

what I "got" (later the same morning nixrana posted his response) was that "left side" was simply referring to that part of personal energy that is little-used, largely neglected, and lies outside of most people's awareness.

"left side of your energy" says in 5 words what I just said in 16. much more eloquent and concise than I could be.

 

regarding the original question in this thread, and ralph's response re brain activity, I would be submit that every thing and every event in the physical/material arena has a non-physical cause. I welcome any feedback on that statement.

[silenceseeker]

Hi Douglas

"What I "got" (later the same morning nixrana posted his response) was that "left side" was simply referring to that part of personal energy that is little-used, largely neglected, and lies outside of most people's awareness. "left side of your energy" says in 5 words what I just said in 16"

I like that, it works for me.

I would be submit that every thing and every event in the physical/material arena has a non-physical cause. I welcome any feedback on that statement.

I would agree that everything exists as energy first before it becomes manifest in the physical. We view everything in terms of the 'three P's' (which there is an entire class devoted to). They are Potential, Possibility and Probability, which are the different states of the energy of the universe and where you choose to work when you use intent. So using intent in the realm of Possibility can create a greater probability for it to manifest in this world.

Lorrie