The Mindfulness Blog

One of the compelling things about mindfulness and meditation is that they serve both hemispheres of the brain-- they're ambi-hemispherical (if there is such a term).

Irrespective of whether we're logical/linear learners, or illogical/random learners-- regardless of whether we're verbal or visual-- whatever the case, we can all benefit from mindfulness and meditation because neither favors one, over the other. Mindfulness and meditation are equal opportunity measures of self-care that can benefit all of us.

How can that be? It's because they serve a different purpose than traditional learning or thinking, which are largely about dissecting and prioritizing or consolidating and associating. Mindfulness and meditation, on the other hand, are about simply observing and feeling-- without judgement, or attachment.

Mathematically, mindfulness and meditation might be expressed as 1+1=1 (a calculation that would be decidedly left brain), as opposed to 1+1=2 (a calculation that would typically be associated with the left lobe of the brain).

Understood in a different way, one could say that mindfulness and meditation are holistic or single-minded, whereas the left brain/right brain dichotomy is dual-minded ("to-MAY-to"/ "to-MAH-to"). The former are about the wellbeing of a person, and the latter are about correctness or proclivity.

Accept mindfulness and meditation, or don't. But please don't get hung up on whether they can benefit the right brain, or the left brain-- they can benefit both.