Western culture prizes the left hemisphere of the brain, reinforcing its preference for intelligence defined as an organized system of bits of data. This preference is fraught with suspicion of creativity, intuition, and a whole-brain life that balances thinking and feeling.
Mindful awareness is a practice to
Balance thinking and feeling
Mary Ann Doyle, Ph.D.
Maryanndoyle58@gmail.com
Brain Anatomy & Mindfulness
Between the left and right hemispheres of the brain lies the bridge called the corpus callosum. This bridge filters lived experience (the domain of the right hemisphere) allowing the left hemisphere to re-present (as in cinema) units and gestalts of information valuable to the individual. The neurons of the brain are shaped by intention, and Western cultures since the Sumerians have so emphasized individual experiences, framed increasingly in competitive terms, that the filter between the left and right hemispheres has become proficient at filtering out the right hemisphere’s contributions to living well. Mindful awareness practices broaden the filtering of the corpus callosum, increasing one’s access to whole brain living.
Mindful Awareness
strengthens the bridge
between lived experience
and what the left
hemisphere re-presents
as important.
Four Immense Neural Circuits
The brain has two distinct hemispheres, each with two (2) very distinct neural circuits. ‘Thinking’ and ‘Feeling’ circuits in each hemisphere are neuron-specific, meaning, the neurons further the work of that circuit only.
Left Hemisphere Dominance
The left hemisphere has been reinforced by competitive individualism for thousands of years. Both the ‘thinking’ and ‘feeling’ circuits of the left hemisphere are reinforced by intentions meant to strengthen the ego.
Right Hemisphere Awareness
The right hemisphere is expansive, intuitive, relational, and creative. In both thinking and feeling, the right hemisphere’s neuronal circuits are steeped in relational belonging to a greater whole.
Thinking
Left Hemisphere
(Serial Processor)
A thought generator
Linear Thinking
Past/future based
Judgmental
Focuses on details
Focuses on ME
Notices differences
Time oriented
Ego centered
Busy
Structure/order
Feeling
Left Hemisphere
Constricted
Rigid
Cautious
Fear based
Stern
Conditionality
Doubts
Bullies
Righteous
Manipulates
Trusts Systems
Selfish & Critical
Superior/inferior
Feeling
Right Hemisphere
Expansive
Open
Risk-taking
Fearless & Friendly
Unconditionality
Trusts & Supports
Grateful
Goes with the flow
Creative/innovative
Collective
Sharing
Kind
Equality
Thinking
Right Hemisphere
(Parallel Processor)
Nonverbal
Thinks in pictures
Thinks experientially
Present moment-based
Kinesthetic/body
Looks holistically at the big picture
Seeks similarities
Compassionate
Lost in the flow of time
Collective
Flexible/resilient
Open to possibilities
Focus on WE
Available
four distinct 'neural-circuit' personalities:
left hemisphere's #1: Ego (thinking) and #2: fear (feeling)
&
right hemisphere's #3: joy of being alive (feeling)
&
#4: Cosmic awareness (thinking)
We enjoy well-being as we balance thinking & feeling.
peace of mind
becomes a mindfulness practice
just
breathe
What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is a state of nonjudgmental awareness of what is happening in the present moment, including the awareness of one's own thoughts, feelings, and senses.
Components of Mindfulness: Awareness. During a state of mindfulness, you will notice your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as they happen. The goal isn't to clear your mind or to stop thinking; It's to become aware of thoughts and feelings, rather than getting lost in them.
Acceptance: The thoughts, feelings, and sensations that you notice should be observed in a nonjudgmental manner. For example, if you notice a feeling of nervousness, simply state to yourself: "I notice I am feeling nervous." There is no need to further judge or change a feeling.
Benefits of Mindfulness:
Reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety
Improved ability to adapt to stressful situation
Greater satisfaction within relationships
Reduced rumination (repetitively going over a thought or problem)
Improved ability to manage emotions
The Practice of mindfulness becomes a practice in the art of living
Peace of
Mind
Mindfulness Practices
- Find in a comfortable position for you. Focus on something you choose. It does not have to be your breath. Perhaps you would like to doodle, draw, hum, rock, look out a window, put your sweatshirt hood over your head. Get comfortable. As your thoughts follow one after another, let them go. Don’t try to force them to be nice, or good, or stop. Just let them float on. Be calm and kind to yourself. Allow yourself to be in a calm state.
- Mindfulness Walk: Start by noticing how your body moves and feels with each step. Then, expand your awareness to your surroundings. Pay attention to forms, feelings, perceptions, mental constructions, and what you ‘know’ at the moment. For instance, each tree is unique. If you notice a tree, what are you actually seeing? When people say they notice a ‘tree,’ often they are simply registering a mental construction they’ve been ‘taught;’ they may not actually see the tree at all. Play with seeing, feeling, and thinking in ways that take away the learned filter.
- Five Senses: Make a conscious effort to notice the present moment through each of your senses. Notice five (5) things you see; four (4) things you feel; three (3) things you hear, two (2) things you smell; one (1) thing you taste.
Mindfulness: A Practice for Balancing Thoughts & Feelings
In what ways has mindfulness helped me?
Never Rarely Sometimes Often Almost Always
- Observe my thoughts in a detached manner
- Relax my body when I am tense
- See that my thoughts are not necessarily true
- Enjoy the little things in life more fully
- Calm my emotions when I am upset
- Stop reacting to my negative impulses
- See the positive side of difficult circumstances
- Reduce tension when I am stressed
- Realize I can grow stronger from difficult circumstances
- Stop my unhelpful reactions to situations
- Be aware of and appreciate pleasant events
- Let go of unpleasant thoughts and feelings
- Realize my thoughts are not facts
- Notice pleasant things in the face of difficult circumstances
- See alternate views of a situation
ARTMind Workshops
balance
ARTMind Workshops
Balance Ego, Fear, Joy of Being Alive, and Cosmic Awareness.
We name and balance habits of mind through Art and Mindfulness
to better balance thinking and feeling for
well-being and peace of mind
Acknowledgements
Mindfulness meditation has been of interest to me since I was very young, having been introduced to contemplative studies by a literature professor, his monastic mentor, and the poets, writers, and artists whose work shaped my early years. As a mindfulness researcher I owe immeasurable thanks to another literature professor, scholar, and mindfulness practitioner, R.C. Moreland, who allowed me to study his teaching practices for the past thirty years. To his mentors I offer my thanks as well. Jill Bolte Taylor has advanced the research of mindful awareness with her extraordinary contributions about the brain's anatomy and the behavior of neurons in the brain's four main neural circuits. Roderick Tweedy and Iain McGilchrist have provided depth of evidence of our Western civilization's propensity for privileging the left hemisphere's ‘re-presentations of life’ over lived experience of spacious belonging to the community of living beings. In this era of immense suffering and meta-crises, these insights and the many ways of practicing mindfulness for both neuro-typical and neuro-divergent minds may lead us to peace of mind and awareness of the preciousness of life.