AROMATHERAPY

Two Brains for the Price of one

The human brain has two distinct parts - left and right - which govern, respectively, the logical, analytical jobs and the creative, inspirational aspects of human endeavour. The majority of people rely on the left-hand side to get through life and can function quite adequately with the skills the left-hand side provides - speaking, reading and writing, for example. Others use the right-hand side predominantly and are the artists of the community. Whichever side we rely most heavily on, we tend to under-use the other. So those who have developed the left-hand side of their brain tend to be accountants, lawers, and teachers who cannot paint a portrait while those who have developed the right tend to be musicians and artists who cannot understand a balance sheet.

This is of course a generalization, but you and I both know plenty of people who will say 'I'm no good with technical things' while looking at the video machine and those who say  'I' can't draw a thing' when they haven't even tried to draw anything since they were a rebellious teenager in the art class at school. But are these mental blockages inherent or the result of teaching practices which tend to emphasise in a particular person those talents which first show themselves ? Might we all not benefit from using both sides of the brain equally, not only so that we can perform logically and artistically but so that each side of the brain could feed off and charge the other side.

• Leonardo da Vinci is the classic example of someone with a powerful two-sided brain - the most marvellous artist with tremendous logical talents that enabled him also to be a brilliant mathematician, architect, engineer, and inventor of flying machines, submarines, hydraulics and weaponry. He has been called 'the complete man', but we can all to some extent be complete in this same way - Renaissance men and women  capable of doing diverse things and able to enjoy life and work to the full.
  

Most people know which side of the brain they favour and it is interesting that the logical person who uses the left side of the brain is usually right-handed while the right-brain, artistic person is usually left handed. ( As you probably know. the right side of the brain controls the left -hand side of the body and vice versa. ) The majority of people in our society are right-handed, leaving the inspirational, creative part of the brain largely under-used and undeveloped. It is this right-hand side of the brain that most of us need to develop.

• The duality of human nature has for millennia been recognised by Eastern systems of thought, and balance between the two sough so that the interaction can stimulate a more effective performance in all sorts of activities. In Western society the group who have taken these lessons most to heart have probably been sportspeople, who add to their very disciplined and logical training methods those specifically designed to bring out the inspirational - and of such methods tennis and golf stars have been made. Men and women all over the world have read books such as Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards, and have learned to draw, paint or play music when these talents had previously totally evaded them. Clearly, much can be achieved by training the brain.
• First, sit or lie down quietly and imagine that you have a small glowing, coloured light in your head. The light can be of any colour. Place the light inside your head just over the left eyebrow and slowly allow it to explore all over the left side of your brain. Then imagine it crossing over and exploring the right-hand side of the brain. Then get the light to travel along the line that separates left and tight, back and forth. Again, let the light explore left and right, and down the centre.
  
• When you feel harassed at work picture in your mind a scene of great tranquillity and transfer that scene from one side of the brain to the other, back and forth. This can also be done for success - imagine yourself achieving the particular job you are trying to get done, whether it is getting through a pile of paperwork, finishing a PhD or decorating the house, See yourself with the job finished, complete with a satisfied grin, and transfer that image back and forth from one side of your brain to the other. You will find that this simple device can motivate you into getting the job done.
  

• THE RIGHT SIDE,'BRAIN TRAIN OILS
  Bergamot- Grapefruit-Coriander-Neroli-Chamomile Roman-Birch-Melissa-Pettigraine-Palma Rosa
  
• Go for the brain train with these synergistic formulas:
  
• THE RIGHT SIDE,'BRAIN TRAIN'
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  FORMULA 1: Palma rosa 8 drops-Pettigraine 4 drops
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  FORMULA 2: Geranium 4 drops-Grapefruit 6 drops
• FORMULA 3: Neroli 4 drops- Coriander 4 drops
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  FORMULA 4: Mellisa 6 drops- Chamomile Roman 2 drops
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  Reference: The Fragrant Pharmacy; Valerie Ann Worwood