Cross Hemispheric Tradition
Welcome, one and all, to the first proper blog post in our ADHD series. I gave an introduction to this topic and a bit of background on my own personal journey in the last blog post which you can read here, if you have not yet.
This series has 2 main goals. The first is to promote awareness about the benefits of mindfulness and yoga for the ADHD community. The second is to give you some tools to showcase how these mindful traditions can help promote focus on the present moment, recollection skills, and to more optimally perform tasks in your life.
While this series focuses on ADHD, these are skills that will benefit any person. I know that it wouldn’t hurt me to be a bit more focused, lol.
I would like to start off by introducing the idea of Cross Hemispheric Integration. Cross Hemispheric Integration is when the left and right hemispheres of the brain connect and coordinate. Basically, it's when the 2 sides of the brain talk to each other.
When the two sides are communicating, new neural pathways are created; meaning it is then easier for the two sides of the brain to communicate in the future. This leads to an improvement in focus and recollection, which will then mean you will literally do better at everything in your life.
Now, you may be asking yourself: How can I create these pathways through Cross Hemispheric Integration? It's super easy, I promise. It can be done by either crossing one of the limbs over the midline to the other side of the body, or by moving limbs on opposite sides of the body at the same time.
If this is something that has piqued your interest, please reach out and we can deep dive into this topic. There are so many helpful exercises and little tricks to help with cross hemispheric integration. I will offer one accessible option, but I am here for you if you need me. Just click the button below, and we can set you your free connection call.
Cross Hemispheric Integration Exercise
Begin on the ground on your hands and knees. If you have sensitive knees, place a blanket the long way in front of you, positioning yourself at one end, facing the length of the blanket. If you have difficulty getting up and down from the ground, have a chair or someone nearby to help you.
Begin to crawl forward, moving the left hand and right knee, and then the right hand and left knee, until you run into an obstruction. Then reverse, and go backwards, making sure to move hands and knees on the opposite sides of the body at the same time.
Continue this exercise for 5 minutes. Do not continue if it becomes stressful for you. A stressed system can not learn or integrate change. If this is the case, be tender with yourself and try again tomorrow!
