The Power of Your Other Hand : A Course in Channeling the Inner Wisdom of the Right Brain

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Summary: art involves the whole brain
Review: I believe that the author is sincere about her claims that drawing with the other hand can lead to well-being. However, it is very common knowledge now that artistic creativity involves the whole brain, not just the mysterious right brain. Using one hand or the other does not just use the right brain-- in fact, if you saw someone draw while hooked up to brain scan, many parts of the brain would literally light up.

I give the exercises in this book 5 stars and I think it is great way to discover your creativity and experience parts of yourself that are otherwise untapped (although that it "heals" is yet to be proven-- it would be great to see the studies that prove this claim). It is the theory that the author is basing her claims on that is the problem. Artistic expression, even with a non-dominant hand, is a little more complex than the "intuitive" part of the brain or the right brain doing all the work. This idea has been proven incorrect for the last 10 or 15 years, it is time the author caught up with the literature in order to give her readers the best possible information on why art expression is a way to health.

Rating:
Summary: Simply put, a good book
Review: I picked up this book while going through a phase. I was trying to tap into my more artistic side which had been easy for me up until about three years ago, with real world concerns pressing in and working at a job that didn't spark my creativity I found it harder and harder to distinguish what I really wanted to do compared to what I thought I should do. This book I was hoping would help-and it did. It has many, many exercises to help you get more in touch with your more spontaneous, child like side. Many of these exercises were uncomfortable for me at first for me because they involved giving up the control I held so rigidly to.In fact I found it very hard because giving up control would mean I would have to trust in myself. I didn't know how to flow anymore and this book is all about flow. Some of the exercises involve drawing pictures with your non-dominant hand and others involve getting in touch with different parts of yourself you might have left behind for some reason or another. I find Lucia Cappachione an author who's style is very warm and the personal stories she tells in the book set her apart from self help guru's who just preach and preach and give nothing of themselve's in turn. This book is never boring and is like a kid's activity book for adults.

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Summary: Power indeed!
Review: I've recently started doing the exercises in this book, and I am already progressing in my efforts to overcome fear (fear being the only thing which holds people back) and achieve happiness. This book can be a major help to everyone in moving along their path of personal growth. I've always sensed that life didn't have to be a painful struggle, and getting in touch with my inner self by dialoguing with myself using my dominant and non-dominant hands is providing me with powerful insights into how I can live the life I want to live. I recommend combining this book with "Your Handwriting Can Change Your Life" by Vimala Rodgers (who also recommends writing with your non-dominant hand). Happiness is possible for everyone and not nearly as difficult as it may seem.

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Summary: This is a GREAT BOOK!
Review: Lucia's work, and this book specifically, showed me how to access my own inner wisdom and thus have a never ending supply of assistance, whenever I needed it. Dialoging with my inner wisdom in writing allowed me to recognize the voice of wisdom within so that I was able to hear it, and decipher that voice from my thinking mind, my inner child and other sub-personalities, all of the time. (IF this sounds strange, Lucia does an EXCELLENT job of explaining it in this book...) Writing with my non-dominant hand also allowed me to access my creative voice.....and I have hence gone on to be an author myself, and advisor for others.
I can not recommend this book highly enough...totally changed my life!

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Summary: An adventure into your intuitive mind.
Review: The first night I had this book I began writing with my left hand, even though I really thought I couldn't do it. Not only was I able to do it, but it opened up a new world to me. The act of writing--which is usually dominated by the left, logical brain--suddenly became more intuitive, freer, and much more of an adventure. The blank page was no longer a threat or obstacle to overcome, but an invitation for my inner voice to speak.

The next of the book's exercises which I took up was mirror-writing with the left hand-that is, writing so that the text is legible when held in front of a mirror. It really didn't take that long to learn, and the results have been a very powerful unlocking of insights, memories, dreams, and creative thoughts. Ms. Capacchione mentions that Leonardo da Vinci mirror-wrote his journals, probably with his "other" hand, and I can certainly attest to the fact that it opens up new avenues of instinct, imagination, and intuition to anyone who wants to try it.

This book is not long and is easy to work with. The first chapter includes an interesting history of humans' cultural preference for the the right hand, along with a good introduction to right/left brain theory. All the exercises can easily be tailored to your own specific needs. I do agree with Ms. Capacchione that there is much healing and personal growth to be gained by silencing the critical left-brain using your non-dominant hand-voices will emerge on the page which you never knew you had living within yourself. I recommend this book for writers, artists, metaphysicians, scientists, people recovering from abuse, people facing dread diseases, to name only a few of the possible beneficiaries. A wonderful, eye (and brain)-opening book.

Rating:
Summary: "The Power of Your Other Hand"
Review: This is a neat little book that helps you tap into your spontaneous, creative, expressive side. Capaccione shows how we usually are dominated by rationality, logic, straight-lined thinking, and how we neglect the wise, intuitive, spontaneous parts of us. By asking us to do writing exercises with our "other" hand, she helps us get in touch with our inner child, with excitedness, a sense of discovery. Doing the exercises (and they are small, no big tasks at all) can be quite eye-opening - and thoroughly refreshing for your soul.