MANILA, Philippines – Are you right-handed or left-handed? Believe it or not, your dominant hand dictates what kind of lifestyle – especially exercise – you should do.

This idea is connected to the theory of brain dominance, which states that each person has a more dominant hemisphere. This affects movement, among others: those whose left hemisphere is dominant have a stronger, more active right side of the body and are right-handed; while those who have a dominant right hemisphere have a stronger left side and are left-handed, according to the book “Biology: The University and Diversity of Life.”

Dr. Elmie Ragas, naturopathic doctor and brain dominance therapist, takes this thought further.

“How you move, how you exercise, either energizes you or depletes you,” she says emphatically.

Exercises fit for your dominant hand

During her workshop on brain dominance, Dr. Ragas instructed some of us participants to do some exercises. Those right-handed were to bend back or reach up with their hands to the ceiling, while those left-handed bent down and reached for their toes.

One of the ways Dr. Ragas gauged our energy levels was through a practical “strength test.” In that test we clasped our hands together, held them out, and prepared to resist Dr. Ragas or our other fellow participants, who would attempt to push our hands down.

After doing the exercises fit for our dominant hand, participants’ clasped hands stayed strong with little effort. But when we right-handers tried to reach our toes like the left-handers did, our clasped hands were pushed down easily.

Dr. Ragas says that, in general, upward movements are good for right-handed people while downward movements are good for left-handed people.

Thus, right-handers are more affected by postures like bending down when using computers, while left-handers are not as affected. One of my fellow participants, who is left-handed, suddenly understood how she could go on for hours bending down and painting.

This is why Dr. Ragas recommends right-handers who use computers to stand up and bend back every 15 or so minutes to get energized again.

Here are some back exercises good for right-handed people: 

While here are some back exercises good for left-handed people: 

The earth connection

Dr. Ragas also advised us on proper sleeping posture: right-handers should sleep with feet facing the north, while left-handers should sleep with feet to the south. This helps improve sleep quality.

When we did the strength test again, we right-handers stayed strong when we faced north and were weakened when we faced south. The opposite was true for the left-handers.

Dr. Ragas told us that while our brain affects our body and movement, the earth also has an effect. She cited physician, holistic healer, and author John Diamond, who wrote that we are affected by the earth’s magnetic field, and that the body itself is a “system of electromagnetic energy.”

While scientific studies may have yet to conclusively prove this claim, my fellow participants and I certainly felt more energized when we moved according to our dominant hand. And, when we exercised the way Dr. Ragas recommended, we felt stronger and more energized, no matter which direction we faced.

So, give those exercises good for your dominant hand a try (remember: generally upward movements for right-handed, downward for left-handed) and see for yourself. You can even get a friend to do the strength test on you.

Health solutions based on brain dominance

The person’s brain dominance, or dominant hand, is a guide not only for proper exercise and sleeping habits, but also for treatments.

“Massages are not usually recommended for people with high blood pressure,” Dr. Ragas explains. “But if you apply brain dominance therapy, you can give that person a healthy massage and control his/her blood pressure.”

A person’s brain dominance also affects whether he or she would need a warm or cold compress if a certain body part is swollen, Ragas adds.

“Knowing a person’s brain dominance is important to give the most appropriate treatment,” she points out. – Rappler.com

Dr. Elmie Ragas gives free introductory lectures as well as more detailed and paid training workshops on brain dominance therapy, diet therapy according to blood type, and more. You may contact her Manila wellness center through these numbers: 0920-4104000, 0923-231-5142, and 466-1452.

Claire Madarang is a writer, traveler, and seeker. Her wanderlust takes her on adventures like backpacking for 7 weeks straight. Her seeking leads her to different wellness practices like meditation and healthy (mostly vegetarian) eating. Follow her adventures, tips, and epiphanies at her blog, Traveling Light.