The Second Brain - More metaphors and science

I read an article in O by Chip Brown on gut thinking which referred to the enteric nervous system and vagus nerve that link the gut to the brain. Not only doe it regulate digestion and play a role in the body's immune system, it's also full of biochemicals characterized as the "the molecules of emotion" by Candace Pert. He also discusses a book by Lisa Sarasohn, The Woman's Belly Book, in which she explores Japan's use of the word hara as a metaphor linking the brain and the belly. The validity of gut thinking feels right and seeing how science can support the metaphors confirms my intuition.

Flexitarians

Michael Pollan provides solid advice on healthy eating. In a recent article, he introduced me to the concept of a flexitarian, someone who eats mostly vegetables but does not shun meat. I realize that hard-core vegetarians probably see flexitarians in the same way atheists see agnostics, that is to say, cowardly, but I'm pretty happy with my flexitarian (and agnostic) ways. I think it's better for the personal and global health to limit my intake of animal protein, but I don't want to deny my omniverous ways. Part of the reason why that humans have continued to thrive (for better or worse) as a race is that they are flexible enough to find nutrition in a host of different ways. I have no desire to deny or lose that capability.

Pod Theater

I love the Sunday NYT because I find so many yummy things going on. In yesterday's Arts and Leisure section, I read about Nancy Bannon's project. She seats individual audience members in pods and has them interact with individual actors for approximately 3 minutes. Inspired by an encounter in a subway, she wanted to call attention to paying attention to others. She finds the experiences to be intensely intimate and potent.

Positive Psychology

I don't know whether the pursuit happiness can be treated as a science, but I think that introducing college students to strategies for finding joy and peace is worthwhile byproduct of the theory. In "Happiness 101", the NYT magazine (in which I always seem to find nifty ideas) reports on classes taught in more than 200 colleges and grad schools on the science of happiness. Students are taught to maximize their happiness by embracing civic engagement and spiritual connectedness.

Cool movement

The documentary Last Dance records the collaboration of Maurice Sendak and Pilobolus on a dance inspired by the holocaust. The improvisiation of the dancers was magical to behold. My favorite movement was one which seemed to tap into the heart chakra my yoga teacher talks so much about. The family dancer crouched on the pelvis of the male dancer with has back to the floor. She placed her hand over his heart and he arched upwards. My breath caught in my throat. I think it was that move which inspired Sendak's choice of a heart-covered unitard for the male dancer.

Superheroes

The Minneapolis Arts Museum offers a drawing class for children with the theme of Superheroes. The children go to the collection for inspiration and then create their own superheroes. The class teaches them how to engage art and how to appreciate the museum.

A Cardinal's Dwarf

We were looking at a painting today, Panini's "Interior of a Picture Gallery," when a woman muttered, "What is that?" We looked more closely at the painting which depicted the many arts works belonging to a cardinal (Because of course someone from the church should be surrounded by worldly possessions). It turned out tha the object of her attention was a small male figure male dressed very much like the cardinal in the painting. We asked the docent conducting the tour: "Is that little boy? Or is it a dwarf?" She casually responded, "Oh, that. He's the cardinal's dwarf" and then moved on as if we should all have known that cardinals often had dwarfs in their courts.