How Spatial Orientation Helps Us Be Efficient and Move Forward

Spatial orientation is how we situate ourselves in our surroundings. When our spatial orientation is robust, we are using our energy efficiently and we are coordinated, making our movement and gestures effortless and fluid. It also affects us on the mental level, influencing our ability to move forward in life.

In Nutripuncture, one of the four essential conditions for vitality is spatial orientation.

This is when we know our right is our right and our left is our left. Do people often tell you, “the other left”? When we have healthy spatial orientation, we are quickly situated in our environment, a sign we have good balance and coordination.

Sometimes our spatial orientation can be disturbed. We mistake our left for our right, our front for our back, our ankle for our wrist. This can compromise the efficiency of our actions and the level of our vitality. Communications on the cellular level is off balance, short-circuited. Accidents can happen.

Our spatial orientation is grounded in early childhood, when we learn how to move and walk through space. We build a holographic topography map of where our body is and using our five senses. A poorly constructed map can result in incorrect lateralization (telling left from right) as an adult. We can also be thrown off by factors such as stress or misuse of a joint. The over- or improper use of a joint can lead to stress on the vital currents.

While understanding lateralization is straight forward, we may not think about the importance of spatial orientation as it relates to front and back. It not only affects the correctness and efficiency of walking. We may also discover challenges with moving forward with our lives, remaining stuck in the past. Before we can move ahead, we need to be able to project or see ourselves in a forward direction.

Strengthening our Spatial Orientation

• In Nutripuncture, the two vital currents relating to spatial orientation are meridian line 33 (Conception Vessel) and meridian line 34 (Governor Vessel). These two run up and down the middle of the body, creating the body map of left-right, front-back, and top-bottom. You can take the Regulator (Nutri Yin and Nutri Yang) along with the nutris for 33 and 34. These two are secondary meridians in the Liver-Gallbladder family that corresponds with the season of Spring. This means working with them during Spring is especially potent.
• For children, it is important for them to move through all the stages of development. Cross-crawling (left arm and right leg) develops multiple skills. Aim to optimize the emotional and sensory conditions for their learning.
• When you find yourself mixing your left and right, ask yourself who is mixing them up. We can take on the energy of another person, for example, after a strong encounter such as an argument. This is also a stressor that can throw out our spatial orientation.
• Nutripuncture research shows listening to a balanced and grounded aka multidimensional voice can help the listener improve on several measures, including spatial orientation. One such voice was Elvis Presley’s. Notice how you feel after you listen to music and after conversations. Do you feel your spatial orientation disturbed or strengthened?
• An exercise/practice you can use is repeating to yourself “My right is my right. My left is my left. My front is my front. My back is my back. My top is my top. My bottom is my bottom.” At the start, you may not feel any difference when a statement is incorrect. Be patient and trust your instincts on this. Over time, your sensitivity will increase and your self-awareness develops. If a statement is untrue, continue until it has corrected. Do not become frustrated as that raises the stress level which can deepen the disturbance.

As the spinal column forms our structural axis, the Governor and Conception Meridians form the energetic axis of the body. Their circulation can be disrupted and this has an influence over our verticality, both physical and mental.¹

We may laugh off mixing our left and our right, turning right when we are meant to turn left. It seems no biggie and it isn’t if it’s a one-off here and there. See it as a message or an alert. We were probably stressed. We may be off our own identity.

Healthy spatial orientation, however, optimizes the efficiency of our movements and gestures as well as helping us move forward in life. This is why spatial orientation is one of the four parameters for vitality in Nutripuncture.