I’m practising juggling at the moment, and it’s brought up questions about ambidexterity and adult development.
It also takes me back to my football days. I’m right-handed, and using my left foot felt especially difficult. Learning to use the less familiar side means paying attention to movements that otherwise feel automatic.
Juggling challenges visual tracking, prediction, and coordination between both hands, involving communication between the brain’s hemispheres. When our head moves, the vestibular system also helps keep our gaze stable through the vestibulo-ocular reflex. NIH explanation
These skills place demands on attention while we learn. Research shows that juggling training can change adult brain structure, while balance training has shown benefits for memory and spatial thinking. That doesn’t automatically mean greater cognitive capacity or psychological maturity. Juggling study, balance study
But practising makes me curious: could embodied learning play a more deliberate role in adult development?
There’s something valuable in encountering my own awkwardness, noticing habitual patterns, and learning to respond differently.
Has anyone explored this connection through research or personal practice?