The Brain Huddle

We know the power of collaboration — innovation, increased engagement, better outcomes. In her book, Whole Brain Living, Harvard-trained neuroanatomist Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor (Dr. Jill), introduces us to the Brain Huddle, a collaboration between the Four Characters that reside within the circuits and tissue of our brain.

Each of the Four Characters performs essential functions, has its own goals, values, and skill sets. Getting to know these characters, and learning to support a healthy relationship among them, is powerful. The Four Characters can huddle at any moment, analyze what is going on, and decide what qualities to bring to the situation. This huddle can help us navigate even the roughest parts of our days, and lives, with increased effectiveness, purpose, and joy.

I have been practicing The Brain Huddle for the past 4 months and it is the best “self-help” tool I have ever used. It is the most effective route to self-regulation. Here’s a recent example.

One of “Those Days”

One morning, a couple of weeks ago, I logged in to facilitate a full-day Zoom training. Well prepared, or so I thought, I opened the meeting. Unfortunately, it soon became clear it was going to be one of “those days.” Within the first three minutes my screen froze, then went blank. Next, Zoom booted me out of the meeting. When I returned, I learned that a handful of our participants had the wrong meeting link and couldn’t log in. Others had arrived who were scheduled for a different meeting altogether.

Meanwhile, a friend with a severe medical condition had received bad news and was trying to reach me. In short: I was becoming anxious. Stress hormones were flooding my body, my pulse rate was rising.

We’ve all been there! Luckily, I had brilliant collaborators only a breath away. I called a Brain Huddle.

Dr. Jill’s Stroke of Insight

Dr. Jill discovered the Brain Huddle following her recovery from a massive stroke in 1996 at the age of 37. She observed her stroke with fascination. Over the course of four hours she lost all the functions of the left hemisphere of her brain. She could not walk, talk, read, write, or recall any information about her pre-stroke life. She could neither create nor understand language. She even lost the sense of being a distinct individual. She says, “I stepped into the awe-inspiring experiential sensations of the present moment, and it was beautiful there.”

In 2008 she gave her now-famous TED Talk, My Stroke of Insight where she describes the stroke in detail, and the euphoria of living only from the right side of her brain. The response to the TED Talk was profound. People wanted to know, “How do I quiet the chatter of my left brain and discover the peace and joy you found?”

Dr. Jill regained the use of all parts of her brain. As she did, she developed the Brain Huddle. Dr. Jill had learned that she could pause and listen to each of the Four Characters to find out which one would serve her best.

In her 2021 book, Whole Brain Living, Dr. Jill teaches us how to develop this capacity. The more one practices the Brain Huddle the stronger the collaborative brain circuitry becomes.

How to Do a Brain Huddle

Step 1: Get to know your Four Characters
Each character, made up of a particular group of brain tissues, forms a distinct and predictable set of characteristics. Dr. Jill urges us to make friends with each to understand their function. She also suggests giving them names so that we can call upon then them in times of stress. Allow me to introduce them.

• Character 1. Left side, thinking. This character values being a separate identity. It thinks in a linear way, is rational, precise, gets things done, and decides what is right and wrong. It is also organized, perfectionistic, and concerned with time. I have named this character Ace.
• Character 2. Left side, feeling. This character is the one we associate with “flight, fight, freeze.” It remembers past pain and tries to avoid pain in the present. It is the source of our deepest emotions. It can get overwhelmed, is anxious, feels guilt, assigns blame. Character 2 thinks a lot about good/bad, right/wrong. It tries to keep us safe, to protect us from hurt. Character 2 overgeneralizes and is the seat of much bias. I have named this character Eeyore.
• Character 3. Right side, feeling. This character is social, adventurous, in the present, loves connection and fun. Doesn’t understand time. Understands facial expression and body language. Knows how to play. Feels empathy, sees possibilities. I have named this character YumYum.
• Character 4. Right side, thinking. This character is non-verbal and thinks in pictures. It sees the big picture. It feels deep peace and love. It focuses not on “I” but on “we”. It is accepting, open, in the present, grateful for life, connected to all. It gets lost in the flow of time. Character 4 quiets characters 1 and 2. I have named this character Gladyce.

Step 2: Learn and practice the Huddle
Once we are familiar with the characters, it is time to call a meeting, the Brain Huddle. To do this we use the acronym B-R-A-I-N.

• Breathe. This enables us to hit the pause button. To bring us into the present moment
• Recognize. Which of the Four Characters’ circuitry are we running in the present moment?
• Appreciate. Extend gratitude to the character you find yourself exhibiting, and that you have all Four Characters available to you at any moment.
• Inquire. Invite all Four Characters to huddle so they can collaborate and strategize which circuitry is needed.
• Navigate. Move into the next moment with all characters available, choosing which to bring to the forefront for the current situation.

One of “Those Days” — Salvaged

So, there I was, five minutes into my training, and Character 2, Eeyore, was driving the bus. I was anxious, with cortisol flooding my system. Luckily, I had been practicing, so my Character 1, Ace, called the Brain Huddle.

After a few breaths I was able to recognize that I had been in the circuitry of Character 2, Eeyore. I appreciated Eeyore for being there, trying to protect me, and let her know that I was, in fact, in no danger. I then inquired of all Four Characters, “What is our current best strategy?” The answer was we needed Ace to sort out the rosters, and provide some excellent, reassuring and clarifying customer service. Ace also needed to jump into the content before we lost any more time. Then, we needed Gladyce to take the reins. Gladyce provided me the perspective I needed to feel connected with the learners. All the advice helped me navigate the training and extend appreciation, warmth, and acceptance to myself and the 24 learners.

I want to note: This took almost no time, the span of one or two breaths. And, in this short instance, my mood, and my training, were saved. Calm and collected, organized and grateful, I facilitated the 6-hour training. Indeed, the Brain Huddle is a powerful tool. Discover what it can do for you!

To learn more about Dr. Jill’s story and the Brain Huddle, visit DrJillTaylor.com, and check out her 2008 TED Talk that’s on the Top 25 list of most popular TED talks.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jodi Kline is a Learning Design & Delivery Professional with Workforce Learning and Performance at DES.