I just finished reading "My Stroke of Insight," by Jill Bolte Taylor. Taylor is a brain scientist who had a stroke at the age of 37 and lost the use of the left side of her brain. While she did eventually make a full recovery, her detailed account of the stroke and the science of how the brain works makes very compelling reading.
As a yogi, I find this story especially interesting because when she lost the use of the left hemisphere of her brain, she became peaceful, blissful, realized her connection to all other living things, realized herself as an energy body, and felt at one with everything. In other words, she was in the altered state that we can get to through our yoga and meditation practices. Once recovered, she learned how to "step to the right" to leave the chatter and criticism of the left brain behind to go to the realm of peace and love in the right brain.
For those who prefer a scientific explanation of what I'm always talking about in yoga, this book is for you. It's also a good book for anyone who has a loved one who had a stroke, and for any yogi.
If you want to hear her live, click here for a 20-minute speech that is sure to move you: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/jill_bolte_taylor_s_powerful_stroke_of_insight.html
Or to buy her book, click here:
Namaste!
Sandy