Clockwise means forward. Clockwise

We are all astrologers against our will, says Pavel Voitovsky. He came to this conclusion while trying to answer a simple question: why do many of us imagine the annual cycle moving counterclockwise? This post is a prologue to a series of texts dedicated to the four elements and the most unexpected consequences of this ancient idea.

Year inside my head

Close your eyes and imagine 2017. What did you see? 12 calendar sheets? But the year goes in a circle, but the calendar sheets do not. Perhaps you imagined a circle, a clock face. Do twelve months tick in it like twelve hours?

I'm willing to bet not. This idea is rather unnatural: the seasons have shifted to one side. Then like this:

Or perhaps like this:

Now the main question: in your internal representation, does the year go clockwise or counterclockwise?

I've always imagined the year as going counterclockwise. Winter in my interior picture is usually at the bottom, spring on the right, summer on top, autumn on the left:

On March 1, 2017, I clearly felt that I was turning left around the lower right corner of a certain building or block. In simplified form, the picture looks like this:

In summer, however, the picture turns upside down, winter becomes on top, but the year still goes counterclockwise. Two versions of the picture can be called winter (summer above) and summer (summer below), while the second seems more natural because New Year is located where noon and midnight are on the clock:

The logic of my internal picture is as follows: every time we find ourselves at the bottom of the vessel, at the bottom point of the circle - and ahead lies its right half, along which we have to climb. In winter, we wait for spring and summer, with difficulty we rise to it, and in the middle of summer, having crossed halfway, we switch our attention to autumn, which should always bear some fruit, and to the end of the year, before which we need to have time to finish certain things.

I'm not the only one

For most of my life, I was sure that such a concept was a feature of my consciousness. But I recently discovered that many people face the same thing. They write on forums, as if admitting their illness, and find like-minded people.

I became very interested, why is this happening? Where does this seemingly counterintuitive idea come from?

The hypotheses that are listed on the forums are not suitable. For example: it all depends on whether you are right-handed or left-handed. Indeed, on Wikipedia they write that left-handers more often draw circles and walk around rooms clockwise, while right-handers do so counterclockwise.

Research on this topic was carried out by Theodor Blau in the 70s. Empirically, they seem to be correct, but the issue is not very clear. And most importantly, this theory could not be confirmed on the forums. Another assumption: everything is explained by whether you are a humanist or a techie, in other words, a right-hemisphere type or a left-hemisphere type. But even here there were counterexamples. Perhaps the concept of time lies deeper than the mechanisms responsible for the formation of right-handedness and perceptual patterns.

In this post I will tell you about my own version: most of us have a mythological idea of ​​the annual cycle in our heads. We are all involuntary astrologers in the sense that the year for us goes like the circle of the Zodiac - counterclockwise. (Of course, astrologers in quotation marks: knowledge zodiac constellations does not lead you to believe that the positions of stars and planets can be predicted best time to buy shares.)

Apparent movement of the Sun

It would seem much more natural to imagine the annual cycle in the same way as an ordinary dial. The sun is coming across the sky clockwise (for the majority of humanity who live in the northern hemisphere). Therefore, the shadow from the gnomon on the sundial crawled clockwise. Before the word clockwise appeared, there was a variant called sunwise, and in Rus' they said “posolon” ​​(with the sun, clockwise) and “anti-salt” (against the sun, counterclockwise).

The clockwise motion is associated with the right hand: when the wheel rolls to the right, it rotates clockwise. By folk beliefs, the dough must be stirred clockwise, otherwise the bread will not taste good. The left-to-right reading direction in the Western tradition also seems to reinforce the impression of the correctness of such a move.

So clockwise is right, and right is good. And if this were the end of the story, then it would be natural for all people to imagine the movement of the year in the same way as the movement of the hands on a dial:

However, there is another idea, equally deeply rooted, but contradictory to the first.

Zodiac

The Earth rotates around the Sun counterclockwise when viewed from north pole world:

This is the direction of travel solar system conveyed to all her “children”: the Sun itself, all comets, asteroids and planets (except Venus) rotate counterclockwise. Over the course of a year, the visible path of the Sun runs through 12 zodiacal constellations (today this number is 13, but in the time of the first astronomers there were 12):

Zodiac signs go around the year counterclockwise. Considering that Aries is usually placed on the left, the picture looks exactly like the "summer" version of my intracranial annual cycle (here the dates are shifted slightly so that each sign corresponds to one month):

Interestingly, the dial is divided into 12 divisions due to the 12 signs of the Zodiac. The Greeks apparently borrowed this idea from the Babylonians. (Let me remind you that the division of an hour into 60 minutes, a circle into 360 degrees and a year into 360 s extra days- also from the Babylonians, who had a 60-digit number system.) Only the direction of movement had to be reversed so that the shadow of the gnomon on the sundial would consistently pass all the marks. In any case, this is the only explanation that came to my mind.

On the medieval astronomical clock you can see the zodiac circle and the figures of the sun and moon, which moved counterclockwise around this circle. This is what it looks like on the famous Prague Astronomical Clock:

Enthusiasts created a copy of the watch in the game Second Life and wrote about this topic video. In the gif, every second is one day. You can see how the moon glides across the Zodiac, changing phases, and the sun slowly moves from Aries to Taurus - counterclockwise, as befits a self-respecting luminary.

The astrological idea of ​​​​the “correct” traversal of the circle cannot directly influence my internal picture of the annual cycle. I only learned about the existence of a calendar dial and the direction of the Earth’s movement around the Sun while working on this post. And I’ve been looking at ordinary hour and minute hands all my life. And yet these two paintings are somehow connected. I like to think that there is a deeper reason that links the direction of the annual cycle in the cosmos and in my head.

Dead end

In search of an answer, I turned to technology and science, to the question of spirals in nature, but found myself at a dead end. Right-handed DNA helices, umbilical cords twisted counterclockwise, Chemical properties glucose and its mirror copy did not help in any way in matters of intracranial calendar. In general, this is understandable: technology and science appeared recently by evolutionary standards, but brains appeared a long time ago.

I was also interested in in what cases in Western culture there is a departure from the “correct” rotation. For example, all our stadiums are “astrological”: athletes run counterclockwise. The reason is most likely that the heart is shifted to the left. If you run clockwise, centrifugal force will push your heart against your left lung, which can make breathing difficult. If you run counterclockwise, the heart will move slightly towards the center of the chest, and breathing problems will not arise. On the runners' forum, they offer another explanation: when running counterclockwise, there is less load on the left leg than on the right - the outer circle is larger than the inner one - and it is more comfortable for right-handed people. (In the same way, they write that the stairs in knightly castles descended counterclockwise, so that it was more convenient for right-handed warriors to fight back. Flights of stairs in most modern houses descend clockwise.)

Forehead outside and inside

I found a hint of a solution in the works of psychologist Richard Wiseman. He proposed the following test: close your eyes, place your finger on your forehead and draw the letter Q. There are two options for how your drawing will look from the side: straight or mirrored.

If you drew a straight version, it will be easier for others to read it, if you draw a mirror version, it will be easier for you to read from inside your head. In the first case, you seem to keep the center from the outside, looking at yourself through someone else's eyes. According to Wiseman, such people, whom he calls other-centered, are focused on others, like to be in the center of attention, lie better, but are worse at identifying lies. In the second case, you are more self-centered, straightforward, bad at lying, but good at identifying lies. This is reminiscent of the division between extroverts and introverts.

Suppose, instead of the letter Q, you drew a clock face on your forehead and tracked how the arrow makes a circle. If you belong to the second type, then an external observer will see how the arrow goes counterclockwise - against itself. An interesting exercise: while continuing to mentally move the hand and without opening your eyes, try to cross the plane of the dial (pass “through the forehead”) and see how the right, hourly movement has been replaced by the left, astrological one.

One can imagine that there are two times: internal and external, and they mirror each other. The external is an ordinary clock, and we are accustomed to measure it clockwise. But the internal is, as it were, cyclical time, the time of natural and mythological cycles, and they go counterclockwise.

Mythological circle

The most famous mythological circle was drawn by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. And he goes counterclockwise:

Campbell's system is called the "hero's journey." She is notorious for being turned into a cliche by Hollywood screenwriters. If you type “hero’s path” on the Internet, you will get something like this:

Clockwise! The original mythological circle is reversed, subordinated to the “external” clock.

Let's plot the seasons from my intracranial picture (winter version) onto Campbell's diagram:

In this view, summer is the starting point of the journey, in the fall we cross the line of uncertainty - and plunge into another world, into the world of winter trials, experience the death of nature - and in the spring we return to life.

My summer version can be explained in a similar way. This time, winter is the starting point, a familiar environment in which nothing happens, and summer is a time of adventure, “little life.”

I have already written that for me the Campbell circle is inverted: I feel that adventure needs to be climbed, that some kind of revelation awaits at the top. But this does not change the essence.

Bottom line

Perhaps one day it will turn out that the effect I described is completely explained by the functional specialization of the cerebral hemispheres. Moving in a circle counterclockwise is simply more convenient for a right-handed person.

My guess is it's just a fun way to think about the seasons and organize them in your head. This method helps me connect the intuition of the annual cycle with the mythological circle of Joseph Campbell .

But we are talking not only about the annual cycle, but about any natural and cosmic cycles in general. You can also think about one day and your whole life in terms of a mythological circle:

And now a surprise: it was all a joke. The tale will begin next. I will tell you how you can put the four elements of the ancient Greeks on a mythological circle: fire, water, earth and sky.

Why do people run counterclockwise in stadiums? The question is quite unusual. The answers to it are also quite interesting: “Because the left leg is shorter than the right” or “It is much more difficult to run clockwise.” Many people manage to joke: “This way you can slow down time.” One way or another, let's figure out which direction is the right way to run around the stadium. We will also give some advice to novice athletes.

Why do people run counterclockwise in the stadium?

There are several theories as to why runners run the way they do. Below are 5 possible answers to the question: “Why do people run counterclockwise in stadiums?”

IAAF International Standard

Running counterclockwise is the international standard. It was accepted by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). This is due to the fact that most runners are right-handed. And it is easier for them to run, pushing off from their right foot. She is physically stronger and better developed. Moreover, for many, the right leg is actually several millimeters longer than the left.

When we push off with our right foot, we move the body slightly into left side. This is why it is much easier to run against the movement of the clock.

Traditions from the past

Another justification for which direction to run around the stadium is that running counterclockwise came to us from the ancient Greeks. At competitions they used exactly this tactic, arguing that it was a contrast between nature and sport. That is, natural and artificial development.

This theory was substantiated by the English scientist Norman Douglas, author of the book "History of Europe".

Physiology

Many people believe that athletes run counterclockwise because turning to the left causes blood to flow to the heart. Moreover, in large quantities. That's why people run counterclockwise in stadiums. This makes it more comfortable to move physically.

Religious motive

The pagans believed that when running, movement should be directed towards the sun. Namely - to the god who was worshiped. That is, against the movement of the clock hand.

Laws of physics

If you studied physics at school, you will understand exactly what we are talking about.

Vector angular velocity is a physical concept that when movement occurs to the left, the vector is directed vertically upward. This means that no resistance to movement is created.

If you run clockwise, the vector will be directed vertically downwards, which means it will be much more difficult for you to run.

Not just running

Did you know that it's not just runners who run counterclockwise? In the same way:

• horse racing at hippodromes;
• motorcycle rides;
• car racing.

The only exception is Formula 1. There, cars move clockwise.

How to run in the stadium correctly?

• First, you need to decide on your goal. Why do you want to start running? To lose weight, stay toned, gain muscle mass? Choose which option is right for you. Now we will look at regular running. It is suitable for those who would like to strengthen muscles and increase endurance. About running for the purpose of losing weight will be written a little later.
• When moving, almost all muscles and joints are involved: from the neck to the legs. And if a runner has any muscles that are poorly warmed up or underdeveloped, there is a chance of serious injury. That is why you first need to do a short warm-up for all muscle groups. You'll be ready to start your cardio workout when you feel warmth in your muscles.
• While running, you need to keep your head straight, bend your elbows and relax your shoulders. Also watch your back position. It needs to be straightened.
• A person with poor health should run at 110-120 beats per minute.
• Average people should have 130 beats per minute.
• In a person with high level health, the normal heart rate when running is determined as follows: subtract your age from 220.
• If your heart rate goes through the roof, take a different running pace or even start walking. Don't forget to rest. If your goal is to run 2 km, take a step every 500 m.
• You should not feel pain, tingling or discomfort while running. Otherwise, you should move to a step.
• What should breathing be like? If you can talk to your partner, you have chosen the right pace and your running technique is normal.
• We recommend drinking still water in small sips while running. Since the body gradually becomes dehydrated. Take at least 400 ml of water with you to training.
• How often should you go for a run? Ideally - every morning. If you run at the gym, 3-4 times a week will do. The weaker your health, the more often you need to run (at least 15 minutes).
• If you find it difficult to run or get tired quickly, you have chosen the wrong load. Visit a therapist, he will definitely tell you which activity is right for you, based on your health indications.
• You also need to complete your workout correctly. Under no circumstances should you suddenly stop or sit down. It is necessary to cool down, bring your heart rate and breathing back to normal. Walk at a fast pace for another three minutes, and then switch to a calm walk. Do a short stretching session. Stretching will help you consolidate the results of your cardio training.
• Remember to drink water within an hour after finishing your run.
• You can eat an hour after training.
• If you wake up the next day with sore muscles, don't worry - this is a natural process. Visit the sauna, jacuzzi or massage. Take a hot bath. Do stretching exercises or start running again.

Ignorance of these rules can lead to injury or exhaustion of the body. Surely in a week you will quit the race and put off the idea of ​​running. Do everything wisely!

Is it best to run at the stadium?

Of course, you don't have to run there. You can choose any park, sidewalk or forest for this. However, if you like to measure your achievements, then the stadium is ideal for this. On big ones, one lap is 400 m, on school ones - 200 or 250 m.

In addition, the stadium has a smooth surface. You won't have to step over rocks, grass or any debris. This means that the risk of injury is significantly reduced.

What time of day is best to run?

This frequently asked question for all beginning athletes. Some people think that it is better to run in the morning. Some people think that an evening run will bring more benefits. Let's look at the issue in more detail.

• It is believed that the ideal time for cardio training is from 8 to 11 am.
• This great option exercises for the body.
• You will awaken your body and start all the processes in the body.
• Don't start 5 minutes after getting out of bed. Make sure you are fully awake. Drink a glass of water, wash your face, do a little warm-up, and go!
• It is not advisable to have breakfast before jogging. It is recommended to drink fresh juice 40 minutes before.
• If you run at other times, do not do it on a full stomach. Eat a snack 2 hours before your run.
• Moreover, if you run the planned distance in the morning, you will feel an emotional boost all day long. At least because of the realization that you have already completed a useful task before noon.

Of course, if you need to be at work at 8 am, there is no point in forcing your body. Run on the track in the evening at the gym. However, if you have the opportunity, choose the morning for cardio training.

Running for weight loss

If you wish to reset overweight, remember the following recommendations:

• Running promotes weight loss only if it lasts more than half an hour. Also, do not jog, but at a fast pace.
• How many laps should beginners run at the stadium? In the first month, keep a distance of no more than two kilometers. That is, only five laps in a large stadium are enough. Let your muscles and body get used to the stress. After an adaptation period, you can safely move to a distance of 4 km or more.
• Don't forget that training should be regular. Run at least two to three times a week.
• How to burn more calories? Use interval running: for example, 200 meters you move with maximum speed, then walk 200 meters at a brisk pace.
• Don't forget that training only gives 20% of the result. The remaining 80% is proper nutrition. Avoid fatty, fried, flour, and sweet foods. Prefer food made from natural products. It needs to be boiled, baked or steamed.
• The main condition for proper breathing when running for weight loss is inhaling and exhaling through the mouth.
• Running in the morning can strengthen your cardiovascular and nervous system, daytime - muscles, and evening - to lose weight. Therefore, try to run after school or work, in the late afternoon.

Of course, the rules for regular running, described just above, have also not been canceled in cardio for weight loss. Don't forget about warming up before a run and stretching after it. Drink water, monitor your pulse and general physical condition.

Conclusion

We found out why people run counterclockwise in stadiums. In addition, you received practical advice how to run correctly. Develop yourself and play more sports. Good luck in your endeavors!

Which direction do you run or walk - clockwise or counterclockwise?

In fact, 80% percent of people run counterclockwise, and my little survey confirms this.

So what does this mean and what does yoga have to do with it?
I will give the opinion of my yoga teacher.

The other day we were discussing sacred geometry after class. So, in our hemisphere the natural movement of energy is clockwise. This is how the Earth's magnetic field works. Please note that when a funnel forms in a sink or bathtub while draining water, the water moves clockwise.

Some famous symbols also have a directionality. For example, yin-yang. If the “fish” in this sign are directed clockwise, then the sign has a favorable meaning:

And this is unfavorable:

The same goes for the swastika. This is a very ancient symbol, and it can also be directed clockwise or counterclockwise, for example, the Nazis used a left-handed swastika - counterclockwise.

On a subtle level, running clockwise is aimed at expanding consciousness, at disidentifying oneself with the ego and realizing oneself as a soul.
Running counterclockwise, on the contrary, is aimed at strengthening and developing the ego, as well as working out the lower centers (and this is a positive thing).

In some way, the direction chosen shows inner intention.

It is logical that athletes run against the clock - they strive for personal victory of one over all.
In general, it is typical for our society to live exclusively for oneself and set one’s own success as the main goal.
For yogis running for the purpose of self-development, it seems more logical to run clockwise or at least change directions.

In the book "Eye of Revelation" Colonel Bradford indicates clockwise rotation:

“The First Ritual,” said the colonel, “is quite simple. It is intended to accelerate the movement of the Whirlwinds. As children, we used this in our games. Your actions: stand straight, with your arms extended horizontally along your shoulders. Begin to spin around your axis until you feel slight dizziness. One warning: you must rotate from left to right. In other words, if you place a watch on the floor with the dial facing up, your hands should move in the direction of the hands."

Note that Colonel Bradford defines the "clockwise" direction as the direction in which a person rotates from left to right, regardless of his location on the planet.

Given that Bradford was in the northern hemisphere when he wrote that you need to rotate from left to right (clockwise), some people wonder whether to adapt his instructions and rotate counterclockwise while in the southern hemisphere.

When I ask them: " Why do you think we should change the direction of rotation?"

Their answer is usually along the lines of " Water in the southern hemisphere swirls counterclockwise, while in the northern hemisphere it swirls clockwise.".

However, this concept itself is based on a popular misconception, and therefore the reason for the change in direction of rotation is also not convincing.

Alistair B. Fraser Ph.D., Professor Emeritus of Meteorology, Penn State University, USA, explains in detail:

"Compared to the rotations we see every day ( car tires, CDs, draining the sink) the rotation of the Earth is almost imperceptible - only a revolution per day. The water in the sink rotates in a few seconds, so its rotation speed is ten thousand times faster than that of the Earth. This is not surprising, given that the Coriolis force is several orders of magnitude smaller than any of the forces involved in these everyday examples of rotation. The Coriolis force is so small that it affects the direction of rotation of water no more than the direction of rotation of a compact disc.

The direction of rotation of the water in the sink drain is determined by how it was filled, or what turbulence was created in it during washing. The size of these rotations is small, but compared to the rotation of the Earth, they are simply huge."

It is difficult to describe the Coriolis effect in more detail without resorting to mathematical equations or complex concepts such as angular mechanics. First of all, our frame of reference is: “ What we see depends on where we are" This means that we are standing on a solid surface, when in fact this is not the case - after all, the earth is a rotating ball.

Coriolis effect

In physics Coriolis effect is the obvious deviation of moving objects when viewed from a rotating frame of reference. As an example, consider two children on opposite sides of a rotating carousel throwing a ball to each other (Figure 1). From these children's point of view, the ball's path is bent sideways by the Coriolis effect. From the thrower's perspective, this deflection is directed to the right as the carousel rotates counterclockwise (as viewed from above). Accordingly, when moving clockwise, the deflection is directed to the left.

If you are really interested in a detailed explanation of the Coriolis effect, enter “Coriolis effect” into a search engine and study this issue thoroughly.

Direction of chakra rotation

Peter Kalder did not describe the direction of movement of the vortices (chakras):

“The body has seven centers, which can be called Vortexes. They are a kind of magnetic centers. In a healthy body they rotate at high speed, and when their rotation slows down, this can be called old age, illness or decline. Most quick way restore youth, health and vitality - make these vortexes rotate again at the same speed. There are five simple exercises to achieve this goal. Any one of them is useful on its own, but all five are needed to get the best results. Lamas call them rituals, and I will treat them the same way.” - Peter Kalder, edited by Alina and Mikhail Titov, “The Eye of Revelation”, 2012.

I wonder if Calder deliberately avoided mentioning the counterclockwise direction? According to Barbara Ann Brennan, a former NASA scientist and authority on human energy, healthy chakras should rotate clockwise; and closed, unbalanced ones are counterclockwise.

In her successful book, Hands of Light, she says:

"When the chakras are functioning normally, each of them will be open and will rotate clockwise to absorb certain necessary energy from the universal field. Rotate clockwise to receive energy from the Global Energy Field in chakras is reminiscent of the right hand rule in electromagnetism, which states that change magnetic field around a wire will cause a current to flow in that wire.

When the chakras rotate counterclockwise, there is an outflow of energy from the body, causing metabolic disorders. In other words, when the chakra rotates counterclockwise, we do not receive the energy we need, which we perceive as psychological reality. Such a chakra is considered closed to incoming energy."

Possible influences of traditions

(a) Traditional Tibetan "trul-hor" yantra yoga

Chogal Namhai Norbu, one of the great masters of Dzogchen and Tantra, was born in Tibet in 1938. His book " Yantra Yoga: Tibetan Yoga of Movement"Published by the publishing house "Snow Lion".

"Trul-hor" means "magic wheel", says Alejandro Chaul-Reich, a faculty member at the Ligmincha Institute and an assistant professor at the University of Texas Medical School. He says:

"The characteristic trul-hor movements arose from the deep meditation practices of Tibetan yoga practitioners. Traditionally practiced in remote Himalayan caves and monasteries, the trul-hor movements are now available to serious Western students. They are a powerful cleansing tool, balancing and harmonizing the subtle aspects of your energetic dimension."

Ryan Parker specialist in Five Tibetan Rituals, is currently conducting research comparing the Five Rituals and the Trul-Hor. According to Peter Kelder in The Eye of Revelation, the rituals, like the trul-khor, date back about 2,500 years.

In his last " Comparison table" he claims:

"The Buddhist trul-hor suggests the existence of energy centers that rotate clockwise. The "trul-hor" is sometimes called a stimulus for the rotation of energy centers. Moreover, they begin to rotate in unison. Although this rotation can be caused in many ways, the rotation of the body is special associated with the stimulation of the centers. Clockwise rotation is considered beneficial and is the suggested direction of rotation in the Buddhist "trul-hor."

(b) Pradakshina

Throughout history, Tibet and India exchanged ancient knowledge, and it is possible - but not proven - that the First Ritual may have been influenced by the practice of Pradakshina.

In Hinduism Pradakshina means the act of worship - walking clockwise around a holy place, temple, shrine. Dakshina means right, so you go to the left, with the spiritual object always on your right.

During Pradakshina, you walk clockwise around a temple, shrine, person, mountain, place or even yourself. Hindu temples even have special passages so that people can perform these movements around them in a clockwise direction.

The purpose of such circular movements– concentrate or purify oneself, or honor the object of worship.

Circling is so common that it is found in the cultures of the Greeks, Romans, Druids and Hindus. This is usually associated with a sacrifice or purification process. The interesting thing is that for all these cultures the direction of movement is always the same - clockwise!

Other interesting facts about clockwise rotation

During one of my classes, a dance teacher told me that children are initially taught to spin in a clockwise direction. Obviously, it's easier for them (although there are exceptions). He said it was well known among dance teachers - If you need to calm children down, make them spin counterclockwise. And so that activate them - let them circle clockwise!

This energetic effect is exactly what people experience when performing Ritual No. 1, as described by Colonel Bradford. It seems to me that if the lamas gave instructions to rotate clockwise, then this is how it should be!

Who practices counterclockwise rotation

However, I am familiar with a certain Marina who rotates counterclockwise due to a life-threatening health condition that she is trying to correct. She is very committed to meeting her body's needs, as you can read below:

"According to Qi Gong and Traditional Chinese Medicine, clockwise movement speeds up life processes by increasing the speed of movement of the chakras to the original. Counterclockwise movement slows down the chakras. Most of those who practice rituals want to speed up chakras that have slowed down due to age, weight and so on, because it is logical that they rotate clockwise. However, one day, during morning prayer I realized that in my case, chakra acceleration will only have Negative consequences, since the chakra affecting my lungs is unable to accelerate! So I started spinning counterclockwise and soon noticed that other rituals became easier to perform!”

To summarize, until documents or teachers are found, all attempts to understand the motives of Ritual No. 1 will only be theoretical. Therefore, you should do what you personally feel is good for you!

If you remember how you ran around the stadium in your school years, or how you watched at the Olympic Games, you will notice the fact that running in stadiums always goes counterclockwise. Many people in their lives have at least once tried to run clockwise around the stadium; such people are usually looked at askance, and it’s terribly inconvenient to run like that.

Why do athletes in the stadium run counterclockwise? Most likely, you have never thought about it, but this rule was established by the International Association Athletics Federations! The question of running counterclockwise is incredibly complex and stupid at the same time. Nobody knows the answer there are only theories, among which the most plausible ones are highlighted.

1 theory - Ancient Greek traditions

This theory is one of the most likely. It is based on the simple habit of people, but the Olympic Games originated there, in Ancient Greece! But not everything is so simple; adherents of this theory are divided into groups, because there are two options for explaining this Greek tradition.

• Option 1 - Contrasting sports and nature. This theory has the right to be considered, since sport in their eyes was opposed to nature, and counterclockwise movement is also a kind of opposition.
• Option 2 - Convenient time tracking. This option looks more plausible than the previous one, since it has practical confirmation. It’s just that at that time there were only sundial, on which the race time was recorded, and running counterclockwise is much easier mark the elapsed time by the shadow on the sundial.

Even some historians wrote about this theory of the origin of running in books, for example, Norman Douglas, so it is one of the most widespread in the world.

Theory 2 - The superior number of right-handed people on the planet

This theory is the second on our list, and it is the same in popularity (it can be considered the most popular). This theory answers the question - Why is running clockwise so much harder?

Yes, people are used to it, but habits cannot completely deceive our brain. Indeed, for right-handed people push leg It’s the right one, it’s a little stronger than the left one, which means it’s easier to change the direction of movement to the left.

This doesn’t mean that left-handers can’t do athletics, you just have to work on yourself!

3 theory - Laws of physics

This theory explains much better why it is easier to run counterclockwise, but this does not mean that this was the reason for the appearance of this running rule. Many people have a very poor understanding of physics, so I will try to present everything briefly and in simple language.

There is such a thing as angular velocity vector, so, when the movement occurs to the left, this vector is directed vertically upward, which means that no resistance to movement is created. If the running occurs clockwise, the mentioned vector will also be directed vertically, but only downward, as a result of which running will be noticeably harder.

The majority of professional athletes and their coaches are inclined towards this theory, because it is precisely this theory that completely describes the reasons the difficulties of such a run. This is easier to understand for people who remember at least school physics.

Theory 4 - Borrowing from horse racing

This theory is also associated with Ancient Greece and Olympic Games. The fact is that any races took place strictly counterclockwise, and there is a reasonable explanation for this, because the rider beats the horse with a whip, which is always located V right hand (there are more right-handed people), the whip hits the horse’s right side, as a result of which it turns left!

Despite the fact that the theory is confirmed by information about reasons for horse racing rules, very few people believe in it, since these are completely different disciplines, people living in Ancient Greece must have realized this.