Learn to Relax
|
Biofeedback operates on the idea that we have the ability to influence the automatic functions of our bodies through our mind. In recent years it has been established that biofeedback can give us what had previously been considered an impossible degree of control over our body.
Studies in the late 1960's proved that what had been considered unconscious, autonomic functions could be voluntarily controlled. Biofeedback teaches how to consciously change and control the body's vital functions that are normally unconscious, such as breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure, by information provided through electronic devices.
“Barbara Brown, Ph.D., at the Veterans Administration Hospital in California, Elmer Green, Ph.D, and Alyce Green of the Menninger Foundation in Kansas first used EEG biofeedback to observe the various states of people practicing yoga. Another person who was instrumental in bringing biofeedback to the public attention is Joe Kamiya, who taught subjects how to attain states of euphoria without drugs.
Biofeedback works by attaching electrodes with wires onto the skin. You then use relaxation, meditation, or visualization to bring about your desired response, which could be muscle relaxation, lowered heart rate, or lower temperature. The biofeedback device reports progress by a change in the speed of beeps or flashes, or pitch or quality of the tone. The results of biofeedback are measured in the following ways:
- skin temperature
- electrical conductivity of the skin
- muscle tension
- heart rate
- brain-wave activity
Biofeedback is successful where there is sympathetic or adrenal stress. It is also useful for conditions where there is inadequate control over muscle groups or muscle dysfunction.
Conditions treated with biofeedback include:
An example of how biofeedback helps migraine sufferers stop a migraine attack - the blood which engorges the blood vessels in the head during a migraine is diverted to the hands and arms. This effectively removes the headache. If there is chronic tension which triggers the migraines that must also be treated with biofeedback relaxation techniques. Biofeedback can be used to block the discomfort of colitis, neuritis, and other painful conditions.
Using sensors to record muscle contractions and skin temperature, you can learn to control what was once considered involuntary processes such as heart rate and blood pressure that increase under stress. The machine "feeds back" the efforts and eventually you can recognize and control facets of the stress response by yourself.
There are several different types of biofeedback machines which can provide information about the systems in your body that are affected by stress.
Electro dermal EDA Biofeedback
Mind Alive’s EDA BioscanTM measures small electrical changes in your skin conductance, known as electro dermal activity (EDA) which changes when you react to anxiety and stressful thoughts.
With your order of a David, Oasis or Bioscan from Mind Alive, Ask for your FREE TAPE “Everything you wanted to know about Light & Sound Stimulation” Write FREE tape in comments box or it won’t be included with your order.
The EDA BioscanTM measures your immediate stress response, known as state anxiety, but it also tells you about your overall stress, known as trait anxiety. By taking note of your trait anxiety reading, you can tell on a day-to-day basis if are becoming more relaxed or more anxious.
When the electrodes pick up on muscle tension, the machine gives you a signal. As you become more aware of this internal process, you will begin to recognize in your daily life when tension starts to build. You then can use the techniques you learn in the biofeedback training to control the tension before it gets worse or causes other physical problems.
It comes complete with a comprehensive Operator's Manual which includes many fun exercises to practice and demonstrate electro dermal activity and biofeedback.
Using the EDA BioscanTM with any of the DAVID and PAL products, you can actually hear your stress melt away as the pulsing lights and tones of the DAVID massage your mind.
The brain emits many electrical signals of various frequencies.
Classification of brain waves are:
- Beta (normal consciousness)
- Alpha (light relaxation)
- Theta (light sleep)
- Delta (deep sleep)
Measure Brainwave Biofeedback
The ABT BioscanTM measures small electrical brainwave signals. Your alpha brainwaves, in particular, are idling rhythms that occur primarily when your eyes are closed and your mind is completely free of thoughts.
The moment we open our eyes, our brain begins processing visual information and the alpha brainwaves suppress. When we engage in reading or math, or any task that requires concentration, our alpha brainwaves suppress even more. There is a brainwave "signature" for every type of activity we choose to do. However, there are times when our brainwaves don't work well for what we want to achieve. For instance, people who don't make alpha brainwaves (and theta brainwaves) when their eyes are closed, typically have insomnia. People who make a lot of alpha (or theta) brainwaves when they are trying to read or pay attention are "foggy-headed" and they cannot focus their attention on the task they are trying to do. Most people do not understand what it means to totally pay attention or to totally let go into meditative bliss.
The key to optimal functioning is FLEXIBILITY. The ABT BioscanTM easily helps to train the user to learn to "shift state". Within a few training sessions you will learn to change back and forth from intense focus to deep meditation in mere seconds. The ABT BioscanTM can help you become aware of thoughts that cause you to feel stressed, so that you can learn to manage these potentially destructive thoughts.
The ABT BioscanTM helps reduce the symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and attention deficit disorders (ADD) and improves relaxation and meditation by reading brainwaves in the theta, mid-alpha and SMR/low beta brainwave bands. The ABT BioscanTM may be used at home in bed, while reading, or while listening to pre-recorded material (waterfalls, lectures, or various situations where the user has trouble relaxing or paying attention)..
FREE tape "Everything you wanted to know about Light & Sound Stimulation”
Remember to ask for it in comments box when ordering equipment from Mind Alive or it won’t be included with your order.
Biofeedback is most effective when you combine it with other relaxation techniques such as self hypnotism, meditation or visualization.
Biofeedback therapy is not recommended for persons with severe psychosis, depression, obsession neurosis, or those with psychopathic personalities. It is dangerous for diabetics and others with endocrine disorders, as it can change the need for insulin and other medications. Please check with your doctor to see whether this is an appropriate treatment for you.
