Brain Gym

Why Meditation Practice and Neurofeedback?

Many people in Western societies express an interest and motivation to meditate. However, for many it can often be quite difficult to maintain a disciplined and/or regular practice, for various reasons, ranging from a lack of time to general laziness. Technology assisted programs such as neurofeedback help individuals develop their meditation practice more rapidly. Methods such as neurofeedback incorporate real-time feedback of electro-encephalography (EEG) activity to teach self-regulation, and may be potentially used as an aid for meditation.

Neurofeedback is a kind of biofeedback, which teaches self-control of brain functions to individuals by measuring brain waves and providing a feedback signal. Neurofeedback usually provides audio and/or video feedback. Positive or negative feedback is produced for desirable or undesirable brain activities, respectively. During this process, the individual becomes aware of the changes occurring during training and will be able to assess his/her progress in order to achieve optimum performance. For instance, the subject tries to improve the brain patterns based on the changes that occur in the sound or image.

The alpha wave of the brain is usually associated with alert relaxation (Evans & Abarbanel, 1999). The alpha mood is described as a calm and pleasant state. All alpha frequencies describe creative activity of the brain, so that it is used in the process of relaxation (relaxing the muscles), which eventually leads to sleep; The evidence shows that alpha waves increases during meditation.

Alpha training is usually used for the treatment of various diseases such as pain relief , reducing stress and anxiety, memory improvement, and improving mental performance. Alpha training is also used for meditation, sleep, reducing stress and anxiety, deep muscle relaxation, pain reduction, regulating breathing rate, and decreasing heart rate and blood pressure.

Individuals may find neurofeedback helpful, whether it is used as solo therapy or as part of a comprehensive treatment plan. Neurofeedback can help boost focus and overall brain health not only for individuals with depression and anxiety, but also in anyone who wants a natural way to optimize their brain. Neurofeedback helps you gain control of your brain waves through self-regulation, so you can achieve the desired brain state—whether the goal is to maintain concentration or to achieve a more relaxed state. The ability to achieve and maintain a certain state is key to optimizing your behavior and emotional health. It is also used as a method to enhance athletic or musical performance and to promote peak performance in the workplace. Neurofeedback has been used successfully to improve many conditions including, but not limited to:

• ADD/ADHD

• Addictions

• Anxiety/phobia

• Autism spectrum disorder

• Behavioral disorders

• Bipolar disorder

• Chronic pain

• Depression

• Headaches

• Memory problems

• Pain management

• PTSD

• Sleep problems

• Stress and related illnesses

Concentration, Coherence, and Attention : The Flowtime Headband

Relaxation and Meditation: The MUSE 2 Headband