Neurofeedback allows you to create healthy brainwave states on demand. It’s used to treat a host of mental and physical disorders like anxiety, ADHD & more.
People have sought to refine and improve their mental processes for thousands of years through methods like yoga and meditation.
Now you can learn to train your brain with a technique known as neurofeedback.
Neurofeedback allows you greater control of your mind by teaching you how to bring about a preferred, healthier brainwave state at will.
It can help you be more relaxed, happy, and focused.
Moreover, it’s been proven beneficial for numerous mental health and stress-related conditions.
What Is Neurofeedback
Your body’s many systems are constantly responding to changes in your internal and external environments.
Functions like respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature are continually adjusted to keep you in a state of balance known as homeostasis.
Amazingly, your brain handles all of this subconsciously with no effort on your part.
Biofeedback is a mind-body technique that helps you >consciously achieve this balanced state.
It enables you to monitor what your body is doing by monitoring functions like heart rate, blood pressure, skin temperature, or muscle tension in real time.
With this information and some practice, you can then influence these functions to improve your ability to achieve and maintain homeostasis.
There are several types of biofeedback which differ according to the body metric being monitored.
In this article, we’re focusing on neurofeedback — a biofeedback technique that monitors brainwave patterns.
Neurofeedback is also known as neurotherapy, neurobiofeedback, or EEG biofeedback.
Neurofeedback: Training Your Brain Waves
To fully understand neurofeedback, you need a basic understanding of brain waves.
Your brain cells generate electricity to communicate with each other and this electrical activity forms patterns called brain waves.
They can be measured by electroencephalography (EEG), a non-invasive method of recording electrical activity using sensors on the scalp.
Scientists have found five main patterns of brain waves: alpha, beta, delta, gamma, and theta.
We normally cycle in and out of these different brainwave states throughout the day and night.
All brainwave states are essential but should be experienced appropriately — at certain times of day and for particular durations of time.
Neurofeedback teaches you to consciously control your brain waves to achieve a desired brainwave state when you want.
For example, alpha waves occur when you are relaxed.
Beta waves are associated with alertness, but when maintained too long lead to feelings of fear and anxiety.
So, if you are stressed and anxious, learning how to increase alpha waves while reducing beta wave activity might be your goal.
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