Having Trouble Staying On Top Of Your Game?
Stress Messed Up Your Brain,
Now
You Need To
Tune Your Brain,
Tune Your Body COPING WITH STRESS IS HARD
Q: What does stress have to do with my brain?
Life used to be more simple. When our prehistoric ancestors saw movement in the tall grass, ther brains would send signals to go into a stress (fight or flight) mode, in order to respond rapidly. Their brains released stress hormones, increasing heart rate and respiration, dilating eyes to increase awareness and diverting blood from the digestive tract to arms and legs. The body was preparing to fight, or run very fast in the opposite direction. Then, when it was over, they could relax until the next time there was a crisis.
Carnivores in the tall grass are not a problem today, but there is plenty to fear. It's a lousy feeling that hits you right in your blood-deprived stomach. If anxiety persists due to war in Iraq, terrorists, bird flu, arctic melting, gas prices, or things closer to home like work, traffic, home life, or school, the brain switches to a long-term strategy.
The hypothalamus, which controls emotion, tells the adrenal cortex to release cortisol, another stress hormone that raises blood pressure and increases blood glucose levels, which then leads to depression.
People weren't meant to have crisis (stress)
responses all day long without breaks.
Yet, over time, life has become more difficult. There is traffic, work, cell phones, deadlines, soccer practice, school, mortgages, car payments, divorces, children, neighbors, bills, friends, enemies, family, family problems, drugs, Christmas, alcohol, debt, etc.
Statistics show that Americans work harder now than any other country in the world. Our work hours even beat out Japan. Maybe for some, attention is lagging not because of attention
deficit disorder but because of vacation deficit disorder. This now seems to go for men, women and children.
You may experience what people call, "brainfarts."
As expectations increase, the brain becomes overly stressed out and disregulated. (Disregulation is explained in the right column of this page.)
New findings from Harvard Medical School (4/2006) links cortisol levels directly to depression for the first time. You're being manipulated by your hypothalamus. You can try to persuade your brain that there are no tigers, or take antidepressants that boost serotonin, another hormone that constricts blood vessels, countering the cortisol.
However, you can also do neurofeedback and/or yoga, instead of taking medications with side effects.
A: Stress changes the brain and how it operates.
How did we use to deal with stress?
read more... 
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Neurofeedback:
Helps Tune (Regulate) Your Disregulated Brain!
Build
Brain Muscles,
Decrease
Brain Stress
Explaining Neurofeedback-
The Who, What, Where, When, How and Why's..
What exactly is neurofeedback?
If you are having problems with any of the 10 problems mentioned above, then you are most likely having a problem with your brain's regulation. Neurofeedback addresses problems of brain disregulation.
The neurofeedback practitioner works with the client's disregulated brain and together they both train the brain to be regulated with the use of a computer and a machine that reads brainwaves.
Another way of looking at the process, is that the client is taking their lazy or stressed out brain to a brain gym and they are working with a personal trainer to build their brain to become strong and healthy.
You would work out or train your body muscles if you wanted to have a fit body, but do you put as much effort into training your brain? You have to train to keep the brain regulated.
The disregulated problems of the brain include the spectrum of:
anxiety-depression disorders,
attention deficit disorders, behavior disorders, various sleep disorders, headaches, migraines, pain, PMS, and
emotional disturbances.
It is also useful for organic brain conditions such as:
seizures, the autism spectrum, and cerebral palsy.
Neurofeedback and How The Brain Works
Neurofeedback addresses problems of brain disregulation.
Each lobe of the brain serves different functions. Different emotional and/or physical problems can be treated according to the region they center in. The practitioner will know what to do based on the issues that you discussed in your intake.
Your neurofeedback practitioner works with the areas that are causing the identified issues.
The electrodes are placed in the areas needed.
The reward frequency (frequency of the beep and the movement of the picture on the screen) is adjusted to serve your need of over or under arousal, instabilities, and habits and fears. For example, anxiety is overarousal, and depression is underarousal.
The practitioner works with the control of the arousal for each person's brain instabilities and disregulation.
If you are interested in trying neurofeedback, you should call and schedule an intake, prior to starting our program.
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Who can benefit from neurofeedback?
Neurofeedback helps anyone stabilize and normalize their
brain function.
Our clinical experience covers
a broad range of symptoms including. but not limited to:
anxiety, depression, panic disorders,
ADD and hyperactivity,
conduct problems,
tics and obsessive compulsive,
mood swings,
sleep problems,
migraine headaches and chronic pain
seizures, stroke,
traumatic brain injury,
autism and developmental disorders, and other dysfunctions that affect emotional and physical well-being.
Most people have the capacity
to perform at higher levels of effectiveness, and we are dedicated to helping our clients attain their maximum potential.
However, neurofeedback isn't
just for problems!
NASA has used it for years on their pilots to increase their concentration and help them achieve their maximum potential!
If NASA uses it, imagine what it can do for you at home, work, or school? You can get an edge
on the competition.
How and Where is Neurofeedback Done?
The process is very simple and relaxing, and there are NO side effects compared to medication.
(see medication safety issues page for medication side effect details) read more... 
The Neurofeedback
Process:
10 Easy to Explain Steps
1. You sit in a comfy leather chair.
2.You get a blanket, if you desire.
3. We then apply wires with some conductivepaste to the scalp to listen in on brainwave activity. You will not experience any pain.
4. We process the signal by
computer, and your EEG
brainwaves are sent to the
computer.
5. You are able to see and
hear your own brainwave movement as we show the movement of brain activity back to the person on a flat panel computer screen.
6. As you watch the pictures on the screen, your brain will subconsciously will work through the sights and the sounds to change the movement and the sounds to
a consistent relaxed brainwave pattern, which leads the person to regulate their own brain activity through the sound and sight of the movement.
You don't have to worry about a thing, the technician does all of the work.
We present this information to the person with calming, relaxing music to help the time go by faster, and also relax you at the same time.
7. We present the visuals
in the form of a video game or
short video movie or moving visuals, The person is effectively playing the video game or watching the video and making the movements on the screen with his or her brain controlling the movement. The more relaxed the person is, the more the movement flows easily.
8. For the children (and adults) who might want more excitement for the 30 minutes,
we also have Game Cube and PlayStation neurofeedback ability.
9. Eventually the brainwave activity is "shaped" toward a more desirable, more regulated performance. The frequencies
we target, and the specific
locations on the scalp where
we listen in on the brain, are
specific to the conditions we are trying to address, and specific to
the individual.
It is the experience of the technician which helps to determine what is needed.
10. We remove the wires, and you are free to leave until your next appointment! Don't forget your snack!
When and How Long
Does It Take?
Session time is 45 minutes. The actual painless process takes 30 minutes long. At the end, we will offer you a snack.
The neurofeedback is done in a very comforting, relaxed environment, in a warm and home-style designed room
with state of the art technology.
The process can be done as often as desired on a weekly
basis.
The desired amount of
times varies per person, but on
the whole, we are looking at
about 20-40 sessions to regulate the person's disregulated brain issues.
The sessions can be
done as many times in a week
that the technician and client
feel is acceptable.
Combined with a yoga program, the client can finish in as little as 10 weeks, if desired or longer, depending on the amount of weekly visits.
There is a home maintenance program that can be set up for
each individual.
Booster sessions during the year can be arranged, according to the needs of the individual.
read more about our
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that will encourage you go to BrainBoosterPlus!
