Biofeedback

What is Biofeedback?

Biofeedback is a behavioral approach.

It is a technique that teaches us to modify body functions that we usually consider involuntarily – such as heart rate, blood flow, brain waves, breathing, body temperature and digestion. By controlling these functions through self- regulation and self-control, you become actively involved into staying healthy and avoiding becoming a slave to your pain and discomforts.

Stress, habits. lifestyle and environment are factors other than germs that can cause illness. Behavioral medicine, which includes biofeedback, is a fairly new branch of modern medical science, dating back to the late 1970s, and aims to improve your health and wellbeing through certain techniques.

How does it work?

Modern electronic equipment is used to monitor internal processes and bodily functions and display them as visual or auditory information. Heart math specifically uses an electrode that is placed onto the skin of your ear, to monitor your heart rate and breathing. Then this information is being displayed into the biofeedback software and therefore gives you feedback regarding those bodily functions being monitored. Then following the instructions of a trained therapist, the client learns techniques, such as meditation, deep breathing, relaxation or visualization, to alter and control those bodily functions.

Why biofeedback is better than simple breath work/ meditation?

Feedback is a gift. Without feedback you are not sure whether what you are doing is working or not. Over time through the process of association, you can gradually learn to link those internal body cues to external biofeedback cues.

With practice and the feedback from the computer-based instruments, you can learn to gain control over the practiced bodily function and self – regulate it until eventually you no longer need the biofeedback equipment as a guiding tool. As with any new skill, practice is critical to mastery and the more you practice the more adept you become. Therefore, biofeedback works a lot faster than simply engaging to meditation or breathing exercises where you aren’t aware of your progress. Also, biofeedback soft wares have different levels of difficulty so reaching the most challenging level and being able to regulate your bodily functions at that level of difficulty means you have mastered this skill. Therefore, you will be likely to self-regulate your bodily functions anywhere anytime.