I'd like to talk to you about the alpha brainwaves and how accessing this alpha brainwave state can be a powerful tool in managing feelings of overwhelm and stress.
So let's begin with some foundational knowledge to understand what brainwaves are and the benefits and how we can tap into this state to improve our well-being.
So alpha brainwaves are a type of brainwave pattern which is between a certain number of hertz,
You don't need to know them,
But it's 8 to 12 hertz.
And this particular frequency,
This particular brainwave pattern,
Frequency between 8 and 12,
Is associated with a state of relaxed alertness.
So you have that sense of feeling calm and peaceful but yet still fully present and aware.
If you've been to a yoga class and the relaxation at the end,
Often called yoga nidra,
You often enter a state of where you feel very relaxed but yet you're still aware of the room you're in of your body,
But yet you're very relaxed too.
And you can access this state at the end of,
Well during or at the end of massages too,
You'll access in that deeper state.
So when you're in alpha state,
We can experience that sense of relaxation.
The alpha waves help the body to relax deeply,
Reduce stress and create that sense of calm.
It can help to enhance our creativity.
And sometimes when we go and relax,
We can then come up with ideas.
Lots of my ideas come up in alpha,
Which is also the time when you just wake up in the morning,
Have lots of ideas come then.
I'm writing them down,
First thing in the morning,
Ideas for meditation.
So what are the benefits of accessing this alpha state?
So it helps to reduce our stress.
It lowers our stress levels.
So that's the cortisol levels in the body.
It can help with emotional regulation.
So it can help manage and release overwhelming emotions.
And it helps also with brain performance.
You're more likely to retain information and process new learning more effectively,
Rather than if you're in a more stressful state of mind.
So how can we access these alpha states?
We can do mindful breathing.
So we can just focus on our breath.
With mindfulness,
We don't often change the breath.
We're just focusing on the breath.
And as you focus on the breath,
Mindfulness is really being aware of each and every moment,
But not necessarily changing that moment,
Just being aware of it.
So we're aware of our breath flowing in,
And we're aware of the breath flowing out.
We might begin to notice the change of temperature between the breath in and the breath out.
We might begin to notice how the body moves.
Do we feel the breath more in our chest,
Our ribs,
Or the belly area as you breathe?
Another way is to do a body scan,
Which often comes from mindfulness too.
And it's also part of yoga nidra,
Which is a relaxation.
At the end of yoga classes,
You start with a body scan,
And then there's other steps.
So you're focusing on your head,
Your neck,
Your shoulders,
The arms,
The hands,
The fingers,
And the thumbs.
Awareness of the back of the body,
The pelvis area,
The upper legs,
Knees,
Lower leg,
Ankles,
Feet,
And toes.
So the body scan brings us into our body,
So it helps to take us away from the active thought.
Another way,
Which I really like,
As well as guided visualization.
So imagine being in a peaceful,
Calming place.
It might be a beach,
A woodland,
A serene landscape.
And if you're in nature and you're viewing a landscape,
It can be really relaxing,
Taking you into the alpha state.
And you can also use brainwave entrainment.
So these are sine frequencies.
Some are called binaural beats,
And they help to synchronize your brainwaves.
To the alpha range.
So just remember to access the alpha state.
It can help to reduce your stress.
And the more you practice,
The better you get at it.
And you can begin to allow that alpha state.
It's easier to get into.
The more and more you practice meditation,
The easier it's to become.
Imagine you're walking through a field of long grass.
The pathway is not very clear.
You've kind of got to find your way through.
But the more and more times you do it,
That path becomes clearer and clearer,
So then it's easier to access.
So I hope that gives you a little bit of an understanding now how alpha brainwaves can help to support you in managing overwhelm and stress.
And to create awareness in ourselves.
