Understanding Biofeedback Training
In a nutshell, biofeedback is technology assisted
self-regulation training; that means biofeedback training helps you learn to take control of body functions that are typically not under volunatary control, like your body's stress response system.
Biofeedback works by measuring biological information, amplifying it, and "feeding it back" to you so you can see what's going on in your body and make healthful and positive changes.
Do you remember mood rings?
Mood rings were simple forms of biofeedback. The material in mood rings simply measured the temperature of your finger and provided you with feedback by changing color.
A gym machine that monitors your pulse rate is also biofeedback. The machine doesn't change your pulse, it provides biofeedback. You change your pulse rate by how hard you work.
That's self-regulation - the biofeedback doesn't actually do anything to you; it enables you to take active control of yourself.
When you participate in biofeedback training, I place sensors on your body to measure functions related to stress including heart rate, breathing rate, and muscle tension. Those sensors are connected to a computer that converts the information to visual and audio feedback displayed on the computer screen. When you're hooked up to the biofeedback sensors, you can see how your body responds to your thoughts, behavior or emotions, and you can become truly aware of the connection between mind and body.
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Many of the changes that the biofeedback equipment makes you aware of are subtle; you don't notice them without biofeedback, but they can profoundly impact your health and performance. During biofeedback training you use that awareness to learn to restore nervous system balance, control your symptoms and optimize your performance.
The skills that restore balance to our nervous systems may be deep breathing, relaxation, imagery, self-talk or any number of other proven mind/body approaches. Biofeedback shows you which mind/body strategies work best for you. Maybe that's why biofeedback has been called "electronic zen".
