On Tuesday, we looked at the five different brain wave frequencies and at which state of consciousness and subconsciousness we experience them. Today, we’ll be discussing how they influence our physical and mental wellbeing, and the techniques available to allow you to switch between frequencies.
How Do Our Brainwaves Influence Us?
For most of us, our dominant brain wave is Beta, as we use this frequency when we’re awake and focused. The Beta brain wave helps us get through the day and logically make decisions. You can be in different stages of Beta depending on your actions, for example, if you’re teaching or in a deep conversation, you would be in Beta, however if you were giving a speech, you would be in high Beta.
If we spend all day being in Beta, going from one highly focused situation to the next, this can cause problems as you’re in a continual state of concentration, leading to muscle tension, high blood pressure, anxiety and exhaustion. Being in Beta for too long also doesn’t give you an opportunity to produce the all-important Alpha brain waves.
Alpha occurs in deep relaxation and these brain waves incidentally reduce anxiety and stress, therefore by operating largely in Beta, we’re not only stressing ourselves out, but also decreasing our minds natural capacity to deal with stress and anxiety. During Alpha, we’re relaxed, yet alert, and emotionally we feel pleasure and tranquility.
Alpha gives your mind and body a chance to relax, meaning it’s a great time to recharge your mind. It gives you the strength to deal with stress. Listening to meditation or learning audios during the Alpha states allows for deeper learning and is a time where you can come up with powerful and enlightened ideas.
Moving beyond consciousness and delving deeply into the subconscious mind is Theta brain waves, which are present while you’re dreaming and in deep meditation. While operating in Theta, you experience increased creativity, inspiration and have a connection to truth, inner strength and experience visualizations.
After Theta is Delta, which is only achieved during deep sleep. These brain waves are not necessary for daily functioning; they also connect you closer to the subconscious mind and even increase levels of empathy. Although being in Delta too much can leave you feeling emotionally drained and unfocused.
Which Frequency Is Best For Us?
All of the frequencies provide us with different benefits and negatives, therefore having a balance, as with anything in life, is the answer to a healthy functioning mind and body. Therefore the ability to switch between frequencies, drawing on their benefits is an incredibly powerful tool worth learning.
How Do You Switch Between Frequencies?
There are many methods available to help you switch between frequencies, including mental exercises, audio guides and meditation practices.
Mental exercises – there are some quick exercises you can do while at home or at work which can help you hone in on a particular frequency. With the exception of you closing your eyes, most of these visualization exercises that can be done without anyone else knowing. For example, to the stimulate Alpha brain waves, even holding your breath and paying attention to the sensation in your heart can induce relaxation.
Audio programs – there are many of these available on the market that can target specific brain waves. While some of them may seem time intensive (some suggest you listen to them for an hour everyday), the audios often have soothing rain sounds and subliminal affirmations. Some of them even give you the option to design your own affirmations once you pass the first level.
These kind of audio programs put you into a deep meditative state and guide you through the different frequencies so you can achieve the optimal benefit of each, in addition to balancing out the sides of your brain. They take your meditation one step further and for this reason, many people who have tried them end up adopting them as their daily meditation practice.
By learning more about our brain frequencies, and the benefits they have for our minds and overall wellbeing, we have an opportunity to further connect with our conscious and subconscious mind – helping us to relax when needed, tap into creativity and come up with enlightened ideas, in addition to help us deal with stress.
If you’ve been using a particular method to switch between frequencies, and have experienced a difference in your life, let us know. Would love to know if you’ve been feeling more energized, grounded, relaxed or happy?
