We are energy. You, me, and everyone around us. Sometimes, it’s a struggle to embrace and fully live into this idea.
How do we escape the grind and step into flow state? What does flow mean for you, your performance and your ability to stay sane? First, it is vitally important that we understand the inner workings of what makes us human.
The brain and body are intricate energy systems designed for survival.
The human brain is made up of billions of cells called neurons that communicate with each other via electrical signals. The electrical pulses produced from masses of neurons communicating with each other form wave-like patterns – hence the term “brain wave.” The magical thing about these brain waves is that they actually change according to what we’re doing and feeling. Slower (or less frequent) brain waves occur when we feel tired, slow, sluggish or dreamy. Faster (or more frequent) brain waves when we feel wound-up, wired or hyper-alert.
Infra-low Brain Waves
Infra-low brain waves are a crucial part of our higher brain functions. Very little is known about infra-low brain waves because they are difficult to detect and accurately measure. However, one thing scientists do know is that they appear to play a major role in brain timing and network function.
Delta: Deep Sleep, Healing, Anti-aging
The lowest brain-wave levels, human brains emit delta brain waves during our deepest meditative states, in dreamless deep sleep, during times of healing and also during feelings of empathy.
The thinking brain—the neocortex, or conscious mind—is operating at very low levels at this point. We need deep restorative sleep to help the body’s systems repair. Constant stress, alerts going off on your phone next to your bed or caffeine in the system can disrupt our ability to get adequate delta phase sleep, an element of rest that is vitally important to overall well-being and alertness.
Theta. Deep Relaxation, Meditation and Creativity
Theta brain waves demonstrate slightly higher EEG patterns than delta brain waves and are produced during very deep meditation or extreme relaxation. Also, theta brain waves occur in the brain when we are primarily connected to our sacred internal world or to our subconscious intuition. This is because we use little cognitive thinking when in those modes of being. It’s where we hold our “stuff,” our fears and traumas, and those occur deep within.
Alpha: Relaxed Focus, Stress Reduction, Positive Thinking, Fast Learning
Alpha is the resting state for the brain and occurs when we are “present” in the world, or when we are not processing much information and in meditative states. In studies, alpha activity has been linked to a reduction in stress, anxiety, discomfort and pain.
Beta: Active, Problem Solving, Cognitive Thinking
Beta brain waves are what we produce during our daily lives as we think, judge, analyze and problem solve. Beta is a ‘fast’ activity, and as such, beta brain waves are further divided into three bands:
Lo-Beta (Beta1, 12-15Hz): This band is thought of as a “fast idle”
Beta (Beta2, 15-22Hz): A band of high engagement; actively figuring something out
Hi-Beta (Beta3, 22-38Hz): This is the “get shit done” mode! While we accomplish a lot, this emergency mode takes a lot of energy that is not sustainable. That is the reason why highly complex thought, high anxiety, or excitement does not last for too long. Hi-beta is the most reactive, unstable and volatile of all brain patterns. When hi-beta becomes chronic and uncontrolled, the brain gets hyped up for too long beyond the healthy range for your hormones. This impacts your metabolism, and changes your ability to deox/repair. Long-term hi-beta activity produces an unhealthy cocktail of stress chemicals, which can tip the brain out of balance.
Gamma: High-level Cognition, Memory Recall, Peak Awareness
The fastest documented brain-wave frequencies are gamma waves, usually linked to elevated states of mind such as happiness, compassion, states of universal love, altruism and even increased awareness. Gamma wave activity puts the brain and body into a coherent and fluid state.
The Goal
Unfortunately, many people spend their waking days in a sustained high-frequency beta state.
To them, everything is an emergency.
The brain, while in hi-beta, can’t easily shift gears and this taxes entire system. It sends incoherent energy signals throughout the body and stresses. Us. Out!
The opposite is to create coherence in the body.
Coherence is one of the four training methods we offer in our Performance-Based Mindfulness programs and you can try it here
Coherence means that messages that travel from the brain to the body through the spinal cord will produce synchronized signals for a balanced, healthy body. Our programs provide unique training so it is easier to slip into a state of alpha or theta, where relaxation and deep levels of calmness occur.
This means you will go from a hi-beta emergency protection mode (fight/flight) to the internal protection system for growth and repair. This orderly, new, synchronized signal to the body from the brain organizes all of the diverse systems into homeostasis—the cardiovascular system, digestive system, immune system, and so on all move into coherence as well.
After all, coherence occurs when the brain and body are working in full harmony. As the body relaxes, your brain-wave patterns will naturally begin to move to alpha, where the brain shifts from overwhelm, anxiety and survival to thoughts that are more present, creative and simple.
Your body experiences health and well-being. Your mind experiences clarity, focus and calmness.
This is the natural state of being we are meant to live by.
As the nervous system recalibrates itself, all of the enormous energy that was needed for survival can now be used for a seamless state of “flow.”
Why Flow Is Important
Most of us believe and live by The Myth’s. Unfortunately, this leads us to wasting our time
…and energy.
It’s time to get out of the grind and into the flow!
The grind consists of living in a constant hi-beta state and the constant grind is extremely undesirable.
These incoherent brain waves correlate with tics, obsessive-compulsive disorder, aggressive behavior, rage, panic attacks, bipolar disorder, migraines, diabetes, hypoglycaemia and explosive behavior.
Not exactly what I’d put on my LinkedIn profile.
Through our training, you will learn Performance-Based Mindfulness techniques that will allow you to seamlessly place yourself into a state of coherence. You will improve your performance and well-being by becoming more present. You will learn to observe when you are analyzing or thinking too much in beta, and develop the ability to return to alpha and theta states ASAP.
We know we can’t control the world around us.
But one thing we have ever-lasting and complete control over is our reactions to the world.
With our training, you will gain the ability to become aware of your state and through this, control your reaction to the external world. Contact us today to find out more about our life-changing programs.
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