Why You Should Be Exercising Your Brainwaves

How five wondrous waves work together to balance a healthy brain and body.

Inside your beautiful skull, synchronized electrical pulses, passing en masse between neurons, create a spectrum of brain waves, each frequency responsible for its own function. While all five frequencies work in tandem, a resilient mind requires balance and flexibility to shift smoothly between functions: master this ability by practicing mindfulness, meditation and neurofeedback training. 

Delta 

Slow and steady, appearing in deep meditative states and dreamless sleep to stimulate essential healing and regeneration processes.

Theta

These waves are to thank for those vivid images you see in the brief moments between sleep and waking. They are the gateway to our memory and learning, but overproduction during waking hours has been linked to disorders like depression and PTSD.

Why You Should Be Exercising Your Brain Waves - Vancouver Magazine

Alpha 

Occur in resting states when the eyes are closed and the mind is quiet. They support mental well-being, learning and anxiety relief.

Beta

Dominate cognitive tasks and are tied to mental stability. Running on high Beta frequencies for an extended period can lead to anxiety and burnout.

Gamma

Run at the highest frequency and are tied to information processing, self awareness and states of heightened consciousness. They can act as a mental antidepressant but can only be accessed properly when the mind is quiet.


Check back for more from VanMag‘s 25 Ways to Live Forever package (our March 2017 cover story!) to learn about the myriad ways—blood transfusions, juice cleanses, IV drips—Vancouverites chase the dream of eternal youth.