High-tech Stress Relief
Biofeedback techniques have been used for decades to help athletes and other professionals enhance their performance through increased awareness of heart rate, breathing patterns, skin temperature, and muscle tension. Sometimes supplemented by the use of spoken word or visual supports, biofeedback is also a great way to learn relaxation and meditation skills that reduce stress levels. Now, you can enjoy the benefits without leaving your house. Two new home computer, based biofeedback systems offer ways to unwind and learn new tools for incorporating relaxation lessons into your daily life.
Endorsed by leading health gurus Dean Ornish, Deepak Chopra, and Andrew Weil, Healing Rhythms' Wild Divine Project is a fifteen-part program that coaches you through meditation, breathwork, and visualization to develop deep awareness and an enhanced mind-body connection. Fingertip sensors connected to software on your computer allow you to monitor and measure changes as they occur. (www.wilddivine.com) Less in-depth, but simpler to use, Emwave Personal Stress Reliever by HeartMath, is a small, handheld device that monitors your pulse. It's accompanied by a computer program that guides you through breathwork, while registering decreases in stress levels and heart rate via color-coded displays. (www.heartmath.com)
