Biofeedback is a technique you can use to learn to control your body’s functions, such as your heart rate. With biofeedback, you’re connected to electrical sensors that help you receive information (feedback) about your body (bio). This feedback helps you focus on making subtle changes in your body, such as relaxing certain muscles, to achieve the results you want, such as reducing pain.
Biofeedback Devices
Biofeedback devices are devices that give feedback regarding our biology. As a broad generalization, MRI’s, X-rays, PET’s, EKG’s, EEG’s, and even simple thermometers can all be considered biofeedback devices because they all provide information about the state of our bodily workings. Different
biofeedback devices measure different things, with some examples being blood pressure, temperature, muscle tension, heart rate, and sweating.
More traditionally though, the term “biofeedback device” is usually used to describe equipment that shows in real-time, as it’s happening, the physiological effects of our thoughts, emotions, attitudes, perceptions, and mental processes.
In essence, biofeedback and laughter gives you the power to use your thoughts to control your body, often to help with a health condition or physical performance. Biofeedback is often used as a relaxation technique. Laughter is a form of meditation.
Why it’s done
Biofeedback, sometimes called biofeedback training, and laughter is used to help manage many physical and mental health issues, including:
• Anxiety or stress
• Asthma
• Chemotherapy side effects
• Chronic pain
• Constipation
• High blood pressure
• Incontinence
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Raynaud’s disease (Efamol Evening Primrose Oil, from my last newsletter)
Biofeedback and laughter appeals to people for a variety of reasons:
• non-invasive.
• reduce or eliminate the need for medications.
• alternative treatment for those who can’t tolerate medications.
• option when medications haven’t worked well.
• alternative to medications for some conditions during pregnancy.
• helps people take charge of their health.
Laughter Yoga is a physical exercise that increases oxygen in the body, brain and blood. Laughter balances both carbon dioxide and oxygen levels.
When you have an oxygenated body, including the brain and your blood, disease cannot exist.
When you are laughing you are in the moment. Nothing else matters. Your body recognizes the fact you are happy, (even if it is fake laughter), it starts releasing neurotransmitters such as endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, cortisol, estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, human growth hormone, and nitric oxide.
Incorporating laughter into your daily regime throughout the day is going to help you to take charge of your health, and it’s available to you 24/7.
The difference between biofeedback and laughter is in laughter yoga you are not connected to electrical sensors, you are connected to your child-like spirit.
Take back control of your life and laugh for no other reason than great health, joy, and happiness.
Yours in love, abundance and laughter,
Kathryn
Reference: Biofeedback information from the Mayo Clinic Staff