Blooming Brains
202-1651 Commercial Drive V5L 3Y3 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Neurofeedback as a resource for Parkinson's:

"Your brain is not for thinking"! Great ideas here about the body/brain connection and the 'brain budget'... https://www.nytimes.com//o/brain-neuroscience-stress.html

Our brains are wired to detect threat and to seek safety. It can feel pretty threatening to not be able to know for sure whether something is safe or not - we like to feel we can predict and control. The pandemic brings a lot of uncertainty. More:

Ever had a ‘gut feeling’?

An excellent explanation of the SSP made by a colleague in the US:

This is an oldie but goodie explanation about NeurOptimal Neurofeedback, made by my esteemed colleague Jean Alvarez at Lake Erie Brain Performance Institute. https://youtu.be/WYRGyGg7Cv8

We may think we’re being scientists, but we’re actually being lawyers. This is a longer read and a fascinating look at how our brains can fool us into thinking we are being objective when we actually are likely to be interpreting data based on emotion, bias, and values.

Have you tried this exercise to help calm your system? It's called the Basic Exercise, developed by Stanley Rosenberg:

Like listening to Podcasts? Here’s a great one from The Science of Psychotherapy interviewing Sebern Fisher about Neurofeedback:

Dear community, We want you to know that we at East Vancouver Counselling and Blooming Brains stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, Idle No More, and ot...her local and international racial justice movements. We acknowledge that in Canada we are not immune to the problems of systemic racism, white supremacy, historical oppression, and police brutality and we felt it was important that we make a statement about this because we cannot allow silence to imply ambivalence on this critically important issue. As an organization, we support individuals, couples and families in their mental health and personal growth journeys, and in this way our goals and values are inseparably tied to the rights of all persons to security, health and freedom. We recognize that systemic racism and discrimination is woven into every aspect of society and profoundly impacts our clients’ and community’s mental health, emotional wellbeing, and nervous system health. It is our individual and collective responsibility to ensure that we continue to educate ourselves about the best ways to support people through these challenges and work to eliminate systemic racism in our organization and community. We are aware this work is ongoing. We commit to listening and learning from BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour) communities who are the experts in what their communities need. Feedback is key to our ability to recognize and repair our inevitable and often unaware collusion with systemic racism and we welcome and value opportunities to recognize when we have made mistakes. We understand that it is our job to be humble, listen, and do better. In solidarity and with love, The East Vancouver Counselling and Blooming Brains Teams

Having trouble getting things done these days? These stressful times can be particularly challenging for folks who have attention issues:

Kindness and compassion are good for your health:

A good description here of the ‘freeze’ response:

The science of stress is starting to become more clear:

We've had lots of inquiries lately about the Safe and Sound Protocol, so here's a video explaining a bit more about it and how you can easily access it from home:

INTEROCEPTION EXPLAINED Interoception is considered the eighth sense and deals with the internal state of the body. Image credit of human body to Tahir Zaman on pngtree.

Good news for those of us who have picked up an online yoga class while staying at home:

Fix it, brain. Credit: The Awkward Yeti - Nick Seluk

Are you feeling tired, foggy, easily overwhelmed? Don’t be self-critical - given what is going on that is an adaptive response:

Fascinating information about the impact of stress on the developing brain:

Have you been wondering if some of those theories we’ve all been hearing might actually be true? Might be time to check in deeply with your values and find a way to connect to your tribe:

Feeling low in energy? Not motivated to learn a new skill these days?

Timely article with user-friendly information on your vagal system to give yourself a "break" from hyperactivation. And nice to see colleague Ruth Lanius, MD, P...hD cited in this piece: ..."This activation can have a snowball effect. Dr. Ruth Lanius, professor of psychiatry and director of the post-traumatic stress disorder research unit at the University of Western Ontario, says activating the ventral vagus nerve also activates the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that deals with logic. Calming yourself allows you to think clearly and process your difficult circumstances which will further resolve stress. Through the ventral vagal network, you can limit the effects of stress and prevent dissociation. Here’s a four-step plan to activate it and regain a sense of calm when the threat of Covid-19 is overwhelming you."

Wow - terrific little story describing the journey through trying 3 different approaches to Neurofeedback. Thanks Olga Ward from Beaverton Neurofeedback!

It’s Amanda here. I am sharing these Simple & Powerful Wellness Tools because I want to help during Covid19. I did not come up with them, they have been tried and tested by others, but I use them with clients and personally to get power back from anxiety and stress. I hope they help you too.

How is this relevant, you might wonder? Well, besides it just being really fun to watch rats driving tiny cars, this experiment suggests that learning a complex task could help with stress hormone levels.

The value of community has never been greater. Thanks to everyone who has 'liked' our page and joined our community!The value of community has never been greater. Thanks to everyone who has 'liked' our page and joined our community!

Checking in: how are things with Covid-19 where you are, and what information/supports are you looking for these days?Checking in: how are things with Covid-19 where you are, and what information/supports are you looking for these days?

Helpful video by Dr Russ Harris, with practical tips for dealing with anxiety in these times.

We regret to announce that we have temporarily closed our offices for ‘in house’ service. We will revisit this decision on a weekly basis after March 30th. In the meantime, we are seeing an increased demand for our rental systems, both for Neurofeedback and for SSP systems, and we will also now offer a weekly rental option. Contact us for more details!

Important info for anyone with anxiety:

First responders: you don’t need to suffer alone with PTSD. Try Neurofeedback. We offer discounted rates for First Responders for in house sessions.

A terrific interview with Angela Martinucci who began Neurofeedback after her cancer diagnosis:

This is amazing. What an incredible mind Michelangelo had!

While I agree that a LOT of how we feel comes from the first brain (in the head), there is no mention in this post for the second brain (the gut). However, havi...ng positive relationships, empathy, compassion, art expression, laughter, sports, and movement, talking - and a lot more - also changes the brain. See more

Sorry, soccer fans.

Hold your babies, people!! Preferably #standing up, as far as the child is concerned... and much to the dismay of tired parents around the world who are exasper...ated at an infant’s insistence at holding them standing. A study by Esposito et al. (2013), published in the Journal of Current Biology, demonstrated for the first time that the #infant calming response to parents holding them is a coordinated set of central, motor, and cardiac regulations and is a conserved component of parent-infant interactions in mammals. Using electrocardiograms (ECG) to monitor twelve healthy human infants’ heartbeats, along with their behaviour and vocalisations, they recorded mother-infant pairs during behavioural tasks that consisted of the child lying in a crib, being held by the mother who was sitting on a chair (#holding), or being held by the mother who was walking continuously (#carrying). The researchers found a sustained elevation of heart interbeat intervals due to carrying in awake infants could not be explained by any known cardiac vagal reflex, including the orienting reflex (brief period of heart rate deceleration by mild sensory stimulus), suggesting that carrying evokes a sustained heart rate reduction in concert with the rapid behavioural changes in human infants via a novel mechanism. The researchers furthermore found that in mouse pups, carrying induced calming responses similar to those in human infants, even though maternal carrying methods differed. This draws parallels between the carrying-induced #calm state evoked in human babies and other mammalian young such as cats or squirrels who adopt a still, compact posture with their hind legs drawn up when maternally carried. The reduced mobility, reduced distress vocalisations, and reduced heart rate appears to be adaptive. The calming responses evoked by carrying are thought to be an evolutionary measure to increase the survival probability of the infant in cases of emergency escape by the mother and child, and so ultimately works to strengthen the mother-infant relationship. There is adaptive value in this behaviour in carer-infant relationships and, as a consequence, infant survival. The study found that the effects of carrying on the infant’s parasympathetic nervous system were significant, and it provides a scientific understanding of this physiological infant response that could be beneficial for parents and early childhood educators to understand. Considering the physiological response of the infant when being carried may lead to greater parent and carer patience, reduced frustration and an increased appreciation of age-old parenting techniques such as #babywearing and #responsive parenting. https://www.cell.com/current-biology//S0960-9822(13)00343-6 #neurochild #childdevelopment #earlychildhood #attachment #fightflightfreeze

Curious about what Neurofeedback is and how it works? Check out this excellent foundational webinar from my colleague Nikki at Serenity Neurofeedback:

A great description of the experience of using the Safe and Sound Protocol for complex trauma and anxiety - it rings true to what we are seeing in our clinic as outcomes. Contact us for more info!

This is fabulous:

We're working on a new series called Brain Trust about concussions and traumatic brain injuries. Have an experience to share? Get in touch by Monday, Feb. 10.

Amanda gets her brain ready for an awesome day at the Wellness Show! #vancouverwellnessshow #bloomingbrains

Come see us at booth 502! Try a Demo Neurofeedback session!

Our clients are reporting amazing outcomes using the SSP! Things like: ‘I haven’t had a panic attack since I started this’, ‘I slept so much better’ ‘My digestive distress is happening much less frequently’... So grateful to be able to offer this amazing technology for our clients and so excited to see such amazing outcomes!

Come see us at the Wellness Show this weekend at booth 502 for FREE Neurofeedback demonstration sessions, information about our range of services, and enter to win one of 5 free Neurofeedback sessions!

It's worth taking a few minutes to watch this candid conversation between two Dr's, one is a Neuroscientist, as they discuss their reasons for choosing to use NeurOptimal(r) Neurofeedback in their practice vs other systems.

Bessel van der Kolk talks about how Neurofeedback impacts trauma:

We are so excited to now be offering the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) from ILS as part of the menu of options at Blooming Brains! This protocol can be referred to as an ‘Accoustic Vagal Nerve Stimulator’. Developed in part by Dr Stephen Porges, the SSP is a multi-day listening protocol (min 5 days) that has been found to help with a wide range of concerns including trauma, anxiety, depression, sensory processing concerns, hyper vigilance, sleep concerns and many other aspects related to sympathetic activation of the central nervous system. Information about how you can access and use the SSP will up on our website next week. If you’d like more info before then please message us!

Which is your favourite poem? Mine is ‘Wild Geese’ by Mary Oliver.

Merry Christmas to those of you who have a well developed ‘Christmas Network’!

The mother-child bond is so powerful!

"Our study strongly suggests that insufficient sleep amplifies levels of anxiety and, conversely, that deep sleep helps reduce such stress," said study lead author Eti Ben Simon in a statement.

NeurOptimal Personal System For Sale; contact has for details at [email protected]

For Sale: NeurOptimal Personal System for sale: Purchased new in 2018. Meticulously maintained under PASS Enterprise and lightly used. This unit includes everything needed to run your sessions:... - Surface Pro 4 with screen protector and protective case installed - zAmp - sensors - USB cable - power cord - audio extender cable - carry case - paste - 100 pre-loaded sessions. More sessions can be purchased and loaded onto the system to bring the costs down further. - license can be resold. $7000 CAD to purchase, or $70/session if no further sessions added. Willing to discuss a ‘rent to own’ options. Buyer pays license transfer fees (~$200). Contact Cynthia at Blooming Brains, 604-900-1861 or [email protected]

Oh, stop it brain. Credit: The Awkward Yeti

New research recognizing the impact of traumatic brain injury:

Have you seen this yet? The researcher concludes by encouraging people to think beyond diagnoses and consider other explanations of mental distress, such as trauma and other adverse life experiences.

Raising kids is far from easy, but knowing how the brain develops can make a real difference.