What is the Brain Spa?

BrainShape’s Brain Spa is a self-service room of high-technology, proven equipment to hack your brain, train your brain, relax your brain, and/or move your brain in to desired states, all in under 30 minutes.

It is intended to help people who do not have the time to commit to twice-weekly neurofeedback sessions, who do not have the budget to achieve all the benefits of neurofeedback training, or who want to make changes but just do not feel that neurofeedback is right for them. It is also for people who are in great shape brain-wise, but just want a tweak or need a band-aid session every now and then.

The Spa came about because I have spent a great deal of time, money, and energy sorting through the myriad of wearables and brain technology devices. I decided that the ones I have found and like ought to be shared with the public, and can be done in a way that is convenient and affordable.

Using the Brain Spa is easy, and the equipment is simple and straightforward to use. During your first session, Tamera or a representative of BrainShape will provide you with an orientation to show you how to use the gear and how to determine how much time you need on each device.

And, because the space is limited to one user at a time, you may have privacy, peace, and quiet (or sound! You may choose sound if you prefer).

Other features are intended to help create a spa-like environment. We have oils and sprays you may use to create an aromatherapy atmosphere, as well as prayer bowls, meditation chimes, and tuning forks to create sounds that help enhance your relaxation.

For those seeking focus, a portable brain training system called HEG is set up at a desk to create the proper environment for concentrating or learning a more relaxed focus. Those seeking relaxation have the choice of a comfortable, leather lounge chair or a massage table where they can use a set of goggles called AVE. Keep reading for more information about HEG and AVE.

Education is also good for the brain. The Brain Spa contains a lending library of books on brain-related topics: wellness, mental health and well-being, sleep, nutrition, etc. (These books are for educational purposes only and do not constitute medical or psychological advice from BrainShape.)

The Brain Spa’s Tools

near-infrared hemoencephalography (HEG)

One of our key devices is called near-infrared hemoencephalography (HEG for short). The HEG device consists of a headset and your choice of six brain games that meet your brain functioning where it is in the moment and works to improve functioning. HEG is a form of biofeedback for the brain that measures slight changes in blood oxygenation levels and rewards the brain for increased oxygenation. This, in turn, creates a cascade of good effects: ability to think and concentrate better, ability to calm oneself, etc. It does so by teaching two states: closed focus and open focus. Focus is just what you’d imagine it to be—the ability to concentrate on a fixed point/subject. Open focus is more of a letting-go state. Open focus helps the trainee to achieve a calm, meditative state.

If used consistently over time, HEG training can result in long-lasting, positive changes. If used less regularly, those changes may also become long-lasting, but it will take longer to achieve the same effect. Ideal usage would be twice a week, but even twice a month is better than no usage at all.

audio-visual entrainment (AVE)

Another device is called audio-visual entrainment (AVE for short). Where HEG and other neurofeedback devices gently teach the brain to reset itself, AVE pushes the brainwaves into different and better states.

The signature AVE device at BrainShape is a newer, digital version of a legacy, analog device called the Personal ROSHI, or pROSHI. The pROSHI is a portable, analog meditation device that uses flashing lights that pulse in an almost-random fashion, using the brain’s standard electrical frequencies. The inventor was a former MOTOWN engineer who wanted to improve his meditative practice, and the result was  one of the earliest and best AVE devices.

• An early user of the pROSHI once took the device to a monastery in Tibet. The monks were impressed and said that 30 minutes of using the pROSHI took them to a meditative state equivalent to THREE YEARS of consistent meditation practice. That’s the kind of power this device has.
• A pROSHI user/psychologist in California tried using the device with a dog that a veteran had brought home from the war in Afghanistan. The dog had what is believed to be the canine equivalent of PTSD. It tolerated wearing the pROSHI goggles and calmed significantly as a result.

We of course cannot claim that our newer, digital version of the pROSHI will give you the serenity of a Tibetan monk or the chill of a previously traumatized dog, but we can say that this device feels really good to use. It will serve as a form of meditation hack for you, calm your nervous system, and perhaps even help unwind the effects of a rough day.

This device requires starting out slowly. We will teach you how to determine whether it’s okay to use AVE for the full 30 minutes, or whether it’s best to build your usage slowly.

heart-rate variability (HRV)

Our third key tool is called heart-rate variability, or HRV. The Heart Math Foundation has done extensive research showing that the heart leads the brain when it comes to responding to the world around us. If one is stressed, it happens in the heart before the brain, and training the heart leads to reduced stress in the brain. Training to improve HRV improves something called coherence in the brain, and that, in turn, increases feelings of love, appreciation, and well-being. Ideally, HRV gets trained along with the brain, which is why we are offering it along with brain training in the Brain Spa.

Like our other devices, HRV is computer-based and simple to use. You’ll start to benefit from the very first session.

Brain Spa: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS