Entrain Your Brain to Alpha

I love entrainment!

Ever since I began understanding entrainment, I've noticed its presence everywhere, particularly recognising its significance in childbirth and motherhood.

What is Entrainment?

In 1666, Dutch physicist Christian Huygens, who invented the pendulum clock, observed that the pendulums of two clocks mounted on the same wall synchronised. This observation led to the coining of the term "entrainment."

“Entrainment involves the ability of the more powerful rhythmic vibrations of one object to change the less powerful rhythmic vibrations of another object and cause them to synchronise their rhythms with the first object. Through sound it is possible to change the rhythms of our brainwaves, as well as our heartbeat and respiration.”  

Jonathon Goldman, Resonant Sounds

Examples of Entrainment:

• women living together and their menstrual cycles synchronise.

• talking to someone who is anxious...you start to feel anxious.

• talking to someone who is very relaxed (monk / swami) brings you into a state of relaxation.

• listening to fast fitness music and you exercise for longer than if there was slow or no music.

• a baby’s heartbeat will synchronise to the slow steady beat of a lullaby being sung to them.

How Does Entrainment Affect YOU Before, During and After the Birth?

“When we utilize singing bowls or practice toning, the fine, harmonious vibration instantly entrains us to the frequency of our own essence.”  Dr Mitchell Gaynor

Here are some examples:

• Baby in the womb is being affected all the time by their mother’s rhythms… her heartbeat, her movements, her voice.

• Kangaroo care – preterm babies are encouraged to be held skin-to-skin with their mother (heartbeat to heart-beat).

• When you need to relax during labour, breastfeeding or settling your baby, listen to relaxing music.

• When you need more energy to cope with contractions or a long labour, feeling tired after broken sleep or carrying baby all day, listen to energising music.

• When using a crystal singing bowl you can entrain brain waves to the Alpha state.

• Toning to slow down breathing and entrain brainwaves to the Alpha state (see below).

Brain Waves and Sound Waves: The Connection

The realisation that brainwaves and sound waves are both measured in hertz, or cycles per second, was a lightbulb moment for me. Here's the reason: due to "entrainment," sound waves can shift our brainwaves into various states of consciousness. As Jonathan Goldman notes, these waves alter the rhythms of our brainwaves, heartbeat, and respiration. The implications are profound! With this knowledge, you can use sound to modify your state of consciousness to suit your needs, whether for work, creativity, childbirth, sleep, meditation, or even exercise at the gym.

Here are the four main brain wave states:

1. Beta Waves – from 14 - 20 hz. This is our normal waking state of consciousness where we are talking, thinking, doing ... our busy state!

2. Alpha Waves - from 8 to 13hz. This is when we are daydreaming or meditating.  We feel, relaxed and alert at the same time. This is the state we need to move into and stay in during labour.

3. Theta Waves - from 4 to 7hz. This occurs in states of deep meditation and sleep.

4. Delta Waves – from 0.5 to 3hz. This state occurs in deep sleep and in profound states of meditation or healing.

When you play a crystal singing bowl and produce a toning sound that is slightly higher or lower than the bowl's pitch, you can hear binaural beats ("wah wah wah"). These were the sounds I relished during my SoundBirths, which entrained my brainwaves from the Beta to the Alpha state. At the time, I was unaware of this effect, but now I understand why it was so relaxing and enjoyable.

If you want to know more about the Science of Sound watch the videos or read any of these books below:

VIDEOS:

Shh Sound Health in 8 Steps... 

The 4 Ways Sound Affect Us ...

Good Vibrations: The Scienc...

BOOKS:

The Power of Sound – Jonathon Goldman

Healing at the Speed of Sound – Don Campbell