Stressed by Parenting? Relaaaaax……

If you have ever met me in person, you’d know I am an, ahhh, “energetic” person.  I don’t find it easy to sit still and relax.  Yet, as a psychotherapist I know all too well the critical importance of staving off stress if I am to maintain my mental and physical health.

Meditation, mindfulness training and reaching a state of “flow” have become well-accepted mainstream ideas now that brain research has validated what humans have long known and practiced for centuries.

What is new, however, is research that the brain wave patterns associated with relaxing can be induced through auditory stimulation.  Yup – I can listen to a series of clicks and clacks at specific frequencies (8-13 Hz for alpha brain waves associated with meditative states) with headphones, and my brain can be taken to a relaxed state for me!  No yogi training needed.   This is called brain-wave entrainment, and it is a godsend for parents and children alike.  If you think you may be a short, wicked type of person who tends to snap at your kids, why not visit fellow Adlerian clinician Cathy Lumsden’s site.  She has the full explanation of the brain research as well as the downloadable tracks to your MP3 player (or order a DVD).  Check it out.