Neurofeedback: Bridging the Gap Between Mind, Body, and Change

With my experience as a neurofeedback trainer, I can say many stories are wired within (literally) and we have to rewire them to be free. Our nervous systems are looped into the experiences we have had, and sometimes it requires more than just “relax”. It is easier said than done. The “how” is the misery and relief. 

What if I told you we can control the involuntary (to an extent of course)

What if I told you, you can learn and train to calm yourself, to energise yourself, to be more focused or to be more relaxed? We can train our brain and bodies, we can tune into what they are saying and bridge the gap. Live more optimally, master our mind states.This isn't science fiction; it's a powerful training process that helps you tune into what your body is saying, bridge the gap between your mind and body, and ultimately, master your own mind states.

This is where biofeedback and neurofeedback come in. These tools help us shift from the sympathetic nervous system’s fight-or-flight response to the parasympathetic state of rest and relaxation, and do so intentionally. In today’s fast-paced world, our brains often stay on high alert, reacting not just to real danger but also to imagined threats and constant stress. The brain doesn’t always distinguish between the two, and this keeps our nervous system in overdrive. Neurofeedback offers a way to change that, to retrain the brain and body to recognize safety, to relax when there is no threat, and to restore balance from within.

What is Neurofeedback?

Neurofeedback, often called brain-wave training, is a process that empowers you to self-regulate your brain's activity. Using sensors placed on your scalp, we can measure the electrical activity of your brain, known as brainwaves. This data is then fed back to you in real-time through audio, visual, or tactile cues like a video game you play with your mind.

Similarly, in Biofeedback, sensors are placed on your fingertips, or ear lobes to measure breath rate, heart rate, heart rate variability, galvanic skin response etc. to achieve mastery over the autonomic nervous system. Breathing at a certain pace, diaphragmatic (about 6-8 breaths per minute) activates the parasympathetic nervous system which is responsible for rest and digestion. 

This real-time feedback gives you a window into your brain's functioning, something you can't normally see or feel. By watching your brainwaves, heart rate, or other biological signals, you get a chance to actively train your brain to correct itself. You learn to guide your brainwaves toward healthier, more optimal patterns.

The goal is simple yet profound: to empower you to take control. This training helps you break free from old, unhelpful patterns and build new, more effective ones. The result is a greater sense of control, a feeling of empowerment, and the freedom to live more optimally.

Training Your Brain for Better Health

When we feel stuck in a pattern of anxiety, rage, or a lack of focus, it can feel like a personal failing. But often, these struggles are not a matter of willpower; they are a matter of brain function. We can use advanced technology to get a clear picture of what's happening inside your head. This process, called Quantitative Electroencephalography (QEEG), or brain mapping, allows us to see the specific brain activity associated with your challenges.

For example, we can see if a hyperactive amygdala is making it hard to control rage, if a sluggish prefrontal cortex is impacting your ability to focus, or if an overabundance of beta waves is leaving you feeling perpetually stressed.

The exciting news is that once we have this information, we can use it to help you train your brain back to a healthier state through neurofeedback.

How Neurofeedback Works: The Power of Data and Positive Reinforcement

We can change what we can measure. Through QEEG we can measure the brain's electrical activity, by studying it we can see what is normal and what is not. If the problem is in disorganised brain wave activity then it is best addressed via that route, when the problem of being mentally inflexible than other forms of therapy will take longer, it becomes akin to working against the brain's innate nature. But by retraining the brain we make change easier, more natural, 

A neurofeedback session is like having a personal coach for your brain. We start by placing electrodes on your scalp to record your brain's electrical activity. This information is then used to control a game or video in real-time. The brain wants to achieve a state of regulation, and it will seize any opportunity it gets to do so. Here’s how we use that to our advantage:

• Positive Reinforcement: The game or video will only play smoothly when your brain is performing the desired activity. For instance, if the goal is to increase relaxation, the video will play clearly only when your brain produces more alpha waves.

• Rewarding Good Behavior: Your brain is wired for reward. When it performs the optimal activity, it receives positive reinforcement from the game. This reward system encourages your brain to repeat the "good" activity.

• Building New Neural Pathways: The more your brain repeats these healthy activities, the stronger the new neural pathways become. Over time, the older, less efficient ways of functioning begin to fade away, replaced by these new, more effective pathways.

  
  

In essence, neurofeedback uses the power of technology to give your brain the feedback it needs to train itself. It's a fun and engaging way to teach your brain what a regulated state feels like, helping you build lasting change from the inside out.

Train your brain for mood regulation. Here is an example showing the efficacy of Neurofeedback in helping with emotional regulation. 

Today, when India’s mental health is deteriorating and not enough helping hands, it is ripe time that tech and talk should go hand in hand. Neurofeedback and biofeedback helps in rebalancing the nervous system, this helps in many issues like emotional regulation, learning disorders, stress management, anxiety, migraines, sleep issues to mention few. 

Neurofeedback is not a quick fix, but a profound process of learning, unlearning, and rewiring from the inside out. It takes multiple sessions, it makes breakthroughs in your therapy sessions more accessible. You will feel change in daily instances like- same trigger didn't feel overwhelming as before, or all things same , I feel a deeper sense of comfort, or this just feels different, more at rest, some share that learning becomes quicker, sleep is deeper or others just notice you as more pleasant. Different people, different sharing but that is your regulated “at ease” nervous system speaking. 

By Neurofeedback, we  reclaim agency over our mind states, and in doing so, open up space for a healthier, more empowered way of living.

About the author:

Chetna Punia works at the intersection of neuroscience, biofeedback, and psychological health with dual Master’s degrees in Biomedical Engineering and Counseling Psychology, her practice is grounded in clinical precision and real-world outcomes. Through Shunya Neurofeedback, she offers data-informed brain training that uses QEEG brain mapping, HRV, and evidence-based neurofeedback protocols to support clients with attention difficulties, anxiety, trauma recovery, cognitive performance, and nervous system dysregulation.