for this Alive biofeedback program user guide.
Contents
1. we PD De aa Ar VED Saen eon 7 the pened ea nas ened pi SSMATICVISION USER GUIDE Welcome to Alive The Alivem Comprehensive Training Environment gives you extensive coaching individualized performance tracking and an array of fun games and tools to help you build the mental and physical performance you need to succeed In this User Guide you will find important information about how to get started and use Alive as well as information about how to use Alive in conjunction with other activities for extended effectiveness WHY ALIVE The rate of change in our life is constantly increasing bringing extraordinary pressures and stressors into daily life Though these stressors include major crises most of the stress we experience is caused by minor hassles E mail needing a reply traffic jams as we go to work balancing the demands of children and work etc We have too much to do in too little time During day to day life stress accumulates Our autonomic nervous system is responsible for returning us to balance but it is not designed to cope with an ongoing overload of stress When our nervous system is overloaded constantly daily stress numbs our brain to the urgency of doing something about it We become accustomed to ongoing tension strain and worry and try to address the effects of stress without getting to the causes Our body gives us warning signals to show us something is gettin2. 8 Week Programm has been developed to help you get the most out of Alive bringing in off screen concepts and exercises to complement the Alive software If you are a parent or guardian using Alive with a child make sure to read the Alive for Younger Users section that follows the Alive amp Beyond 8 Week Program information The Alive amp Beyond 8 Week Program Somatic Vision developed the Alive amp Beyond 8 Week Program to give people a structured process for creating change in their lives The program uses techniques and principles from disciplines including yoga meditation Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy CBT is a particularly important source of techniques CBT treatments have been effective in addressing mood disorders anxiety disorders personality disorders eating disorders substance abuse disorders and even psychotic disorders You may want to follow the Alive amp Beyond 8 Week Program exactly or you may want to tailor it to your needs Either approach will help you achieve stress relief and peak performance WEEK 1 Go through the Alive Coach Orientation which begins when you use Alive for the first time Alive will teach you about stress heart rate variation and breathing You ll also complete a questionnaire and set your own optimal breathing rate 2 Explore at least one Alive Environment playing for at least 5 minutes 3 Between sessions with Alive practice
3. Alive Mini Game 10 Homework for this session is to take some time to blow bubbles effortlessly and at the natural breathing rate at home Once the child has mastered abdominal breathing we can proceed and teach him how to perform a mental shift using Alive techniques such as Change the Channel or Zoom Out See Appendix Once these techniques have been used successfully and the young person can see a shift in physiological state we can suggest using this technique in school and to keep track of the results in the Today Log see Appendix As he gets better training in the longer techniques the child can move to Mental Mini Breaks see Appendix and enjoy a similar effect Keep the Graph Training in the mix as it serves as a wonderful way to show a young person how it is possible to gain control of responses to stresses in daily life This learning process enables the child to develop continuity of awareness between what happens inside the body and how it later influences behavior After this the child can build skills in a fun way by playing Alive Games Dual Drive Every time the car stops he can use a short Mental Mini Break to regain momentum and then return to racing The same Mini Break can then be applied whenever the child needs to change his attitude towards something that threw him out of balance Benefits of Alive training for children and teens include Concentration The ability to concentrate is a
4. MINDFULNESS Mindfulness is calm moment by moment awareness of body functions feelings consciousness While most relaxation methods are designed to directly reduce physiological reactivity mindfulness is broad enough to help us reduce mental emotional and physiological reactivity Mindfulness practice is a scientifically proven method for reducing the hazardous effects of stress on our immune system It is also known for improving brain control over exaggerated fight or flight responses which cause harmful effects on mind and body Regular mindfulness practice improves overall well being Together with Alive training mindfulness can become even more powerful We designed a few techniques to help you use this powerful tool in transforming stress Mindful Breathing You may find that your performance and mood at work are enhanced by using this technique Mindfulness practice may result in deeper concentration relaxation and sense of well being and fewer errors and accidents Try it and see if this is your experience Breathe naturally sitting in your work area at your home or any other place you choose Pay close attention to your breathing without attempting to consciously alter anything you notice Notice yourself breathing in and out Eventually there is just the observation of inhaling then exhaling Build your ability to observe your breathing gradually at first you may use this practice for a only few mi
5. Muscle Pre to remind you to let go Practic Aii i the Mental Mini Breaks Relaxation routines twice during the week 3 If you wear a wristwatch or use a cell phone aed i pe aoe i gg mS ses to tell the time cover the time readout with a sticker this will remind you to let go Any 4 Go over your Week 2 log Use one of the time you notice the sticker take a moment to notice if any muscles are over tensed then take one deep breath relax and let go return to your daily activities Internal Dialogue techniques Choose a moderately stressful situation that caused you stress and make an internal decision to respond differently Make a commitment to let go once you encounter this type of situation again and apply your new behavior in the coming week Try to gain more than 200 Alive points daily and reach 6000 total points by week s end Continue engaging in a half hour of physical activity at least twice during the week WEEK 6 Read the Mindfulness section in Tools amp Techniques Choose a resolve a sentence worded positively for example try I will feel safe instead of I will not feel anxious Repeat your chosen phrase whenever you feel a need for affirmation In Alive as you play Games or explore Environments work with the graph of your heart rate smoothness Try to stress yourself out and then create a smooth graph as your consciously relax This will enhance your belie
6. My parents will really be dissapointed of me Worried about being yelled at for not doing something Worried that won t do the things need to do and then I ll get a super Lmportant home work ana won t ever be able to finish the things need to do Worried about what to do with a particular task that s not going anywhere Today Log example see facing page What helped Talked to my parents about tt found out that they also ordered a new pair of bike for me Ate a great sandwich Was upset for 2 hours until came home and then hung out with John and forgot about it Went to sleep Ate ice cream felt angry at myself instead slept procrastinated until the last moment and then did as much as could until midnight This just never ends TODAY LOG Keeping a Today Log helps you identify what things that happen during the day cause you to succeed or hinder your success You can use any format you choose though the example below is a good starting point For a younger Alive user the Today Log might look more like the example on the facing page GAINS DRAINS Level Something What did I do of wish I had What did I do fun or today that Stressful stress Undesired Feelings amp been that helped me boosting was event 1 10 thoughts symptoms thinking cope did today unhelpful Studying 8 am going Anxiety fast am doing Took break Had Wor
7. THINK VISUALIZE RETURN Make a decision to take a mini break Bring your attention to your heart joy care or compassion My mind is clear and am confident a time you felt self confidence and were in flow with a new perspective or a solution Make a decision to take a mini break Bring your attention to neck muscles and shoulders all tension dissolving and draining away relax and let go My mind is clearing dissolve all negative limiting beliefs every second that ticks feeling better and better effortlessly energetic and full of vitality INTERNAL DIALOGUE You will probably notice that some of the undesired thoughts in your Today Log repeat 1 Focus on one of them for example always fail 2 Add a question mark always fail 3 Think of examples for the opposite situation in this example an event when you have succeeded 4 Remember how good it felt 5 Think what you would have said to a good friend 20 who was expressing the undesired thought discouraging all or nothing thinking I failed once so will always fail 6 Treat yourself like a good friend Tell yourself Just because you are disappointed don t be discouraged Next time is always an opportunity to do better 7 Try to notice when you have this undesired thought and change it to a more balanced one such as Sometimes don t succeed as hoped to but can always learn from it
8. component often missing in educational programs Acquiring better concentration ability requires a lot of training and is dramatically influenced by the state of arousal Combining both factors with an Alive Game such as Green Thumb or Dream House is an efficient way to train for better concentration Impulse Control Graph Training is good for this Imagery amp Visualization Because imagination is a main contributor to children s fears it can be used by the child to confront them Children are less habit enslaved than adults so imagery and visualization are wonderful techniques to bring them to a relaxed state With practice a child or teen can learn to consciously create images to distract them from various environmental stressors and help them feel safer 1 Instruct the child to find a quiet comfortable place let go and be relaxed 2 Start with 5 abdominal breaths 3 They should then close their eyes and visualize a scene with a sensory image Start with a sensory image that is happy for them smell sight touch taste Perhaps it s a stone sinking into a pond clouds passing in the sky the smell of Grandma s muffins memories of a special place where they felt happy and secure Review several images daydream and simply let them emerge before selecting one that works well at any given time 4 Move their focus from outside experiences and distractions in the environment into inside experien
9. in work an argument with a child or a friend Try this Zoom Out combined with abdominal breaths Cultivate warmness and openness You can use Mental Mini Breaks while practicing effortless pursed lip breathing Waking up feeling very tired and unfocused In the morning before you start another busy day take a few minutes to fine tune and reset your emotions thoughts and body the way an orchestra tunes up before a concert Try this Focus on your exhale and count to 4 Focus on your inhale and count to 4 And so on Now take one of the Mental Mini Breaks choosing the one that best suits your hopes for the day Date Time What happened 6 24 8pm Found out that Steve is getting a new bike tomorrow 6 25 8pm Beth went to a movie a with Meg 6 27 12am Saw asad movie 6 27 4pm Saturday afternoon and hadn t done any of the things was planning to do during the weekend 6 28 2 30 pm I have nothing urgent to do buta million things to do in general How felt 1 10 Jealous 6 Sad 5 Offended 6 Jealous 7 Sad 5 Anxious 8 Overwhelmed 5 Nervous 4 What I thought Offended that wasn t am not lovable And why the secrecy Jealous that he ll get to have great time and I ll be stuck at home Sad that my parents didn t think deserve a new bike too am not their real friend Why do they always leave me out Thought about all the other sad things in my life am no good
10. optimal effortless breathing 3 times a day for five minutes at a time twice while laying down and once in a sitting position WEEK 2 1 Take the Alive Relax Your Muscles Workshop which will teach you a technique called Progressive Muscle Relaxation 2 Read the Progressive Muscle Relaxation section in the Tools amp Techniques appendix to this User Guide 3 Practice the long version of Progressive Muscle Relaxation for the first 3 days then alternate daily between the long and the short versions 4 Play at least one Alive Game daily adding a daily game of Dual Drive on auto pilot toward the end of the week 5 Between sessions with Alive take 2 daily breathing breaks of 5 minutes each 6 Read the Today Log section in Tools amp Techniques Keep a simple Today Log of your responses to stress using any format you choose Examples of logs can be found in 4 Play anew Alive Game When getting stuck Tools amp Techniques read the Change the Channel section in Tools amp Techniques 7 Try to gain more than 100 Alive points daily and reach 800 total points by week s end 5 Read the Mental Mini Breaks section in Tools amp Techniques Practice one of the Mental Mini Breaks WEEK 3 6 Read the Internal Dialogue technique section 8 Read the Zoom Out section in Tools amp in Tools amp Techniques Go over your Week Techniques 2 log Use one of the Internal Dialogue D techniques Choose a moderately st
11. slow your breathing down and release pressure very efficiently Creating Your Own Alive Program Every person who begins using Alive has different existing strengths and weaknesses a different level of exposure to stress and a different way of learning Your results will sour you forward increasing the level of challenge when you succeed and encouraging you to follow Coach suggestions when you need to build skill in order to advance You can use Alive in your own way crafting as program that works for your lifestyle Your own program works best if you to set aside one hour a week for sessions with Alive trying to make each session last at least 10 minutes What If Am Not Seeing Progress Some people will find it harder to contro their herat rate variation at first The best way to break through is to practice Progressive Muscle Relaxation See the section in the Too s amp Techniques appendix of this User Guide before playing to release tension stored in the muscles Also if you are having trouble progressinh to higher levels of HRV smoothness try changing Environments more often doing more and shorter practice sessions with Alive Extending Alive Beyond the Computer If you are looking for a more comprehensive way to use Alive we encourage you to follow our Alive amp Beyond 8 Week Program which extends Alive beyond your computer into other practices that will help you The Alive amp Beyond
12. the screen 2 Then we can teach him a basic breathing technique using Alive Workshops Ways to Breathe Because sometimes children get bored feel free to be creative and adapt the breathing technique as you wish For instance you can use soap bubbles to teach your child the pursed lips breathing technique Try this 3 Start with a physical exercise or by having the child tense and release the fists with rubber balls This is to help build a familiarity with letting go which is much easier to do after tensing and releasing the muscles see also the Progressive Muscle Relaxation section of the Tools amp Techniques appendix 4 After that we can use children s great visualization abilities ask the child or teen to imagine lying on the couch like a rag doll or some very well cooked spaghetti no tension in the muscles 5 Then we can start teaching effortless breathing in a playful way using soap bubbles They can first blow bubbles without guidance 6 Now begin blowing big bubbles and small ones differentiating This will have to be done by changing the speed of the exhale 7 After that talking about abdominal breathing vs chest breathing is helpful Direct the child or teen to blow gently filling the abdomen on inhale 8 Depending on the child s age continue determining the natural breathing pace Expect anything between 6 10 breaths per minute depending on fitness and age 9 The last part Play any
13. ace are filled with space which is coextensive with the space between your shoulders and in your shoulders and arms hands and fingers Connecting to the space inside your lungs inside your bronchial tubes as you inhale and exhale the space inside your throat your nose as you inhale and exhale Zoom out Your upper and lower abdomen your lower back are filled with space Your body from the diaphragm down is filled with space including the diaphragm your stomach your belly your pelvis and your feet and toes Your whole head face neck your whole body including your hands and pelvis are filled with space Your whole being fills with air when inhale and your whole being is left filled with space when you exhale Zoom out Imagine the space inside your whole body and the space around your body the space above your head and beneath your chair and the space in front of you to your sides Let yourself attend equally to all the sounds that are available to you the sound of my voice the sounds of you and others in the room and any other sound that you are able to hear Now observe yourself as if you were looking at yourself BODY SCAN After working or performing tasks in a thinking intellectual mode the Body Scan technique gives us the power to shift our attention returning home to our body cultivating a quiet mind After you have read through this exercise try recor
14. and failure to a more positive feeling of capability and power e Choose a TV show you enjoy e Choose a song you like a lot e Imagine a TV with only 3 channels 1 A fear channel showing your worries and negative scenarios for the future 2 Achannel running your favorite program 3 An audio channel playing the song you love Close your eyes and choose a channel imagining this channel until we see it vividly Wait for a few seconds and then change to another of the channels Try actually pressing the button with your hand to better set this technique in your memory eyebrow the eyebrow center right eyelid left eyelid right eye left eye right ear left ear right cheek left cheek nose tip of the nose right nostril upper lip lower lip chin jaw throat right collarbone left collarbone right chest left chest middle of the chest navel abdomen lower abdomen The whole of your right leg whole of your left leg both legs together whole of your right arm whole of your left arm both arms together whole of your back whole of your front whole of your head together legs arms back front head together the whole of the body together the whole of the body together the whole of the body together Repeat one more complete round MENTAL MINI BREAKSn Sometimes we get stuck in a negative or defeating thought cycle Mental Mini Breaks help turn a few moments into an attitude ch
15. ange renewing your positive energy and open yourself up to the potential before you in any situation Each break focuses on a different outcome and we encourage you to select from among them based on the challenges you are facing Make sure to try them all as each of us interprets life differently and some mini breaks may be more effective for you than others Openness STOP Let go of daily hassles and worries SHIFT Bring your attention to your breath FEEL warm air as you exhale and the cool air as you inhale THINK will relax and feel calm and safe VISUALIZE yourself sitting relaxed calm Add a loved one to be with you RETURN to reality more open and flexible Balance STOP SHIFT FEEL THINK VISUALIZE RETURN Appreciation STOP SHIFT FEEL THINK VISUALIZE RETURN Make a decision to take a mini break Bring your attention to your left hand warmth spreading from your shoulder to the tip of your fingers relax and let go yourself in a hot jacuzzi the temperature is perfect to your daily life feeling balanced and calm Make a decision to take a mini break Bring your attention to your heart Activate a feeling of openness and acceptance for loved ones in your life Count from ten downwards slowly a moment of meeting a loved one feeling your heart open with a feeling of love and appreciation Perspective STOP SHIFT FEEL THINK VISUALIZE RETURN Vitality STOP SHIFT FEEL
16. ces within their body Make it fun Encourage the child or teen to use active imagery and a return to focus on the body whenever needed during the day If you are guiding a very young user with Alive make sure to walk them through Alive Workshops Games and Environments at first reminding them that confidence and belief in their ability to succeed will give them higher scores and better performance Stress Control Levels Throughout Alive you will see references to Stress Control Levels What do these mean Stress Control Level ratings reflect your mastery of the techniques you are using to gain control over your stress reducing its effect on your ability to breathe think and react calmly and efficiently Levels 1 to 5 Novice You advance through these levels as you complete the initial Orientation and as Alive records your successes with smoothing your heart rate as you play Games explore Environments and use Workshops As you move through these levels you ll receive bonuses for training for at least 10 minutes in a single day and for training for at least 10 minutes each day for all 7 days Sun Sat in one week By the time you have completed Level 5 you ll have accrued 800 Alive points Levels 6 to 15 Intermediate As you move through these more advanced levels your sense of well being is enhanced and you feel that you have more control over your thoughts and emotions By the time you have completed Le
17. different types of users in mind People of any age or taste can easily find a game that is fun and engaging to use to help them advance to a higher Heart Rate Control Level Games include two versions of the Dual Drive car racing game Dual Drive Auto Pilot enables you to build and master techniques for self regulation while Dual Drive Manual Pilot challenges you to maintain these self regulating skills under a more stressful environment better suiting your learning to day to day stress Games also includes a growing array of mini games You will begin the session in a starting state and use your heart rate smoothness to achieve a goal Build Your Dream House use your Green Thumb to make a hyacinth bloom propel a natural scene through the Four Seasons dock your Alien Shuttle into the mothership and enjoy a scenic Night Flight through a cityscape The Breath Pacer Though the breath pacer is easy to use many beginners will not be relaxed by paced breathing until they have practiced it a bit Some will never enjoy following a pacer instead breathing slowly at their own rhythm which is also OK One of the benefits of the pacer however is that it can be adjusted to help you slow your breathing from its natural rate to a more relaxing lower pace Whether or not you incorporate the breath pacer into your intermediate and advanced Alive exercises you must remember paced breathing is important When stressed you can consciously
18. ding it in your own voice and playing it back for yourself so you can focus You can also have someone you trust read it for you leading you through as you practice Relax Become aware of sounds in the distance become aware of the most distant sound that you can hear Let your sense of hearing operate like a radar beam searching out distant sounds and following them for a few seconds Move your attention from sound to sound without trying to identify the source Gradually bring your attention to closer sounds to sounds near by and then to sounds closest to you Now feel your body as it is in relation to the space around you 18 with through a camera from above Zoom out to see yourself and your surroundings zoom out more to see yourself within the larger space you are in the neighborhood you are in connecting you to the people you love within the larger area where your loved ones are and zoom out even more As you continue to practice Zoom Out you will increase your ability zoom out and shift your attention faster more completely and more effortlessly Your imagery will become more vivid and your ability to shift your attention will improve and your feelings of well being will grow Become aware of the existence of your physical body total awareness of your body Your body is as still as possible become aware of all the meeting points between your body and its surrounding Beco
19. ecisions and tasks at hand Since stress is one of the main causes of such medical conditions as anxiety disorders chronic illnesses and neurological problems Oded s clinical approach is focused on effective and sustainable stress management He integrates biofeedback in his treatment programs to help patients manage stress and condition them for further therapy Some children with an impulsive nature or with attention issues find it hard to concentrate for a long time however get bored quickly and have low threshold for noise are easily distractible and should be given frequent changes of Environment The learning process should be made playful for them as you ll see by our recommendations in this section HOW CAN CHILDREN AND TEENS BE HELPED TO UNDERSTAND STRESS Young people can identify stressed behavior people yell and scream or become very quiet or run away Young people should be asked to understand that stress affects everyone including their teachers mothers and fathers They can see that stress passes from one person to another If you are working with a young person give examples of this that they can recognize from past experience Perhaps they remember feeling stressed before an test when they stay alone with strangers when other kids pick on them or when their parents argue or do not listen adequately to their problems Next we will explain our reaction to stress by exploring the evolutionary roots
20. eyes forehead and nose after each of these tensings 10 Breathing Take a deep breath and then take a little more now let it out and breathe normally for 15 seconds Let all the breath in your lungs out and then a little more now inhale and breathe normally for 15 seconds 11 Back With shoulders resting on the back of the chair push your body forward so that your back is arched now relax and let go Be very careful with this one 12 Butt Tense the butt tightly and raise pelvis slightly off chair now relax and let go Dig your pelvis into your chair now relax and let go 13 Thighs Extend legs and raise them about 6 off the floor or the foot rest without tensing your stomach Relax and let go Dig your heels into the floor or foot rest now relax and let go 14 Stomach Pull in your stomach as far as possible now relax completely Push out the stomach or tense it as if you were preparing for a punch in the gut remembering to keep breathing now relax and let go 15 Calves and feet Point the toes without raising the legs now relax and let go Point the feet up as far as possible beware of cramps if feel them coming on shake them loose relax and let go 16 Toes With legs relaxed dig your toes into the floor now relax and let go Bend the toes up as far as possible now relax and let go 17 Now just relax for a while As your days of practice progress you may wish to sk
21. f in your ability to succeed in specific situations A well developed sense of self efficacy can play a major role in how you approach goals tasks and challenges Decide to take a short break at a time that is unusual for you You may invite someone and share a thought or dilemma Social support is a great way to reduce the effects of stress See the Gains vs Drains section in Tools amp Techniques Make a list of Gains and Drains Manage the amount of time you spend watching television during this week Choose an activity from the Gains column instead Do it at least once a week for the rest of the program Try to make this a permanent habit Try to gain more than 200 Alive points daily and reach 7500 total points by week s end 8 Continue engaging in a half hour of physical activity at least twice during the week Try to make this a permanent habit WEEK 7 1 Keep practicing Mindfulness twice a week 2 Train with Alive at least 10 minutes a day playing whichever Game you wish 3 Choose a new resolve for this week Whenever you notice tension let go of it say your resolve phrase 4 Practice breathing in crowded places in your office or at home when children are around 5 Do at least one Gain activity from your Gains and Drains list Commit to changing at least 2 draining behaviors 6 Try to gain more than 200 Alive points daily and reach 9000 total points by week s end 7 Continue with regular phy
22. g out of balance people who are chronically stressed tend to place an extra load on their bodies Too much stress hurts us and can even be a factor in early death It is important to develop techniques to reduce stress and improve our health sleep quality concentration time management effectiveness at conflict resolution and assertiveness 2 To achieve these goals we must learn 1 To monitor our reactions to stress through awareness of the body 2 New ways to relax and practice in daily life 3 How to restore energy drained by prolonged stress and to change habits In this User Manual you ll find everything you need to know about using Alive including an 8 Week program and details about specific techniques you can use to rebalance your attention and your body to be in flow If you are using Alive with a child or teen make sure to read the Alive for Young Users section of this User Guide Getting Started ABOUT THE ALIVE BIOFEEDBACK HARDWARE Alive requires finger sensor hardware that is included in the complete package This clinical quality hardware is simple to use and amazingly accurate capturing your heart rate variations and sending them to the Alive interactive interface How easy is it to use Slip your fingers into the finger sensors See notes under Launch Alive on the next page then launch Alive Alive does the rest If during your training session your finger sensors become disco
23. hat you ll be doing is alternately tensing and relaxing specific groups of muscles After tension a muscle will be more relaxed than prior to the tensing Concentrate on the feel of the muscles specifically the contrast between tension and relaxation In time you will recognize tension in any specific muscle and be able to reduce that tension Let go of all muscles other than the specific group at each step Remember to breathe and avoid trying too hard Breath slowly and evenly and think only about the tension relaxation contrast Each tensing is for 10 seconds each relaxing is for 10 or 15 seconds Count 1 000 2 000 until you have a feel for the time span Note that each step is really two steps one cycle of tension relaxation for each set of opposing muscles Do the following sequence once a day if you can until you feel you are able to control your muscle tension After learning the full PMR procedure as follows you may spend about 10 minutes a day maintaining your proficiency by practicing the shortened form of the procedure detailed at the end of this section If you have problems with pulled muscles broken bones or any medical contra indication for physical activities consult your doctor before engaging in PMR 1 Hands The fists are tensed about 10 seconds now relax and let go The fingers are extended now relax and let go 2 Biceps and triceps The biceps are tensed shake your hands
24. ip the steps that do not appear to be a problem for you After you ve become an expert on your tension areas after a few weeks you can concern yourself only with those These exercises will not eliminate tension but when it arises you will know it immediately and you will be able to tense relax it away or even simply wish it away PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION In the shortened form of PMR you will work with summary groups of muscles rather than individual muscle groups then begin to use visual or verbal cues to control your relaxation 14 SHORT FORM Muscle groups Arms fists shoulders abdomen lower limbs Cue controlled relaxation Use the same tension relaxation procedure as full form PMR working with the summary groups of muscles In addition focus on your breathing during both tension and relaxation Inhale slowly as you apply and hold the tension Then when you let the tension go and exhale say a cue word to yourself This will help you to associate the cue word with a state of relaxation so that eventually the cue word alone will produce relaxed state relax calm serene You can instead use an image that evokes a feeling of letting go GAINS VS DRAINS n We engage in a lot of activities and worries that drain energy Usually these take up most of our time Though we usually don t take the time it is important for us to do things that can help us regenerate and add happines
25. joy better health and well being We will be able to use our inner wisdom and potential and better fulfill our potential Alive training is a wonderful way to teach children to calm their minds and emotions focus into their heart and learn how to have a happier more caring productive and safe environment Relaxation is not natural in young people Instead of focusing on relaxation with young people it is better to aim to improve their flexibility in confronting daily stressors They are usually not aware of tension and stress and do not understand how it affects them physically But they are looking for better ways to gain control of their lives The process of using Alive to help children and teens can include these stages 1 Identifying stressors and their effects on daily life 2 Explaining what physical effects stress 3 Teaching better more flexible ways to cope with stress using Alive Games and Environments 4 Taking the process into their daily lives Don t be surprised if a child using Alive finds it easier than an adult most children learn to control their HRV much faster than adults Behind Alive Alive Techniques Games and Environments have been created in partnership with a leading biofeedback expert Oded is a Clinical Psychophysiologist who has developed biofeedback programs to help military personnel keep a clear headand effectively face difficult situations and effectively manage an array of d
26. ker end into the square slot of your blue hardware box If you are prompted to install a driver allow Windows to automatically search for a driver Latches over fingernail side oriented so that the latches are near the 2 Attach the round end of the finger sensor cable to the other end of your blue box with the small arrow on the round cable facing upwards remove the cap on this cable if it is present Inserting the cable in the correct orientation avoids damage 3 Put the finger sensors on making sure the latches are over the fingernail side of the fingers 4 The middle finger sensor is at the end of the thicker cord Put your middle finger through the doors of that sensor so that the small golden dot on top of the finger sensor is directly above your fingernail Place the other two finger sensors on your index and ring fingers Make sure the finger sensors are all top of your finger over your fingernail When first running Alive you may receive a security alert You must click unblock or always allow in order for Alive to function Launch Alive Go to Start Menu gt All Programs gt Alive for Wild Divine and click Alive Get Comfortable To have success you ll want to optimize your physical environment when you are first learning e Make sure you are comfortable and make sure you re not hungry or thirsty and don t have bathroom needs e Wear comfortable clothing that doesn t
27. me relax to accelerate and a series of mini games that challenge you to smooth your breathing enough to make flowers bloom change the seasons build your dream house and more As we ve mentioned the Coach is always with you Use the resource tabs along the left side of the Main Menu You can access session review information repeat the Orientation session adjust your personalized breath pacer and create new users at any time Alive Workshops There are many ways to approach relaxation and you can use Techniques anytime to work one on one with your Coach on specific elements of heart rate control Explore the menu of Techniques to learn Ways to Breathe Relax Your Muscles Pace Your Breathing and see if you are Trying Too Hard Each workshop takes about 5 10 minutes Alive Environments We don t always achieve the best results when we rely only on our intellect to modify behavior Environments use interactive audio and visual cues to lead you to make shapes glow morph and move or to increase the volume and calming impact of music selections Clinical use of these environments has proven that using them improves motivation compliance with a set training program and trainees commitment and self regulation skills They are especially good for people who respond poorly to tests avoiding the negativity of a pass fail polarity Alive Games And now for the really fun part Games are developed with many
28. me aware of your breath become aware of your deep natural easy spontaneous breath Keep on listening to these words and know that you are breathing The practice of Body Scan begins now say mentally to yourself am going to practice body scan will not sleep am going to practice Body Scan Resolve This is the time to make a resolve A simple resolve Something like Every day that goes by will feel better and better Please say your resolve clearly with feeling and awareness three times Body Concentrate on Your right hand thumb second finger third finger fourth finger fifth finger palm of the hand back of the hand wrist lower arm elbow upper arm shoulder armpit waist hip right thigh knee calf muscle ankle heel sole top of the foot right big toe second toe third toe fourth toe fifth toe Your left hand thumb second finger third finger fourth finger fifth finger palm of the hand back of the hand wrist lower arm elbow upper arm shoulder armpit waist hip left thigh knee calf muscle ankle heel sole top of the foot left big toe second toe third toe fourth toe fifth toe Your right shoulder left shoulder right shoulder blade left shoulder blade pelvis from right to left the spine the whole of the back together The top of your head forehead right eyebrow left CHANGE THE CHANNEL This technique helps you to shift from thoughts of fear
29. ments in Alive to find which aids you the best You can also use your own music accompanied with some pictures or a slide show of loved ones or favorite locations APPENDIX Tools amp Techniques Optional Off Screen Exercises and Techniques to use in conjunction with Alive PROGRESSIVE MUSCLE RELAXATION FULL FORM There are three steps to the Progressive Muscle Relaxation procedure 1 Deliberately tensing muscle groups The process of applying tension to a muscle is essentially the same regardless of which muscle group you are addressing First focus your mind on the muscle group for example your right hand Then inhale and simply squeeze the muscles as hard as you can for about 10 seconds 2 Releasing the induced tension This is the best part because it is pleasurable After the 10 seconds just quickly and suddenly let go Let all the tightness and pain flow out of the muscles as you exhale Feel the muscles relax and become loose tension flowing away like water from a faucet Focus on and notice the difference between tension and relaxation 3 Letting go of any residual tension Enjoy the feeling of letting go and focus on that feeling here and now Sit in a comfortable chair Get as comfortable as possible wear loose clothes if possible no shoes legs uncrossed Think of a time you have experienced when you were unusually relaxed and carefree Take a deep breath let it out slowly And again W
30. nnected Alive will let you know and automatically pause until it detects that the hardware has been reconnected Alive will also let you know if it is having trouble reading your heart rate and will suggest that you apply lotion to your fingertips or warm your hands to correct the problem Caring for your hardware Store in a cool dry place Do not submerge if you need to clean the hardware at any time use alcohol wipes designed for computer screens MINIMUM SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Alive Biofeedback Hardware Wild Divine Lightstone or Healing Rhythms finger sensors Windows XP or Vista operating system Intel Pentium IV Processor 128 Mb OpenGL Video Card Thicker Cord Golden Dot 512 MB RAM on Middle Finger CD Rom Drive 1 GB of Disk Space For people of all ages Please use the support page for customer service http www somaticvision com support INSTALL ALIVE Close all open Internet Explorer or other browser windows before beginning installation of Alive To install Alive double click the Alive_WD_Setup exe file from your installation CD or at http www somaplay com public trial alive Follow the installation instructions The default options will work for most users Simply click Next OK LAUNCH ALIVE Before launching set up and attach the finger sensors 1 Attach the USB cable to the blue box and to your computer Put the thin end of the cable into a USB port on your computer Put the thic
31. nutes a day If you find it very difficult in the beginning to pay attention only to your breathing try silently counting one two three four as you breathe in one two three four as you breathe out If you lose track start over again Saying the following phrases in coordination with your inhalations and exhalations may help Breathing am aware of breathing in Breathing out l am aware of breathing out As you continue practicing you will find it easier and easier to practice for longer periods of time 3 Minute Breathing Breaks Breathing mindfully can also serve as a wonderful regenerating break to get you fine tuned to whatever you are about to engage in Take 3 minutes a few times a day to focus exclusively on your breathing You may notice how each mini practice can energize you Tip Guiding your Attention It is very normal for your attention to wander as you practice Don t judge yourself simply return to focusing your attention upon breathing once again This distraction may be used as a reminder to attend to breathing Some people find it helpful to mentally acknowledge the actual process of breathing commenting silently Just now I am breathing in and Just now am breathing out Body Scan See Body Scan section in this Appendix Letting Go of the Judgmental Mind During mindfulness practice you serve as a witness to all that passes through y
32. of the stress reaction When our ancestors were cave men hunting or being suddenly attacked in the wilderness This caused immense stress and these ancestors had to quickly confront immediate and extreme danger To enable an effective reaction many changes had to quickly occur in the body our ancestral hearts pounded faster we sweated and our muscles filled with energy so we could run away to a safer place or fight Today fear of failing an exam or being late to school can trigger the same reactions as if we are under very serious threat and we react much the same way as our ancestors did when they confronted a dangerous animal or a life threatening situation While teaching children and teens new coping skills we have to emphasize the link between inner and outer worlds while training A good way is to explore their inner reactions with the Alive Workshops Graph Training We can discuss the results with them and then encourage them to take this new physical awareness into daily activities For example Dave 12 is very upset because children are laughing at him for being short They call him a dwarf In return he gets angry and explodes at them making the whole process of mocking him fun to other children How can he break this cycle 1 While Dave is training with the Alive Graph Training we can talk to him about his experiences as he watches his heart rate variability HRV and other measurements changing on
33. osing a single phenomenon you wish to give your attention It might be eating a raisin Ordinarily a person would simply pop the raisin into his mouth chew a few times and swallow without thinking Mindful meditative raisin eating is much different It begins with looking intently at the raisin considering its shape weight color and texture Next comes placing the raisin in the mouth focusing on how it feels on the tongue as the mouth welcomes it with salivation The mindful raisin eater then chews the raisin slowly thoroughly focusing on its taste and texture Finally swallowing the raisin involves following it all the way down to the stomach So being a mindful eater means that instead of mindlessly eating you simply observe moment by moment the sensations while eating Mindful eating is a wonderful way to control food intake if overeating is a problem for you After developing the ability to remain mindful for a period of time in a calm environment you may begin to practice in busier places By challenging the ability to remain aware in ore stimulating locations that ability will develop further Once you commit to a mindful actions sipping a cup of coffee or eating fruit shaving or petting your dog it becomes easy to work many more mindful moments into each day 2009 Somatic Vision Inc Alive Gains amp Drains Today Log Zoom Out Change the Channel and Mental Mini Breaks are trademarks of Somatic Vi
34. our consciousness As judgments arise they are treated with the same gentle attitude as the breath is treated just now judgments are arising just now judgments are passing Y may first be amazed by the many attitudes feelings interpretations and impulses that float by on your river of consciousness Learning to be an observer of them as they are makes you very powerful As you go through the day mindfully and with awareness work at allowing things to unfold without forcing them to happen See what happens and how you react when you make time during the day to do nothing but just be with no agenda 21 Observe your emotions and thoughts when they arise especially negative ones What are the emotions or thoughts telling you and what are they telling you to do Consider why you are feeling that way and reacting that way What is it about the triggering event that caused your reaction See if you can adopt a different perspective about these emotions or choose an alternative more positive thought Seek to adopt a perspective that sees things unfold in their own time and for their own reason Expanding Observation As you develop mindfulness you may want to observe sensations thoughts imagery feelings and actions These more complex phenomena are like whirlpools within the stream of consciousness They may capture attention and diminish overall awareness Against the background of busy everyday life try cho
35. r training sessions and progress As a complement to your training the Coach will notice when you may need a hint or a suggestion and offer appropriate advice The Coach also offers a series of mini workshops called Alive Coach Workshops The Alive Main Menu The first thing you ll notice when you look at the Alive Main Menu is that there are three main categories of training activity Alive Coach Techniques Alive Environments and Alive Games Each has a drop down menu of fun activities you can use to train 4 yourself in different ways and for different durations of time As you use these games and tools you will see heart rate smoothness and usage data for each category reflecting your training and progress Here is a quick overview of what Coach Techniques Environments and Games are all about which we ll follow with detailed information Alive Workshops A set of short workshops in which our Coach works with you to help you focus on different aspects of heart rate smoothing and build skill Alive Environments A much more visual less intellectual approach to learning to relax and smooth your heart rate Lovely abstracts images and geometrics respond interactively with your breathing and heart rate smoothness levels Alive Games For the competitor and when you re in the mood for fun Alive offers specially designed casual games Alive provides two versions of its Dual Drive car racing ga
36. ressful 9 Add Zoom Ol an attention shifting technique situation that caused you stress and make an routine internal decision to respond differently Make 10 Read the Body Scan section in Tools amp a commitment to let go once you encounter Techniques this type of situation again and apply your new behavior in the coming week 11 Practice the Body Scan for 40 minutes at least twice 7 Try to gain more than 200 Alive points daily and reach 3500 total points by week s end 12 Play Alive Dual Drive on auto pilot at least 8 Stress naturally accumulates in our muscles twice and Alive Dual Drive on manual pilot s To improve the results of this Alive program three times we highly recommend you engage in a half 13 Keep logging your responses to stress hour of physical activity at least twice Consider using a 1 10 scale to represent how a S 9 Yoga though demanding at first and T ai Chi much stress you are feeling in each situation are highly recommended 14 Try to gain more than 200 Alive points daily and reach 2000 total points by week s end WEEK 5 1 Continue taking 3 minute breathing breaks WEEK 4 a twice daily and perform short Body Scans and 1 Add the Body Scan technique to your regular Progressive Muscle Relaxation routines twice daily practice during the week 2 Take 3 minute breathing breaks twice daily 2 Use the sticker on your wristwatch gi cell and short Body Scans and Progressive
37. rying for an exam to fail will heartbeat lack my very walked did coffee emotional not get into of focus best Worst breathing with a eating medical memory black case retake exercises then friend school outs the test got back to studying ZOOM OUT After you have read through this exercise try recording it in your own voice and playing it back for yourself so you can focus You can also have someone you trust read it for you leading you through as you practice Quietly imagine That your right hand thumb is filled with space notice the sensations now zoom out and imagine the space between all your fingers your first fingers middle fingers fourth fingers little fingers hands and fingers are filled with space Imagine the space in the region between the tips of your fingers and your wrists between your wrists and your elbows between your elbows and shoulders between your shoulders filled with space Zoom out The regions inside your shoulders and the regions between your shoulders and fingertips are filled with space connecting to the space between your eyes ears throat shoulders Zoom out more The space in the region between your eyes and the back of your neck between the bridge of your nose and the back of your head between your temples this space of the forehead brain your whole head and spine are filled with space Your whole head and your f
38. s to our lives The lists below show examples of things that drain vitality and things that are Gains in life Make your own list of Gains and Drains DRAINS e A work load that is too heavy e Financial burdens that seem overwhelming e Bad relations with neighbors e Headaches GAINS e Seeing theater or performing arts e Practicing yoga T ai Chi or Aerobics e Having coffee with a friend family member Ask yourself 1 How much time do spend during the week doing activities from each list 2 Can commit to adding more from gains column and deal better with Drains 3 What can add to the Gains that is reasonable and will make me happier Alive in Your Life These techniques have been shown to help with Improving quality of sleep Shallow interrupted or elusive sleep can be caused by extra adrenalin Worries anxiety racing mind overtensed muscles and even positive expectations Try this Short Progressive Muscle Relaxation sequence followed by 20 abdominal breaths counted backward Then a do a Body Scan Improving preparation stage before an exam or an oral presentation Anticipation anxiety and stressful emotionsare very common Try this 5 minutes of abdominal breathing counted backward from 100 Then try the Change the Channel technique visualizing the outcome you wish to have feeling great after giving an optimal performance Alleviating intense stress Had a great disappointment
39. sical activity and at least one positive social interaction WEEK 8 1 Practice at least 2 of the techniques you felt helped you the most during the past 7 weeks 2 Use the short Change the Channel Mini Breaks to cue bodily reactions and make them your habitual techniques for reducing stress 3 Choose regular times to practice your techniques perhaps pairing them with another habit such as brushing your teeth 4 Play Alive Games using those techniques 5 Continue with physical activity to maintain the results you achieved using this program Alive For Younger Users Many adults seek therapy to learn new ways to cope with stress or to recover from stressful childhood experiences Children also confront difficult challenges social stressors and changes but lack the control over their lives that adults enjoy It makes a lot of sense to give children and teens tools to gain control and deal with life in a flexible manner Very young people are usually unaware of tension and stress but often look for better ways to gain control of their lives The breathing and awareness of the body Alive teaches can give a sense of control that keeps a complex or stressful situation from becoming more difficult or confusing The brain and emotions function in a harmonious way the heart playing a very important role in shaping our thoughts and responses The sooner we learn how to regulate our emotional state the sooner we will en
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41. stop your breathing abdominal breathing e Remove any distractions from your environment turn the ringer off the phone no TV etc e Coffee tea and other stimulants should be avoided as they can make relaxing difficult ALIVE ORIENTATION WITH YOUR COACH The first time you run Alive you will be walked through an Orientation with the Alive Coach Set aside about 20 minutes for this Orientation during which you explore your own responses to stress and learn about the clinical causes for what you are feeling when you are pressured overwhelmed or scared You will learn how to recognize the symptoms of stress and will learn several techniques for managing your body s unconscious response to stress One of the things you will learn to do is pace your breathing using a visual breath pacer The Coach will finish the Orientation with a Spoon Bending Test that will demonstrate to you that you re already learning to master your stress Once you pass the Spoon Bending Test you will be able to access the Alive Main Menu You ll be able to play games explore beautiful environments and practice techniques You ll also be able to readjust your breath pacer review training sessions add users and repeat the Orientation session any time you want to ABOUT THE COACH The Alive Coach is integrated throughout the Alive experience After your Orientation the Coach will monitor your progress and keep records of you
42. to make sure you re not tensing them into a fist now relax and let go Drop your arms to the chair really drop them The triceps are tensed try to bend your arms the wrong way now relax and let go Drop your arms and feel the ease in the 13 muscles Shoulders Pull your shoulders back careful with this one now relax and let go Push the shoulders forward hunch now relax and let go Raise your shoulders as if to touch your ears Relax and let go Neck side to side With the shoulders straight and relaxed turn your head slowly to the right as far as you can now relax and let go Turn to the left relax and let go Neck forward Dig your chin into your chest now relax and let go Bringing the head back is not recommended as you risk damage to your neck Mouth Open your mouth as wide as possible now relax Bring your lips together and purse them as tightly as possible now relax Optional 7 Tongue extended and retracted With mouth open extend the tongue as far as possible now relax letting your tongue sit in the bottom of your mouth Bring your tongue back in your throat as far as possible now relax 8 Tongue roof and floor Dig your tongue into the roof of your mouth now relax Dig it into the bottom of your mouth now relax 9 Eyes Open eyes wide as possible furrowing your brow now relax Close your eyes tightly now relax Make sure you completely relax the
43. vel 5 you ll have accrued 5000 Alive points Levels 16 to 20 Advanced Users have mastered many techniques and are achieving consistently high heart rate smoothness levels At this level the tools and techniques you have learned 11 are easier to remember and you are using them regularly to achieve better concentration decision making and emotional balance By the time you have completed Level 5 you ll have accrued 9000 Alive points Above Level 20 Expert You ll be so skilled at reducing stress and facing challenging situations calmly and efficiently with flow that you will practice your techniques often and share them with others who can benefit from your expertise Music and Relaxation Relaxation with music is among the easiest most effective forms of Music is a great stress management tool It affects your body mind and emotions Listening to music induces physical changes it can promote relaxation of tense muscles and enable you to effortlessly release some of the tension you are carrying from a stressful day Music can help you get into the zone when practicing HRV training and it distracts from unwanted stressful thoughts Music can also help you feel energized when it is desired It can help dissolve the stress when you re just melting into the couch riding the waves of the music Some kinds of music help your brain get into a meditative state Try some of the musical environ
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