Biofeedback is the technique of making unconscious or involuntary bodily processes (such as heartbeats or brain waves) perceptible to the senses by signals on a screen to begin to manipulate them by conscious mental control.
Kathleen’s teaching method coupled with ProformaVision biofeedback allows clinicians, teachers and students to monitor muscle tension by way of electrodes strategically placed on the arms and shoulders, as well as to view postural alignment of the body during a physiological assessment, coaching lesson or practice. Recording and playback of tests allows for auditory/visual feedback; when incorporating the MIDI window, proprioceptive feedback in finger dexterity is seen via piano roll notation. Such immediate feedback enables clinicians, therapists, teachers and students to sense and see misperceptions of technical execution of musical phrases as well as various maladaptive, compensatory movements
that could lead to a risk of injury (Riley, 2011, 2012, 2014; Riley & Marcarian, 2011).
I incorporate the ProformaVision™ system for neuromuscular reeducation. Seeing is believing and the two graphs that follow clearly illustrate this. The graph on the left is of a violinist with chronic shoulder and arm pain. The red lines on the graphs bilaterally depict the muscle activity in the forearms, and the blue lines are measuring the trapezius muscle on the top of the shoulder. The graph on the right shows dramatic improvement after neuromuscular reeducation and proper fitting with a different chin rest set up:
Notice the dramatic reduction in muscle firing in the blue lines depicting her shoulders, and the decrease in tension in the red lines, showing an increase in the number of valleys on the screen. She experienced enormous relief in tension and pain as well.
In addition to working one-on-one with clients in person, I can successfully incorporate neuromuscular reeducation in a powerful way to individuals in online sessions. I am certified in surface electromyography biofeedback and bring many years of training and expertise to my work.
I incorporate what I have learned about the human body and our physical responses to stress – muscle bracing, poor posture and so on to help you become aware of and learn to optimize your muscle tension patterns, reduce pain and stress, and maximize performance through greater awareness of your posture, your body and your neuromuscular activity. You learn to consciously control muscle tension, improve posture and optimize movement patterns.
As a Certified HeartMath Trainer, I incorporate HeartMath® biofeedback techniques for restoring balance to the autonomic nervous system. Through scientific research, HeartMath has proven that emotions have a direct effect on the heart’s rhythms, affecting the autonomic nervous system. The graph below shows the difference in heart rate variability between the effect of negative depleting emotions such as fear and anxiety shown in the top graph, and renewing emotions such as gratitude and trust in the bottom graph:
We actively engage our innate heart-brain communication system which expands our perception, higher thinking functions and awareness. By disengaging from the negative emotions, we can focus on our chest area around our heart, and begin to interrupt default neural pathways responsible for non-productive looping thoughts and feelings so we can shift to create new, more effective neural pathways leading to productivity and creativity.
The two graphs below show a powerful shift in heart coherence in a young musician. The graph on the left depicts the heart rate after a very negative piano lesson coaching. Note the erratic heart rate patterns. The next graph was taken after the student practiced heart focused breathing and had a positive lesson. This heart rate variability pattern shows a strong correlation between the heart rate speeding up and slowing down, which is referred to as highly coherent.
As with anything we wish to master, committed, consistent practice and application of these techniques strengthens these newer, healthier pathways. Over time, a new baseline is created and what triggered us in the past is no longer as significant, and often falls off our stress radar.
The Master key that I have been shown throughout my lifelong experiential learning is heart intentionality. The power of the heart is transformative in healing, authentic communication and resilience. It restores and creates harmony both within and without.
My special work integrates ProformaVision and HeartMath biofeedback techniques, with sound through spoken word and music, to teach an understanding of frequencies and resonance. It addresses the powerful connection between mind, heart and body. Our thoughts, attitudes and emotions can be heard and felt through the tone of our sound. As my Mother taught me, “it’s not the ‘what’ it’s the ‘how’ you are delivering the message.”
The deceptively simple explanation of how we interact with our world is that the physiological activity inside us constantly adapts and responds to both our inner world of thoughts and emotions, and the situations we encounter in the outer world that surrounds us. And our most powerful energetic frequency is our thoughts. What we think about, feel and take on in our ego mindsets becomes the mathematical vibration with which we operate. Indicators within our body, such as heart rate, body temperature, blood circulation, constantly adjust to the feedback received from these vibrations. These vital rhythmic systems within your body are what define your state of health and wellness. When they are kept in balance, you experience resiliency and optimal health and well-being. When they are out of balance, the physiological responses within the body can manifest in health problems, such as stress-related anxiety, fatigue, headaches, high blood pressure and lack of focus. It can also manifest physically through muscle bracing and constriction, often causing compensatory muscle firing.
I have developed my approach over years of working with performers and observing how intimately connected our minds, bodies and spirits are connected, both within ourselves and with each other. Together we uncover subtle responses not discernable to the naked eye and unravel the chicken/egg conundrum. In other words, we get to the bottom of what is triggering what!
The Integration Technique trains you to influence normally unconscious physiological processes and responses to improve your health and well-being. You learn to tense or relax your muscles, improve concentration and focus, and reduce chronic pain and emotional and mental stress.
I will teach you how to apply physical balance and alignment to access energy points in the body, referred to as the chakras. The concept of the chakra arose in the early traditions of Hinduism. Each chakra is connected to a certain frequency and has a significant purpose in you being who you are. If we look through the eyes of science, Fibonacci knew long ago that this was all essentially connected, and he proved so with mathematics – what is referred to as a part of divine geometry. Each chakra point aligns to a note on the major scale! We are all harmonic beings!
When we align with intention, quiet our minds, and breathe deeply through the heart center, we experience living in the present moment, receive inspiration, and embrace our limitless creative potential.
