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Individuals can use biofeedback machines on their
own after very little instruction; biofeedback has been demonstrated to have
restorative effects in a wide range of applications.
Articles
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A good introduction to biofeedback, by Bette
Runck of the National Institutes of Mental Health. |
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In this article, Dr. Ilan Shalif asserts, “"You do not need
any bloody instrument to do biofeedback training" |
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Book
Biofeedback, Third Edition: A Practitioner’s Guide
edited by Mark S. Schwartz and Frank Andrasik (Guilford Press, 2003)
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Websites
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Association for Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback |
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Biofeedback Network |
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Equipment
There are many, many suppliers of biofeedback equipment, which
can be found through any online search engine.
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Paying attention to breathing and breathing “properly” is
associated with short-term and longer-term restoration. There are many views
about the best way to breathe for the most beneficial results; several such
“schools” of breathwork are included in the references here.
Articles
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Courtney, R. “Buteyko Breathing for Health” |
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Thorpe, D. “Transformational Breathing: A New Process for
Health and Wellbeing” |
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Books
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The Breathing Book by Donna Farhi (Henry Holt, 1998) |
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Conscious Breathing: Breathwork for Health, Stress Release,
and Personal Mastery by Gay Hendricks (Bantam, 1995) |
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Exploring Holotropic Breathwork edited by Kylea Taylor
(Santa Cruz, CA: Hanford Mead, 2003) |
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The Tao of Natural Breathing by Dennis Lewis (Mountain
Wind, 1996) |
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Websites
Association for Holotropic Breathwork |
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Authentic Breathing Resources |
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Computer programs and internet-assisted learning can help
individuals achieve restorative states. Also, access to a computer can help
individuals who are using a restorative space look up additional information
about potential restorative activities.
Products
We are not recommending these specific products,
but only using them as examples of computer-assisted activities with claimed
restorative effect.
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The Institute of HeartMath’s “FreezeFramer” product is “an
interactive learning system designed to prevent, manage and reverse the
effects of stress and anxiety.” |
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LifeJournal software facilitates personal journaling. Its
creators say, “Its innovative features foster your ability to gain insight and
promote creative self-discovery.” |
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Elixa, Ltd. produces software for biofeedback applications. |
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Kitz Technologies offers a program that incorporates sound and
color into meditation practice. |
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The Integrative Medicine Alliance hosts an “Online Distant
Healing Clinic,” of which it says, “To our knowledge it is the only resource on
the Internet that attempts to provide people of all faiths and backgrounds with
opportunities to give or receive free distant healing or healing prayer.” |
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Creating art has been demonstrated to effect restoration.
Although formal “art therapy” is practiced with a trained leader, there are many
restorative activities – such as collage-making, mandala drawing, and working
with clay – that can be undertaken by individuals with some preliminary
guidance. For full restorative benefit, that guidance (in the form of, e.g., an
introductory class or written materials) should be provided.
Articles
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Cappacchione, L. “The Ten Steps of Visioning” (Collage-making) |
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Books
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Art and Healing: Using Expressive Art to Heal Your Body,
Mind, and Spirit by Barbara Ganim, Michael Samuels, and Mary Lane (Three
Rivers, 1999) |
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Creative Healing: How to Heal Yourself by Tapping Your
Hidden Creativity by Michael Samuels and M.R. Lane (San Francisco:
HarperSanFrancisco, 1998) |
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Living with Feeling: The Art of Emotional Expression by
Lucia Capacchione (J.P. Tarcher: 2001)
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Mandala: Luminous Symbols for Healing by Judith
Cornell (Wheaton, IL: Quest Books: 1995) |
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Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams
by Lucia Capacchione (J.P. Tarcher:
2000) |
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Websites
American Art Therapy Association |
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Art As Healing Force Web |
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Now Get Creative |
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Restorative effects have been attributed to walking a
labyrinth (though those effects have not been tested through quantitative
research.)
Articles
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Corbett, P. “Pathfinders: Walking Medieval Labyrinths in a
Modern World” |
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Kibbe, T. “The Labyrinth: A Path to the Sacred” |
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Books
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Exploring the Labyrinth: A Guide for Healing and Spiritual
Growth by Melissa Gayle West
(Broadway Books, 2000) |
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The Healing Labyrinth: Finding Your Path to Inner Peace
by Helen Sands and Robert Ferre (Barrons: 2001) |
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The Way of the Labyrinth: A Powerful Meditation for
Everyday Life by Helen Curry and Jean Houston (Penguin: 2000) |
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Websites
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Labyrinth Guild of New England |
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Spiral Touch |
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There are several forms of light therapy. The most widely used
is the “SAD” machine. Seasonal Affective Disorder (“SAD”) affects many people,
making them unhappy or even depressed when they experience insufficient
sunlight. Sitting before full- or near-full spectrum lights has been shown to
relieve this condition.
Articles
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Breiling, B. “Light Therapy” |
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Breiling, B., J.L. Nelson, and M. Hartley. “Light Assisted
Psychotherapy by Brief Photostimulation Through the Eyes” |
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Norton, D. “A Bright Future for Light Therapy” |
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Books
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Light: Medicine of the Future by Jacob Liberman (Bear &
Co., 1992) |
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Light Years Ahead: The Illustrated Guide to Full Spectrum
and Colored Light in Mindbody Healing edited by Brian Breiling and Bethany
ArgIsle (Celestial Arts, 1996) |
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Website
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Light Years Ahead |
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Equipment
There are many varieties of “SAD” machines and other
light-therapy equipment, which can be located by conducting an internet search.
The appendices in Light Years Ahead list many sources.
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Connecting in some way with a higher power has been shown to
have restorative effects. How one might do that will depend on many things,
including his or her faith tradition. We cannot provide resources for such a
vast area of possible practices, but many are available. You can read a
collection of articles by noted prayer advocates at:
http://www.soulfulliving.com/
dec01features.htm, and you can see how prayer
may be integrated with a relaxation technique in Beyond the Relaxation
Response: How to Harness the Healing Power of Your Beliefs, by Herbert
Benson
A multifaith compendium
of prayers related to healing is contained in Transitions: Prayers and
Declarations for A Changing Life by Julia Cameron (J.P. Tarcher, 1999)
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Self-hypnosis can be a strategy for restorative deep
relaxation or for addressing a number of specific issues.
Books
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Self-Hypnosis: The Complete Manual for Health and
Self-Change by Brian Alman and Peter Lambrau (Brunner/Mazel, 1991) |
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Effective Self Hypnosis: Pathways to the Unconscious
(Book/Tape Combination) by C. Alexander Simpkins and others (Radiant
Dolphin, 2000) |
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Articles
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_____. “Self-Massage” |
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_____. “Self-Massage” |
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Books
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The Trigger Point Therapy Workbook: Your Self-Treatment
Guide for Pain Relief by Clair Davies (New Harbinger, 2001) |
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In a highly interactive sensory environment, individuals
experience a multiplicity of different activities on
the sensory level – light, noises, feelings, smells and taste. Although these
environments have primarily been used for individuals with development disorders
– ranging from children with disabilities to elders with dementia – they may
also be applicable for individual restoration.
Articles
Owens, B. “Therapy of the senses: Sights, sounds in
‘Snoezelen’ room designed for relaxation” |
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______. “What Is SNOEZELEN?” |
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Book
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Snoezelen: Evidence from Practice edited by Patricia
Schofield and Roger Hutchinson (Free Association Books, 2000)
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Snoezeling: A Handbook for Practitioners by Michele
Shapiro and Sharon Bacher |
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Websites
Flaghouse (information and products) |
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Rompa (information and products) |
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Research evidence shows that much restoration can be
accomplished during relatively brief pauses, if they are approached properly.
Books
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The Other 90%: How to Unlock Your Vast Untapped Potential
for Leadership and Life by Robert Cooper (New York: Crown, 2001): 73-80 |
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The Twenty Minute Break: Reduce Stress, Maximize
Performance, Improve Health and Emotional Well-Being Using the New Science of
Ultradian Rhythms by Ernest Rossi (Zeig Tucker & Co., 1991) |
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Although we have placed these two practices together, imagery
is not synonymous with visualization, since visualization technically refers only to seeing something in the mind's
eye, whereas imagery can mean imagining through any sense, as through hearing or
smell.
Articles
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Gawain, S. “How to Make Creative Visualization Part of Your
Life” |
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Milios, R. “Harnessing the Power of Visualizations and
Affirmations” |
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____. “Guided Imagery or Visualization” |
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Books
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Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination
to Create What You Want in Your Life by Shakti Gawain (New World, 2002) |
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Guided Imagery for Self-Healing by Martin Rossman (H.J.
Kramer, 2000) |
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Rituals of Healing: Using Imagery for Health and Wellness
by Jean Achterberg and others (Bantam, 1994) |
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Footnotes
[1] For one of
hundreds of specific research studies, see Yucha, C.B., L. Clark, et al. “The
Effect of Biofeedback in Hypertension” Applied Nursing Research 2001
Feb;14(1):29-35
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=11172227. For a summary of the research, see,
e.g., Pepper, E., et al. Mind Body Integration: Essential Readings in
Biofeedback (Plenum Press, 1979)
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0306401029/qid=1064448758/sr=1-9/ref=sr_1_9/
102-3604792-0982541?v=glance&s=books
[3] “Web therapy
may help tinnitus sufferers cope with problem.”
http://www.cfah.org/hbns/
newsrelease/tinnitus9-24-02.cfm ; McCraty, R., Barrios-Choplin, B., Rozman,
D., Atkinson, M. and Watkins, A. “The impact of a new emotional self-management
program on stress, emotions, heart rate variability, DHEA and cortisol.”
Integrative Physiological and Behavioral Science. 1998; 33(2):151-170
[4] See, for
example, Zambelli, G.C. , E.J. Clark, and M. Heegard. “Art therapy for bereaved
children,” in H. Wadeson, J. Durkin, and D. Perach, eds. Advances in Art
Therapy (pp.). (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1989): 60-80.
[5] “A small but
growing body of research studies documents the benefits of this form of light
therapy, technically known as photic stimulation. Flashing light is shone into
the eyes either from a mask or goggles worn by the patient or by having the
patient sit in front of a larger flashing light source one or two feet away.
Typically the treatment is applied for 15 or 20 minutes per day. In a hospital
trial in London, flashing light therapy proved more effective than any
previously published treatment for pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).” Anderson, D.J., Legg, N.J., and Ridout, D.A.
“Preliminary trial of photic stimulation for pre-menstrual syndrome.”
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology,
17(1): 76-79, 1997.
[6] See, for
example, Schwartz, P.J,, Brown, C, and Rosenthal,
N.E., “Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Follow-Up Study of the First 59
Patients of the National Institute of Mental Health Seasonal Studies Program.”
The American Journal of Psychiatry,
153(8): 1028, 1996; and Joffe, R.T., Moul, D.E., and Lan, R.W.,
“Light Visor Treatment for Seasonal Affective Disorder: A Multicenter Study.”
Psychiatry Research,
46(1): 29, 1993.
[8] See, for
example, Goldberg, B. “Hypnosis and the immune response.” International
Journal of Psychosomatic Illness 1985:32(3): 34-36; Kiecolt-Glaser JK et al. “Hypnosis as a modulator of cellular
immune dysregulation during acute stress.” Journal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology 2001:69 (4): 674-82; and Rossi, E.L. The Psychobiology of Mind-Body
Healing: New Concepts of Therapeutic Hypnosis (New York: W.W. Norton, 1986)
These references apply to hypnosis administered professionally, not
self-hypnosis.
[9] The
restorative effects of massage are amply demonstrated. See, e.g., Ironson, G.,
Field, T., et.al. “Massage Therapy is Associated with Enhancement of the Immune
System’s Cytotoxic Capacity.” International Journal of Neuroscience.
1996:84:205-217; and Cady, S.H., Jones, G.E. “Massage Therapy as a Workplace
Intervention for Reduction of Stress.” Perceptual and Motor Skills.
1997:84(1): 157-158
[10] Schofield P. “Evaluating Snoezelen for relaxation within
chronic pain management.” British Journal of Nursing 11 (12): 812-821,
Jun-Jul 2002.
[11] See, e.g.,
Cooper, R.K. The Other 90%: How to Unlock Your Vast Untapped Potential for
Leadership and Life by Robert Cooper (New York: Crown, 2001): 73-80; and
Rossi, E. The Twenty Minute Break: Reduce Stress, Maximize Performance,
Improve Health and Emotional Well-Being Using the New Science of Ultradian
Rhythms (Zeig Tucker & Co., 1991)
[12] “Imagery has
been successfully tested as a strategy for alleviating nausea and vomiting
associated with chemotherapy in cancer patients (Frank, 1985; Scott et al.,
1986), to relieve stress (Donovan, 1980), and to facilitate weight gain in
cancer patients (Dixon, 1984). It has been successfully used and tested for pain
control in a variety of settings; as adjunctive therapy for several diseases,
including diabetes (Stevens, 1983); and with geriatric patients to enhance
immunity (Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 1985).” From Alternative Medicine: Expanding
Medical Horizons,
A Report to the
National Institutes of Health on Alternative Medical Systems and Practices in the United States
http://www.naturalhealthvillage.com/reports/rpt2oam/mindbody.htm
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