It’s a good idea to rotate through the points daily or every couple of days to see which points make you feel the best.  Continue patching with Aeon patches on a daily basis for at least two weeks.  Then you can graduate to patching your head four days a week while patching other acupuncture points listed in the company’s brochure on the other three days of the week.  Alternatively, you can patch nightly to help you sleep.  If you hear about severe weather, geomagnetic storms or big earthquakes above 6.0 somewhere in the world, you may wish to use the brain balancing protocol for a few days in a row to prevent the stress from affecting your nervous system. 

 

Brain Balancing Using Affirmations

Dr. John Diamond found that when the thymus gland was balanced, both hemispheres of the brain were also balanced.  You’ll notice that one of the brain balance points is on the upper chest.  That point is right over the thymus gland.  He discovered that if any one of the acupuncture meridians were imbalanced, the thymus would test “weak” on his kinesiology testing, and the brain would test imbalanced.  Each of the meridians is connected to a different emotional response.  Dr. Diamond found that by saying a specific positive affirmation for each meridian, a person could rebalance his brain.  Once the brain was rebalanced, the thymus would then test “strong”.  View my brain balance test videos online.

Meridian imbalances caused by negative emotions can be corrected with verbalizing specific affirmations as verified by applied kinesiology testing.  I have tested my patients in the office and found that brain balance can be achieved easily within three to five repetitions of the affirmation(s).  Unlike Aeon patches, however, which last twelve hours on the body, you may need to repeat the affirmations regularly throughout the day to maintain your brain balance.  The nice thing about the affirmations is that they are free.  I’d recommend repeating these affirmations as often as you can during the day.  Say them out loud, quietly and authentically, to reinforce your brain balance.  The more you can “feel” the words, the better your results.  Here is the list of daily affirmations listed in Life Energy (reproduced with the permission of Dr. Diamond):

I have love, faith, trust, gratitude and courage.  (Thymus)

I am humble.  I am tolerant.  I am modest.  (Lung meridian)

I am happy.  I have good fortune.  I am cheerful.  (Liver meridian)

I reach out with love.  (Gallbladder meridian)

I am basically clean and good.  I am worthy of being loved.  (Large Intestine meridian)

I have faith and confidence in my future.  I am secure.  (Spleen meridian)

My sexual energies are balanced.  (Kidney meridian)

I renounce the past.  I am generous.  I am relaxed.   (Pericardium)

I have forgiveness in my heart.  (Heart meridian)

I am content.  I am tranquil.  (Stomach meridian)

I am buoyed up with hope.  I am light and buoyant.  (Triple Burner/Thyroid meridian)

I am jumping with joy.  (Small Intestine meridian)

I am in harmony.  I am at peace.  (Bladder meridian)

I have faith, love, trust, hope, gratitude and courage (Thymus)

Close with: My life energy is high.  I am in the state of love.

 

Brain Balancing Music

Dr. Jeffrey Thompson, a chiropractor and musician, has pioneered the best brain balancing music I’ve ever listened to.  Used ideally with headphones, his music balances both hemispheres of the brain and encourages a balanced nervous system.  His technology uses three coordinated methods for bringing the mind-body into a state of deep relaxation and balance: "Primordial Sounds," "Brainwave Entrainment" and "multi-layered music" recorded in 3D.  The body responds positively to primordial sounds that include womb, nature and space sounds. 

Dr. Thompson’s healing music can train the brain to establish coordinated brain waves of beta, alpha, theta, delta, gamma and epsilon.  This process is called brainwave entrainment.  Delta waves are required for deep sleep and physical rejuvenation, so if you are not sleeping well, you can’t truly heal the body.  Dr. Thompson’s delta wave music, when used for at least twenty days in a row, entrains the brain to produce relaxing delta waves.  Some people feel results from their first listening. 

Unlike other brainwave entrainment music, Dr. Thompson doesn’t try to entrain the brain by introducing audible repetitive beats to the music, which I find rather stressful and annoying.  He has a special technique that he uses that entrains the brain without any audible beats.  I find his music particularly effective for myself and my patients.  In the office I have one of his Neuroacoustic Sound Tables, a massage table specially equipped with a patented speaker technology that vibrates your body as you relax while listening to his brainwave music.  Almost all of my patients experience profound relaxation on the Sound Table and it enhances their healing.

In order to maintain your brain balance, you will want to listen to Dr. Thompson’s music on a daily basis.  Remember not to listen to the relaxation ones in the car in case you fall asleep!  Children and adults with attention deficit disorder (ADD/ADHD) should avoid theta wave music and may wish to play beta wave music instead during the day to enhance their focus.  The Brainwave Massage 2.0 audio CD is for beta wave enhancement.  Some of my patients who are teachers play this CD in the background for their classes to enhance their children’s relaxation and focus. 

Alpha wave music is for general relaxation and meditation, whereas theta wave music enhances the dream state (which is why it isn’t recommended for ADD).  Delta wave music is good for everyone and I highly recommend that you listen to Delta wave music before going to bed each night.  Some people prefer listening to it all night long to enhance sleep.

Epsilon and Gamma brainwaves are advanced brainwave states found in advanced meditators, some of whom are known to have the ability to leave their physical bodies and travel in the astral plane.  I particularly enjoy Dr. Thompson’s gamma brainwave music because I notice that it enhances my intuition and insight.

To achieve and maintain brain balance using brainwave entrainment music, it is very important to listen to it daily for at least an hour. Dr. Thompson’s brainwave entrainment music can be found listed on my website.

 

Alternate Nostril Breathing

As we breathe normally throughout the day, one nostril demonstrates more airflow than the other and this alternates approximately every ninety minutes.  According to Dr. Leonard Laskow in his book Healing with Love, the hypothalamus, a glandular part of the brain, is responsible for regulating the switch in nostril dominance.  The hypothalamus controls many activities including activities of the autonomic nervous system.  Blood vessels that supply the mucous membrane of the nasal passages are under the control of the autonomic nervous system which is composed of the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (relaxation).  Through alternate sympathetic constriction and parasympathetic dilation of these small blood vessels, the nasal passages either allow more or less air flow.

When air flows in through the right nostril, the left hemisphere of the brain is stimulated.  When air flows in through the left nostril, the right hemisphere of the brain is stimulated.  D. A. Werntz, a researcher conducting a study at the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine, demonstrated that breathing through one nostril generated EEG activity in the opposite brain hemisphere. 

While doing research at a biofeedback lab, Dr. Laskow decided to practice the ancient yogic breathing science of pranayama, in particular, alternate nostril breathing, in order to see what would happen to his brain EEG patterns.  As taught in yogic traditions, as you breathe in through the left nostril, you occlude the right nostril with your right thumb.  At the peak of inhalation, you switch nasal passages and there is a slight pause in breathing at this point.  As you slowly breathe out through the right nostril, you then occlude the left nostril with your right ring finger.  Then to balance the brain hemispheres, you are supposed to continue occluding the left nostril with your right ring finger as you proceed to breathe in through the right nostril.  On the out-breath, release the occlusion and breathe out of the left nostril while occluding the right again with your right thumb.

Dr. Laskow discovered that when he used one of his hands (as in the above traditional instructions) to practice alternate nostril breathing, he surprisingly imbalanced his brain hemispheres.  Instead he decided not to use his hands at all and imagined the air flowing just through one nostril or the other.  This had the intended effect of balancing his brain hemispheres as evidenced on EEG testing.  It would be interesting to see if you used the same finger of each hand to do the alternate nostril occlusion whether or not you would get a more balanced effect than by using the traditional one-handed approach.

Alternate nostril breathing can be changed to single nostril breathing to calm the brain.   You can breathe in through the left nostril and breath out through the right nostril over and over again, activating the right side of the brain.  This has a relaxing effect on the nervous system.  Alternatively, if you’re feeling a bit sleepy and want to wake up, try breathing in through the right nostril and out through the left repeatedly in order to activate the left side of the brain.  Translated into Chinese medicine, the right side of the brain would be Yin (feminine) and the left would be Yang (masculine).  Balancing the brain would then translate into balancing the Yin and Yang in your nervous system.

Although I don’t know if there is any research about how long the brain stays balanced after doing several minutes of alternate nostril breathing, it is safe to say that frequent daily practice will be necessary.

 

How Soon You Will See Results

Your brain will begin balancing right away with these energy tools.  The challenge is maintaining and deepening the balance.  The more hydrated you are and the healthier your diet and lifestyle, the easier it will be to maintain your brain balance.  I’ve noticed that people who patch their heads daily with Aeon not only become brain balanced very quickly, but also experience profound shifts in their mood, awareness and pain levels within two weeks of consistent use. 

If you’re using Dr. Thompson’s brainwave entrainment music, you need to listen to it daily for at least twenty one days in a row for optimal results.  Similarly, consistent daily practice is important if you are using Dr. Diamond’s affirmations or yogic breathing techniques for brain balancing.  A combination of the methods would be, of course, the most powerful, as each technique uses different technologies and can thus influence the brain’s circuitry in synergistic ways.

 

Preventing Brain Imbalances

Get protective devices for your electronic equipment and phones.  As a result of testing in my office, I’ve noticed that the new generation iPhones are notorious for causing brain imbalance, more so than any other brand.  I suspect, however, that as cellular and smartphone technology increases, we will have even more radiation to contend with across the board.  For cell phones and cordless phones, one of the protective devices I recommend is the Quantum Cell from EarthCalm.  For tablets, such as iPads and other wireless-enabled portable devices, I recommend the EarthCalm Torus.  EarthCalm devices have circuitry that grounds harmful microwave radiation, rendering it harmless even if the device is on your body.  I’m grateful for the EarthCalm protective devices because without them, I wouldn’t be able to tolerate having cell phones or Wi-Fi in my home because I’m so electrically-sensitive. 

If you’re unwilling to purchase a protective device for your phone, there are other, albeit less effective, ways to minimize the radiation harm to your nervous system and brain.  We discuss these ways in a later chapter.

Dr. Diamond feels that the thymus gland is the first gland that “takes a hit” when you are stressed.  It can literally shrink with stress!  According to Dr. Diamond, people who have a weak thymus can easily lose their brain balance due to other causes (in addition to what I have already outlined).   For example, he has noted in his experiments that hats made of synthetic material can affect the brain balance. 

Poor posture, such as slouching, can cause a slowing of the energy system and brain imbalances.  Metal in necklaces, eye glasses and belts can sometimes contribute to weakening the energy system in susceptible people.  Not surprisingly, certain types of music, particularly rock and heavy metal, can cause brain imbalances in many folks whereas classical music and classical rock-and-roll do not.  You may wish to experiment with changing what you wear and what you listen to in order to see if you have more energy and feel better.

Avoiding brain toxins such as aspartame, food additives, MSG, as well as toxic fumes (from paint and household cleaners) may also prevent you from losing your brain balance. I have found that avoiding excessive ingestion of sugar can also be helpful in most cases.

Listening to Dr. Thompson’s brain balancing brainwave music on a regular basis, even without headphones, can help you maintain your brain balance.  I have speakers in my bedroom so I can listen to healing music throughout the night when my system is most receptive to energetic input.

After someone has achieved brain balance using the Aeon patches, I will often recommend that they maintain their balance by patching “their heads” at least three times or four times a week. On the other days of the week, the Aeon patch can be used on other acupuncture points found in the LifeWave brochure to help ease stress and inflammation.

 

Beware of Self-Sabotage

The number one mistake that all my patients make is assuming that once they feel better, they don’t have to continue paying attention to and maintaining their brain balance.  Here’s a typical scenario:

Jean sought acupuncture to treat her insomnia and back pain.  I tested her brain balance and it was abnormal.  I brain balanced her using daily Aeon head patching and within a week she was sleeping better than she had for the prior eleven years and her back pain was history.  A couple weeks later, she showed up again with insomnia and back pain.  On questioning her, I found out that she discontinued using the Aeon patches that I had given to her to maintain her brain balance.   Moreover, she had been talking quite a bit on her cordless telephone.  She sheepishly admitted that after the first week when she felt so much better, she didn’t follow through on my suggestion that she replace her cordless phones with landline phones or purchase a protective device for the cordless base station.

Once you are feeling better and having less pain, you too will forget all the wonderful new habits and the skills you have learned to get your body to heal itself.  We literally sabotage our success!  When the symptoms go away, we forget that there is often a lot more healing that needs to take place to reverse the damage.  By the time you experience symptoms, your body has been out of balance for a very long time, often decades.  You can’t expect everything to heal in an instant, so it is important to maintain your improvement with good habits and effective energy tools.  Ok, maybe you are just interested in symptom control, but even so, wouldn’t it be great to build up some resilience so that your body doesn’t “fall apart” when life gets too busy or overwhelming?

Even the best of us sabotage ourselves, although I’m getting much better at catching myself in the act of self-sabotage.  Part of the self-sabotaging habit is a self-esteem issue.  Deep down, many of us don’t really feel like we deserve love or deserve “the good life”, especially when there are so many other people who are miserable.  We feel guilty if we feel too good, as if there wasn’t enough “good” to go around.  This unconscious line of thinking is labeled as scarcity thinking as opposed to abundance thinking.  A key mantra in scarcity thinking is “there is not enough”. 

Did you ever notice that it is human nature to notice when we are feeling bad rather than notice when we are feeling good?  When we feel good, we become unconscious of our healthy habits.  It is only when we feel bad (again) that we “wake up” to the fact that we’re not feeling good anymore!  Let me give you an example.  Steven came to my office complaining of brain fog and joint pain.  Every two weeks, I noticed a pattern whenever I asked him how he was feeling.  He would hand me a detailed one or two page diary of all of his symptoms over the last two weeks.  I began noticing that some of the older symptoms were no longer mentioned, but that new ones had sprung up.  Basically Steven was getting better, but he only mentioned what was still wrong in his life rather than what was now right.  When I pointed this fact out to him, he was really shocked that he hadn’t noticed this habit.  I gently encouraged him to give equal billing to both what was going well in his life as well as what wasn’t going well.  He really liked this suggestion and it’s not co-incidental that his healing sped up.

 

Chapter Summary

         Brain balance is vital to health and healing.  Without it, you cannot heal your chronic pain.
         Brain balance improves your ability to shift your thoughts and beliefs from negative to positive
         Trauma, electropollution, mercury and food additives are common causes of brain imbalance
         One of the most effective ways to balance the brain is using LifeWave Y-Age Aeon anti-stress patches on specific points on the head or thymus
         Brainwave entrainment music, Dr. Diamond’s affirmations and alternate nostril breathing are alternative ways to balance the brain hemispheres
         You can protect yourself from electromagnetic radiation which can cause recurrent brain imbalances
         Be prepared for self-sabotage so you can get back on track quickly