Resources

It takes a village

“Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going on inside ourselves.”

-Bessel Van Der Kolk

This quote by one of the foremost trauma experts may often seem like an overwhelming task, but it’s a necessary one in the path to emotional regulation. The first step in any path to recovery or healing is to reestablish ownership of yourself: body, mind, and spirit. Here are some resources I’ve found along the way that may be helpful on your journey.

Meditation

Instruction/Teachers

NeuroMeditation Institute, created by Dr. Jeff Tarrant, combines meditation and neurofeedback technology to enhance self-regulation and support specific outcomes. This approach recognizes that different brain states can be targeted for various goals, such as stress reduction, focus improvement, or emotional balance. You can learn one-on-one with a teacher, or find their guided meditations on Insight Timer, their website, and in small classes.

Dr. Joe Dispenza blends neuroscience, quantum physics, and spirituality in his profound meditations. His style emphasizes the power of visualization, intention, and breathwork to facilitate personal transformation. If you’re able to take one of his 7-day advanced workshops, it just might change your life! He also offers online courses and guided meditations that focus on manifesting positive change and rewiring the brain.

Ziva Meditation, developed by Emily Fletcher, is a modern approach to meditation that combines mindfulness, meditation, and manifesting. This technique emphasizes the use of mantras to anchor the mind and release stress and trauma. If you want structured online courses and are willing to commit to regular 2x-a-day practices (for 15 mins each) this can be a powerful method for integrating meditation into your daily life.

Apps

Insight Timer

Healthy Minds

Plum Village

Read

Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom

Meditation Interventions to Rewire the Brain: Integrating Neuroscience Strategies for ADHD, Anxiety, Depression & PTSD

Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body

Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers

Becoming Supernatural

Coaching

“Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results.”

— James Clear

Read

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones, James Clear

How to Do the Work: Recognize Your Patterns, Heal from Your Past, and Create Your Self, Dr. Nicole LePera

Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence, Dr. Anna Lembke

Limitless: Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life, Jim Kwik

Coaching Networks

WellCoaches Professional health and well-being coaches are expert facilitators of sustainable change in mindset and behaviors. Translating science and innovation, Wellcoache coaches use evidence-based tools and processes designed to help others develop individualized strategies for improving their health, exercise, eating, and emotional well-being in order to grow and thrive.

Intent Clinical is a leading provider of focused care in life’s most uncertain moments. They share the burden of those confronting a fragmented behavioral health system by delivering practical support for the tasks of living with mental health concerns, substance use disorders, aging-related complications, neurocognitive decline, neurodiversity, and life transition disruptions- alongside the impacted others- families, advisors, and employers.

HeartMath Building Personal Resilience Science-based and used worldwide, HeartMath meditation uses breathing techniques to bring about coherence — the alignment of your physical, mental, and emotional systems to work in sync. Using their technology to track your coherence while practicing a heart-focused breathing meditation that can help you quickly change from feeling stressed to feeling calm.

Flow Coaching Positive psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi describes flow as a state of complete immersion in an activity. Being ‘in the flow’ occurs when we do what we enjoy, use our strengths, embrace our values, and express our individuality. Flow training is a neuroscience-backed peak performance user manual for hacking your brain to drive high performance. Click here to learn more about Steven Kotler’s Flow Research Collective.

Biofeedback Tools

Apollo Neuro Developed by neuroscientists and physicians, this wearable touch therapy is like a “hug” for your nervous system. Apollo's silent, gentle vibrations strengthen and rebalance your autonomic nervous system, and your heart rate variability (HRV) improves – which means you’re building your resilience to stress.

NuCalm Neuroscience technology clinically proven to reduce stress & improve sleep. This therapy involves listening to music on your headphones from their App and placing a biosignal disc on your wrist that sends a signal to your heart to activate parasympathetic nerve fibers, which then transmit the signals to your brain. This mimics your body's normal transition to a peaceful night's sleep, so you get a deeply restorative session in 20-60 minutes. It’s pretty amazing for quickly and easily balancing your autonomic nervous system, and I highly recommend it for those struggling with sleep issues, high levels of anxiety, and trauma.

Muse Put on this small headband while doing one of their guided meditations, it’s actually an EEG device that passively senses your brain activity and translates it into the guiding sounds of weather to help you stay calm, focused, and aware of your progress, then see the results on the App.

Heart Math Institute Their EmWave Stress Relief System is a form of Biofeedback that focuses on heart wave variability and coherence. The goal of HeartMath Biofeedback is to teach you how to bring your brain, mind, body, and emotions into balanced alignment.

Oura A ring that has 24/7 heart rate monitoring, personalized health insights, sleep analysis, guided meditations, and a lot of other cool things.