Most clinicians think of slow-paced breathing when they think of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback. But what if breathing isn’t always the best tool?

In this episode, Saul Rosenthal talks with Dr. Fred Shaffer delving deeper into the tips for HRV training he describes in his NRBS webinar.

Fred explains how slow-paced muscle contraction can improve HRV, discusses the situations in which it may be helpful, and shares some surprising findings from his laboratory. The conversation also explores broader questions about HRV training, including what we know, and still need to learn, about resonance frequency, why some clients struggle with paced breathing, and how clinicians can avoid becoming overly focused on physiological metrics.

Along the way, Fred offers a reminder that applies far beyond HRV training: use HRV as a compass, not a scoreboard.

Topics include:

• Slow-paced muscle contraction as an alternative to slow breathing
• When breathing-based HRV training may not be appropriate
• Resonance frequency and the unanswered questions in HRV science
• Common challenges in HRV biofeedback training
• Measuring outcomes that matter to clients
• Why clinicians should master the skills they teach

Dr. Fred Shaffer is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Truman State University, former president of the Biofeedback Certification International Alliance (BCIA), and one of the field’s leading educators in biofeedback and psychophysiology.

Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

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This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

#Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #Migraine #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PIRHEG #HEG #PainManagement #EmotionalPain #Seizures #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody

Over the past several months, the Healthy Brain Happy Body Creativity Series has explored creativity through conversations with neuroscientists, musicians, performers, artists, clinicians, and researchers. While these guests came from very different backgrounds, many described remarkably similar experiences: flow, absorption, uncertainty, connection, vulnerability, and the feeling of entering a different state of mind.

In this special synthesis episode, Dr. Saul Rosenthal steps back from the individual interviews to examine the themes that emerged across the series. Drawing on conversations with Rex Jung, Alice Flaherty, Simone Lucchini, Barbara Minton, Mari Swingle, Danielle Pinals, Penijean Gracefire, Kimaya Lakamwasam, and others, he explores the idea that creativity may be less a talent that some people possess and more a state that human beings can enter.

Topics include:

• Flow states and altered states of consciousness
• Creativity as an embodied experience
• Improvisation, uncertainty, and flexibility
• Emotional expression and psychological safety
• Creativity, connection, and world-building
• The role of boredom, mind-wandering, and downtime
• How overload, distraction, and exhaustion interfere with creativity
• What creativity can teach us about being human

This episode also serves as a transition between the science-focused portion of the Creativity Series and upcoming conversations with artists, performers, writers, comedians, and other creative professionals about their lived experiences of creativity.

Guests featured in this episode include:

• Rex Jung, PhD
• Alice Flaherty, MD
• Simone Lucchini, PhD
• Barbara Minton, MA
• Mari Swingle, PhD
• Danielle Pinals, LICSW
• Penijean Gracefire, LMHC
• Kimaya Lakamwasam

Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

#Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #Migraine #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PIRHEG #HEG #PainManagement #EmotionalPain #Seizures #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody #creativity #flowstate #neuroscience #psychology #humanpotential #innovation #improvisation #attention #consciousness #performance #resilience #creativityresearch #cognitiveflexibility #emotionalregulation

In the second part of this conversation, Dr. Mari Swingle and Dr. Saul Rosenthal turn to one of the defining questions of modern life:

What happens to creativity in a world dominated by screens?

Drawing from her research on excessive technology use and “interactive screen addiction,” Dr. Swingle explains how digital media can “piggyback and hijack” the same brain systems involved in creativity and artistic flow.

Topics include:

• How screen use impacts alpha activity and attention
• The difference between creative flow and technological “hijacking”
• Why boredom and “blank space” are essential for creativity
• Technology, algorithms, and the attention economy
• Creativity versus consumption
• Gaming, social media, and the loss of creative drive
• Artificial intelligence, art, and human originality
• Supporting creativity in children and adults
• Why creative expression matters for human well-being

Throughout the episode, Dr. Swingle offers both caution and hope, emphasizing the importance of preserving space for human imagination, experimentation, and emotional expression in an increasingly technology-saturated culture.

This episode is a thoughtful exploration of creativity not just as artistic production, but as a deeply human process worth protecting.

• Watch on YouTube

Contact us at healthybrain@nrbs.org.

Subscribe here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Watch the video versions of our podcasts and Subscribe there as well!

This podcast is produced by the Northeast Region Biofeedback Society. NRBS is an organization for professionals, students, and everyone interested in neurofeedback, biofeedback, and whole body health.

Learn more about Dr. Saul Rosenthal at advancedbehavioral.care.

Our theme music is Catch It by Coma-Media

The Healthy Brain Happy Body logo was designed by Alexandra VanDerlyke. Our heartfelt thanks to her and the rest of the team at Collectively Rooted.

#Creativity #Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #MentalHealth #BrainHealth #PrefrontalCortex #PsychologyPodcast #ClinicalPsychology #MindBodyConnection #Neuroscience #Therapists #Counselors #BrainBasedTherapy #NRBS #HealthyBrainHealthyBody