Getting Started with Binaural Beats, part 1

You will need some tools before you get started using binaural beats: a computer, an mp3 player, some stereo headphones, and a source of dietary omega-3 fatty acids.

1. I have only used a windows based computer, so I don't know how to make binaural beats on another system. Minimum requirements would include Windows XP, a processor speed of 1 ghz, and at least 10 gigabytes of free hard drive space (2 gigabytes would be enough to get started).
2. I have listened to the beats directly from the computer, but I would recommend using an mp3 player. I have also used a phone with an mp3 player, so it doesn't matter which you use. The most important factor is to use a "stereo" playback setting - i.e. there is a different sound coming out of each earpiece. In my next post, I will include a link to a track to help you test your setup.
3. The most important factor for your headphones is that they can play a stereo signal - i.e. there is a different sound coming out of each earpiece. Yes, I said it again - both the player and the headphones must support this function. I recommend using binaural beats everynight when going to sleep. You may start with a 30-minute session, but intermediate sessions will last at least 2 hours, so comfort will be important. One last factor is reliability - you want to be able to listen to the whole soundtrack, so if your headphones start to cut out, get them replaced.
4. In order to avoid pain and frustration, it is important to supplement with omega-3's when using binaural beats. Whether fish oil, flax seeds, or fresh, frozen, or canned fish, the important thing is that you get at least 1 gram of omega-3's each day.

Here are some additional notes about the tools:

1. More detail will follow in the next post, but here is what you will be doing with your computer. First you will need to download several utilities (you will need access to the internet and permission to save and install these files) - one to make the beat tracks, and one to convert the .wav files to .mp3 files. One of the utilities is DOS based, so you will be using the "run" command from windows (you will need permission to use a .exe file). The .wav files are very large, about 600 megabytes, but you can delete them after you have converted them to .mp3 files which are about 50 megabytes each. I use notepad to help cut and paste the DOS commands, and I use Windows Media Player to load the finished mp3's on my player.
2. The mp3 player should have at least 1 gigabyte of memory, depending on how many files you need at your fingertips. I consider it essential to be able to make a playlist, as you don't want to listen to every track each night - you will want to customize your beats each night depending on your energy level and what you are doing the next day, etc. You will want to have a player with a rechargeable battery (or a lot of money to buy batteries!). If your player is playing the same sound from each ear, you may be able to change the settings. I had a phone several years ago that was using the "mono" setting - after several hours of frustration, I found out that I could change the setting to "stereo" (this was not covered in the instruction manual). The binaural beats won't work under a mono setting - the foundational principle to how the beats work is that different sounds going in each ear stimulate your brain.
3. I have used everything from earbuds, to headphones purchased at a dollar store, to headphones that cover the whole ear. They will all work, but some may cause more frustration than others. If you need to be alert for some reason (a baby in the other room), you may need to experiment with what works best for you. Regarding volume, it doesn't need to be too loud, just loud enough that you can hear the tones which produce the beating effect. The relative loudness of the river can be adjusted up or down if needed. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. You can have the right mp3 track, the right options set on your mp3 player, the right headphones and volume, etc., but if you don't hear the beats in each ear for the duration of the session, you won't experience the full effect. This may require some troubleshooting until you can listen to your beats reliably each session. Earbuds caused me the most frustration. I would wake up randomly with one or both earpieces out of my ear - I even resorted to wearing a rubberband around each ear to keep the earpieces in. Whatever discomfort I felt was worth it to enjoy the effects of the beats, until I was able to purchase some headphones which cover the entire ear. As I said, comfort and reliability are important if you are to experience the full benefits and continue using the beats in spite of frustration.
4. You may be able to use the beats without supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids for awhile, but I would not recommend it long term. I began to experience a lot of pain and inflammation once I really began to increase the speed of my sessions. In my experience, omega-3's are the building blocks of the brain, and unless you supplement, you are asking for trouble. In short, you won't be able to progress as fast without supplementation. There are various strengths and concentrations of pills on the market, and they will all do the job. What is important here is that you actually take the pills, so if it's too big and you have problems taking pills, find a smaller option. You will pay more for a more concentrated form, but there are other benefits of purification from mercury, etc. Again, find what works for you and your budget. Other sources of omega-3 are fatty fish (salmon, anchovies, sardines, mackerel, etc.) and flax seeds. Fresh, frozen, or canned fish work equally well - taste may be a factor for you. Flax seeds can be taken whole, ground, or in a pill form, but the whole seeds will not yield as much omega-3. This may seem like a lot of options, but the most important thing is that you get at least 1 gram of omega-3 each day. You can take it in different forms, just make sure you get enough. One last word of advice before I finish - I have found that the oil digests best when I don't eat complex carbohydrates at the same meal. In other words, to prevent fishy-tasting burps and heartburn, you should take your supplements with a salad and meat, not potatoes or pasta or bread. Enough said.

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at john.vanderhoofven@gmail.com. This post should prepare you with the proper tools to start using binaural beats. My next post will cover how to make your own binaural beat tracks and get you started.

Tools for the Journey

Emotional healing is difficult work in the best of circumstances. I've found several tools that are necessary for the journey; some were familiar, while others were new to me:

1. There is no substitute for a friend/counselor to talk with about your growth. We all need someone to confide in, someone to bounce ideas off of, someone to fight for us even when we are ready to give up. Important qualities of a friend/counselor include their unconditional love for you and objective experience to draw upon.

2. A written journal is helpful, both as a historical record of your growth, but more importantly to help you process your discoveries. At times I have found that I was simply unable to move forward without writing. Other entries have become mileposts of growth that I can look back upon as I grow. Dreams are especially important to journal; they are a message from the subconscious. Even the meaningful ones are often difficult to remember.

3. The greatest emotional healing I have experienced has come from brain development enabled by the use of binaural beats. Binaural beats are the effect created by listening to different tones in each ear, similar to the "beats" heard when a guitar or piano is being tuned. Listening to binaural beat soundtracks through stereo headphones is like a workout for the brain. The brain adaps to each workout, developing mental and emotional speed and strength. This incremental growth has helped me achieve profound results.

4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids are the indispensable building blocks of the brain - it is hard to overstate the importance of this nutrient for dramatic healing and growth. Brain development by means of binaural beats uses up available stores of omega-3's, and unless these stores are replenished, additional growth will be blocked. Omega-3's have an anti-inflammatory effect on the body* involving the same pathways as modern drugs like ibuprofen. Unnecessary frustration and physical pain can be avoided by supplementing the diet with omega-3 fatty acids.

I recommend each of these tools for your growth. Indeed, I would not attempt the journey without any one of them.

Micro Loans

John and I have been micro loaning through Kiva for several years now thanks to a Christmas gift from Nathan & Lana Miller. All it takes is $25, though you could surely do more. You can the individual that you would like to loan to via the Kiva website.

What a great birthday gift idea for those little ones who have everything, and Christmas is closer than we know. :)

Haven't yet read this book One Hen - How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference, but am definitly going to be checking it out!

Review - Firegirl by Tony Abbott

   I say this book is a MUST read! It is told in first person by a 7th grader named Tom. Tom is a very authentic character, sharing with the reader his fears, uncertainties, fantasies, and reactions to the world around him. When a girl is transferred to his school to be closer to a hospital for the continued medical needs she has after being severally burned, Tom's views and understandings of his world are shaken.

  I loved this book because it excites me how kids could see Tom's character handling these situations and can put themselves in his place. Reading this book with a classroom or with kids in the home could open up many doors to the thoughts and feelings that the kids (and adults) are having about those that are different than others.

  I loved this book because I saw myself in the girl who was burned. I am blessed that I am back to "normal" after the accident that I was in on December 11, 2006, but things linger... One thing that lingers is the feelings I had being in a wheel chair, using a walker, on crutches, a cane, or just being slower than everyone else. Feelings that I am not wanted, am not good enough, and that it is too hard emotionally to reach out to others.

  It isn't easy to reach out to someone who is different than you, especially as a kid, but face it, this is true for adults as well. BUT as hard as that is, I promise you, it is harder being the person who is different to reach back

Storm, May 22, 2011

One man's tornado story

Review - Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

This is the Medal winner from 1995, Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech, that I finished reading recently. This book chronicles a 13 year old girl's road trip with her grandparents. Along the way she shares her friend's story and her own with her grandparents. The title Walk Two Moons comes from the saying, "Don't judge a man until you've walked two moons in his moccasins." The book will open up discussions about seeing life from someone else's point of view, even your parents.

Newbery Books

I am currently growing my collection of children's literature with books that have won the Newbery Medal Award or the Newbery Honor Award. This award began in 1922, and to date (2010) 380 books have won. I have currently read 63 of these books, and own approximately 15 more that I have yet to read. I began this challenge several years ago while teaching upper elementary. I want children to read books that are good literature, and this is hard to do if you yourself know nothing about the book.

I currently own none of the winning books before 1935.