Heart rate is measured in beats per minute. Other kinds of stress, such as depression, may result in lower heart rates. To measure heart rate, the inside wrists are cleaned and three silver sensors with conductive gel are slipped under elastic wrist bands. Heart rate can also be measured at the fingertips. The goal of training at BRI is to achieve a heart rate between 56 and 66 beats per minute.
Respiration is measured in breaths per minute, typically by a strain gauge worn around the chest.
At BRI, it is measured by the same sensors that are used to measure shoulder muscle activity. Our respiration becomes faster, shallower and uneven when we are stressed, for example, when we gasp in surprise or feel short of breath when frightened. It is not unusual for people to have a breath rate of between 16 and 30 per minute prior to training. The goal of training at BRI is to reduce breath rate to 8 to 12 breaths per minute. The overall purpose of EEG training is to develop range of motion among bandwidths, so that the client knows what each bandwidth feels like and how to use each state for its characteristic benefits.