Pegasus Mental Fitness Program
How does it work?

Audio-Visual Entrainment (Sound and light therapy)
Audio-Visual Entrainment is a natural phenomenon that has been known and scientifically studied for over 100 years. When a light flashes or a brief tone is heard, the brain waves show a measurable response. In neuroscience, we call this an "evoked potential." To make the phenomenon even more intriguing, when certain frequencies of rhythmic light or sound pulses are presented to the brain, the brain will activate working cells (neurons) in synchrony with the incoming rhythmic activity. We have all experienced this entrainment effect when our brain starts our foot tapping to the beat of music or our body begins to sway to the rhythm of the drum.

Using my understanding of this brain entrainment process, combined with the clinically proven results of NeuroMatrix Neural Efficiency Training™, I developed programs that naturally activate the frequencies responsible for focus, attention, learning, mood, memory, and emotional resilience, and strengthens the communication networks the brain uses to function at high levels. The Pegasus sessions can therefore be thought of as "exercises" for the brain, with the Pegasus system being the brain's "Personal Trainer."
Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback (Breathing) Training
Heart Rate Variability Training uses the power of biofeedback to teach conscious control of breath. When we are stressed, our body automatically shifts into chest breathing. This physiological reaction is a "natural" response to stress that engages us for "Fight or Flight" – to stand and fight or run for our life. The ability to control our stress levels can thus be taken away and we become a victim to our own physiology. An extreme example is a "panic attack." Our heart begins to beat rapidly, our palms become sweaty, and we are filled head to toe with intense anxiety.

Underneath all this day to day stress, if we monitored the timing between our heart beats, we would find that our heart is beating unevenly. This is a powerful yet silent (to us) indicator of the physiological impact the stress response is having on our body and mind. Practicing slow, rhythmic abdominal breaths allow us to naturally engage the Relaxation Response and our heart rhythms smooth accordingly. With the improved emotional resilience, we can better "go with the flow" – to have the reserves to reach the demands of being full-on for an important business meeting or critical exam, and to "chill out" and relax when it is appropriate to do so. Think of a football player relaxing on the bench, then revving up to meet the challenges of the games, then back to relax on the bench again, waiting for the next big chance to play. I call this "a calm focus."
Tutoring your brain to success
Briefly explained, the Pegasus A.V.E. technology is a self contained, palm sized computer that controls flashing lights in special eye glasses and pulsing tones through head phones. The Pegasus A.V.E. sessions are 20 minutes long and done at your convenience. All you need do during three of the once daily sessions is to play a video game, watch TV, read, or even work at your desk or do home work. You don't even have to interrupt your studies or work! The fourth day in the rotation is an eyes closed, relaxed session. This quiet training allows the brain to "unwind and heal" – a chance for the brain and body to learn to relax together.

Heart Rate Variability Training uses a hand held computer (a faint physical resemblance to a cell phone) that monitors the timing between heat beats. The index finger inserted in a slot on top of the unit allows the pulse in the finger tip to be monitored and analyzed by the computer. Stress is associated with what appears to be a "static" signal on the screen; a "calm focus" is seen as a smooth rhythmic wave (a sine wave for you engineers). The training objective is to learn to breathe smoothly and slowly, the feedback being the pattern on the screen. You are credited with one point for each slow, rhythmic breath. The goal is 100 points a day until practice helps make the new breathing pattern automatic and "natural."

Easy to Use
For the Pegasus A.V.E., just turn it on, push a button to select the next training program, and put on the eye stim glasses and head phones. Unlike Neurofeedback, there are no electrodes to be applied to the scalp. For HRV training, insert your finger into the slot at the top of the hand held devise. Start to breathe slowly and naturally into your abdomen; wait for the computerized device to gather a baseline; your points start to accumulate. It's that simple.