What If Rest Starts With Your Brain Waves

If your mind is always “on,” your body might not be feeling at rest; it might be stuck in a brainwave state built for survival. We walk through the brain waves that shape your day-to-day experience, from high beta urgency and anxiety to the calmer, more spacious states of alpha and theta, where real restoration can finally happen. Along the way, we connect brain waves to nervous system regulation, somatic healing, and embodiment so you can stop guessing and start working with your biology.

We keep it practical: how low beta becomes a bridge into alpha, what activities help you downshift without forcing stillness, and why “rest without sleep” is a skill worth building. You will also hear how interoception, sensing your internal sensations, becomes easier as activation drops, helping you feel grounded, aligned, and more at home in your body.

Then we practice together. I guide a release-and-let-go sequence using movement, breath, and sound, followed by a cyclical breath pattern designed to meet high activation and gently escort you toward calm. After a downshift into slower breathing, you’ll receive a 222 Hz tuning fork sound healing to support an alpha theta rest state, with cues that invite softening, heaviness, and safety in the body.

If you’ve been craving a clear path out of survival mode, press play and try it in real time. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs deeper rest, and leave a review so more people can find somatic tools that actually work.

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Transcript

Welcome And Grounding Breath

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Somatic Self-Healers Podcast. This is a space for people who are tired of living in survival mode and are ready to start feeling safe in their body again. I'm your host, Leah McQuaid, and here we don't just talk about nervous system healing, we experience what it actually looks and feels like to come back to yourself in real life. Through somatic practices, breath work, and guided energetic healing sessions using sound. These episodes are designed to support you in shifting out of survival mode and into a deeper sense of presence, connection, and aliveness. So wherever you are, take a moment. Let this be a place you can soften and slow down. Take a nice big deep breath in. Settle in and let's begin. Hi and welcome to Somatic Self-Healers. My name's Leah McQuaid, and I love helping people get out of survival mode so they can live a fully embodied life. So today we're gonna talk about the brain waves. We're gonna do a little bit of healing session to help bring a little bit more embodiment around the brain waves, and I'll talk about that in about 10 minutes or so. But first let's talk a little bit about the brain waves, right? So what are brain waves, right? So they the brain waves are an electrical voltage of billions of neurons, and they connect and they activate, and when they synchronize, they're considered brain waves. So they have amplitude and frequencies which help them become categorized, and they're measured in speed cycles per second, and we call these hertz. So there's several different categorizations of the brain waves. There's lambda and gamma, and we're not gonna talk about those because those states are associated with meditation, high peak flow states, and those are amazing. However, my work is really about how we can apply what I teach to our everyday lives. So the first place we're gonna start is the beta brain waves, because this is where most of us live most of the time. So we're gonna talk first about beta, then we're gonna go into alpha, theta, and then delta, because these are really applicable to most of us in our lives right now. So when we think about the beta brainwave state, we've got high, medium, and low beta. And when we're in that high, high beta, it's a really activated state, right? We're oftentimes anxious, we can have a feeling of urgency, there's survival energy in beta, we're busy, we're non-stop, we're hyperfocused, we're often narrowly focused as well. And it's just really this uh go, go, go sort of uh brainwave state. So very active, very high. And then when we come into medium brainwave state, it's also a high-focus state, but it's without the stress. Right? There's analytical thinking, we make decisions here, right? And then from there we go to low beta. So low beta is calm-focused. We're relaxed, but we're also alert. Some activities we can do here, like reading, going for walks, can kind of help bridge that low beta into alpha. Uh yeah, so we can think about the beta state as being more of a doing state. And then when we move into alpha and theta, we can think about it being more of a being state. So we start to shift into alpha and we're still alert in alpha, but we're not processing. So there's a relaxed vibe to us. Our bodies are calm, but our minds are still kind of open and available. Some activities, once again, we can kind of do in this alpha and to bridge that low beta to alpha or walking in nature. This is where we might put on those guided visualizations or the insight timer or calm apps, right? Which I've got some insight timer recordings, you're more than welcome to check out, right? Uh yeah, so when we start to move from the alpha, right? Oh, I want to talk first about some more activities in alpha, right? Hobbies, crocheting, coloring, cooking, as long as there's not like a big elaborate recipe. Those are all sorts of activities you can start to do that don't require a lot of processing, but yet your body's still available, your body's calm, your mind's available still, but you're not processing, right? Okay, so then we move into theta, and theta is where a lot of healing happens. So theta is the brainwave state right before we fall asleep. And theta is awake, but we're kind of coming in and out of wakefulness. It's a it's a nice meditative state, and here we can access a lot of insight, we can access our intuition, we can process emotions. So there's still some embodiment with theta, right? You're still aware of your body, but you might come out and be more of this indirect sort of focus, and then you come back, and there's a little bit more of that direct focus, and then you're coming out to that indirect focus, right? So this is a really healing state to be in. So much can process and integrate in this state. So, why is this all important for rest, right? So if you're having a difficult time relaxing or resting, or if you're wanting to build capacity for rest, it can be really helpful to think about rest in the terms of our brainwave state. So if we are in a high beta state, or even beta in general, even if we start to notice we can bring it down to medium or low, right, rest really doesn't happen until we're in that low alpha theta state. So we can work at bringing the brainwave state to help us build capacity for rest so we can stay in a space of rest where our body is soaking up all of the nourishment of just being rather than doing. Yeah, being rather than doing. So you might be sleeping at night, you might be sleeping in in falling asleep at night, but there's a lot of space where we get to rest without sleeping, and in that space, that middle space of rest without sleeping, so much can integrate and happen and process from the body. And that's what somatics is really about, right? Like, how can we shift the processing in the mind down to processing through the body? And that happens when we start to bring the activation, the brainwave state, we start to bring it down. And the only way to do that, right, is to move from that beta state through the alpha to the theta and then the delta, right? And a lot happens, it happens in delta when we're sleeping. So much subconscious processing can happen through our dreams. That's a whole nother thing, right? So, why is all this important? Why what does this have to do with embodiment, right? So, when we're in that alpha theta state, we can sense our bodies, we can drop into deeper levels of interoception, that listening for our sensations, we can hear our inner voice through, hear the inner voice through the sensations of our body. We can hear our truth, we can become aligned, we can get grounded, we access that subconscious mind, but then we can process and integrate that at the same time. And once again, it's this beautiful state of being instead of doing, and so much rest, healing can happen in this space, and all it takes really is to start to bring the brainwave state down. So I'm gonna give you some tools to do that, right? Since this work is a lot about providing you with the tools to be able to apply this stuff to your life because knowledge will get you so far, but when we can start applying it to our lives, when our lives really start to change, right? So we're gonna drop into our session, and I first want to start our healing session here with the somatic movement, what I like to call release and let go practices.

unknown 10:30

Right?

Cyclical Breathwork And Safety

Tuning Fork Rest Practice

Reflection And Resources

SPEAKER_01 10:30

So when we're in that high beta state, a lot of times that energy, if you tap into that energy, it's fight or flight energy, especially when we're in high beta, it's a lot of activation because our body it either wants to fight or flee something. And so that energy really likes to be mobilized. So it can be really helpful when we meet our beta state rather than trying to go directly into uh a theta state or an alpha state. It's helpful to kind of meet where we're at. Okay, today was a stressful day, had a lot going on, I've been really busy, I haven't had a chance to really drop in. Okay, and so with let's meet that with some movement, some mobilization, right? So I invite you to do that through breath, movement, and sound. And if you've been following along with my work for a while, you might know how to do this already, and I encourage you to go for it. Do your own release let go practice. And if you want a little bit of guidance, I'm just gonna start with a little bit of wiggling and shaking. Right? So you may or may not be standing up, and that's okay, you can do this sitting down, right? And just a little bit of wiggling and shaking with that anticipation of release, that intention of just letting go of whatever might be sitting there on the top, on the top of your system, right? So you're letting it go. So there's some movement, ah, bringing in some breath. I really like on the exhale to make some sound. Maybe horsey lips. These are some of my favorites. Maybe you have your own favorites you like to do, sighing it out, horsey lips. You might also try as you're moving, right? You might also try to kind of poof out the breath. And I'm also shifting to heel drops, also one of my favorites, right? While I'm poofing the breath out. Yeah, so now we've got all three breath movement and sound. And if access to all three isn't accessible to you right now, that's okay. Maybe you just use the breath for a moment. Maybe you just make some sound, or maybe you just move your body. One is enough. So you get to choose, remembering you always have choice in your life and in these practices. Another one is just being loosey-goosey with the upper body, right and left, right and left, and you might even say that just to bring some rhythm into your body, right and left, because oftentimes when we're in that high beta state or even medium beta, we've kind of lost the rhythm, right? We're super focused, super intense about getting things done, and we kind of lose the rhythm of our life, and so the breath can be helpful in finding some rhythm, just and also moving, right? You might just move right and left and say that out loud or to yourself, right and left, same thing with less dynamic movement, right? You might look over your right shoulder and say right, left, right, left. Amazing. And for the next portion, it's really important that you're lying down for the next section for the breath work. So if you're in your car, if you're on a break at work, you're sitting at your desk, maybe take a moment, pause this, make a note, come back to this when you can lay down. Because when we engage in the breath work, which we're gonna do next, a breath that incorporates a cyclical, more intensity with the breath. And when we breathe in this sort of way, it can bring some hyper-oxygenation to the blood, and it can make us feel sometimes, especially if you're new with this breath, it can make us feel a little woozy, right? A little lightheaded. And so I want to make sure that you're comfortable, you're laying down. So it's gonna be really important for the next part. So take a moment, get your space comfortable, and as you're settling in, lying down, maybe you do a little bit more movements, right? Maybe you just shake out the upper body, maybe you just kind of roll side to side, settling in, and encouraging you to take a moment and just look around your room, your space. Take those deep breaths, allow your body to feel supported, just noticing where you might have some tension or bracing in the body, and inviting in through the breath, through that sound, a softening, a pressing a spreading of your body. And we're not gonna stay with this down regulation for too long because we're gonna go ahead and start activating into the sympathetic cyclical breath now. Okay. So as you start to breathe, the the first breath is gonna be into the belly, the second breath is gonna be up into the heart, and then you're gonna exhale out. And the inhale and the exhale are in and out of the mouth. So it's like this. Yeah. And if you're brand new with this breath, it's gonna feel strange. It's gonna feel different. And I just encourage you to give it a shot. So we're not gonna be here for real long, you know, maybe five, ten minutes at the max. And this is just helping bring some stimulation into the body to help fully release, and so you can help yourself start to shift out of that mind and into deeper embodiment by focusing on this breath. And this breath can be a really beautiful place to focus on, right? Because you're focusing that first breath on the belly, second breath on the heart, and then you're exhaling out. So this is different than a lot of yogic breaths or those calm breaths, because really what we're doing is we're inviting in a little bit more energy into our body so that we can help kind of usher along that high brain wave state, right? We're kind of meeting that high to medium brain wave state here with this breath, and that can be really helpful to be a bridge into the lower uh beta brain and into the alpha. So we're creating a little bit of a bridge here. So just keep breathing, belly, heart, exhale, inhale through the mouth. Yeah, that's it. Beautiful, and you're finding the rhythm, remembering that we just spoke about rhythm being a really beautiful way to start coming into the body, right? Finding the rhythm through the breath, belly, heart, exhale, and you might find the rhythm for a moment and then you might lose it, and that's okay. Just come back to the breath, right? Come back to the breath, come out of the thinking mind, belly, heart, exhale in and out of the mouth. Yeah, that's it. Just meeting your self at higher brainwave state, just meeting it with this breath. You got it. Inhale, belly, inhale, heart, exhale. Yeah, and you can soften into that breath. You might hear me kind of exaggerating the breath, just so you can hear the breath, but you might start to soften into it like a yeah, maybe lengthening the inhale, lengthening how it pulls up to the heart, and lengthening the exhale. Yeah. That's it really coming into your rhythm. You're doing a great job. Yeah, that's it. Yeah, belly heart. Exhale. It will go for maybe three more minutes here. Three, five more minutes. So you're not gonna be doing this forever. And it is work, right? It is work for those of you who came in and thought we were gonna just drop right into our healing session today. Yeah, I hear ya. Maybe you didn't expect this work. Keep breathing. Belly, heart, exhale. Just know that this is gonna, there's gonna be a payoff. Right? There's always a payoff at the end of this breath. So just keep breathing so you can start to feel that payoff. And of course, my friends, always if you're like, this breath isn't for me today, that's okay. Maybe you just breathe one inhale and one exhale in and out of the mouth. Or maybe you just come in with that parasympathetic breath in and out of the nose. That's cool too. But if you're with me here, you have the capacity for this breath, let's just keep going. Belly, heart, exhale. Going at your pace. There you go. And we're gonna drop into a tuning fork session here in a moment. Just meeting that beta state here, that high activation. Yeah, that's it. Just helping the body. Focusing on the breath. If you notice the mind is going to what you're gonna eat later, or the things you didn't get done on your to-do list. It's okay. Just come back to the breath. That's it, my friends. Yeah, you're in full control. You can stop at any moment. Maybe you're feeling some tingling. Maybe your lips are getting dry. You can always lick your lips. That's it. You got it. So a few minutes more. Belly, heart, belly, heart. Exhale. That's it. You got it. I'm right here with you. I'm breathing right here with you. That's it. I'm doing a little energetic clearing of your spaces. Yeah, that's it. There you go. Belly, heart, exhale. Belly, heart, exhale, moving that energy. Anything that might be stuck in the first, second, third chakra, moving it up to the heart and then letting it go. And at any point during breath work, if your body wants to move again, by all means, if you want to make some sound, if you have some emotion coming through, all of that is welcome. One more minute here, and then we'll drop into that parasympathetic meditative state. There you go. Belly, heart, exhale. You got it. Soften the jaw, let the breath be fluid. Yeah, maybe you're finding something of interest, some sensation in your body. Just staying curious, but not from an analytical need to know place, but just to oh, that's curious. That's interesting. Yeah, that's it. Belly, heart, exhale. All right. And then starting to shift your breath from two inhales to just one inhale. One inhale through the mouth. And then exhale through the mouth. That's it. Inhale through the mouth. Exhale through the mouth. Just noticing what you notice. That's it. And then when you're ready, you can shift into the parasympathetic breath in and out of the nose. And you might find you want to keep doing this sympathetic breath for a few minutes longer. Feel free. You might notice that this has opened something about your experience of your body. Maybe it's opened something. Maybe you've noticed that, oh, there is a softening here. And maybe it's just 10% of a softening. Right? That could be enough to start shifting that high beta state just a little bit. Maybe you noticed you're in more of that alpha, right? There's a calmness to your body, a spreading, a loosening, but yet there's still that awareness. Where you're at, even if you just noticed a slight shift in the high beta, a tiny bit less activation, tiny bit less stress or anxiety or constriction in the body. You noticed you can be a little less busy or maybe a lot less busy. Wherever you're at on that spectrum, it's perfect. Maybe you're like, none of this has changed anything, then go back, do a little bit more release and let go. Move the body a little bit more. And if you're ready, we're gonna go ahead and drop into the tuning fork session. So you get to just receive and listen. And I'm gonna use the 222 hertz fork, which helps to bring that alpha theta state into our experience. And so you get to just keep breathing in and out of the nose if that's accessible for you. You get to keep dropping into the body and noticing what you notice about your body and your state. Move through every cell of your being. Let the sound help you melt and soften the pelvic floor, the glutes. Still breathing in and out through the nose, still inviting in a spreading of your body, a pressure, like a weighted blanket has been placed on your body. Letting gravity do its job, keeping you tethered to the support underneath you. Just being however you are in this moment. Building capacity for rest as you just let your body rest into the support underneath you. You let your mind soften the thoughts. Doing a great job of just being? And if you're finding it challenging to be with yourself, just be curious. Am I talking negatively to myself? Do I still have some high beta brain waves that want to settle through that movement? Am I holding on to emotion? Just staying curious without judgment, without comparison. What's here as I'm just being with myself? Sensing into your body. Just noticing what you notice as you start to drop in, just staying curious, building that capacity for being in this state of rest. Maybe you notice that you need some more resourcing. That's great awareness. How else might you resource yourself so you can build capacity for rest? Do you need a little bit more activities to bridge that high beta to medium and low beta? More movement, maybe more playful fun activities. Are you finding that you can lower those brain waves right here, right now? Staying somewhat embodied through this whole experience. Or maybe you find yourself leaving your body. Once again, really good awareness and just staying curious. Okay, I'll stay quiet now for about a minute or two before we close up, just activating the fork, feeling those frequencies and vibration in your body, just noticing what you notice. Continuing to rest. Or at all. Just take a moment, notice what landed, what's alive for you and your body. Let that be enough for right now. And if your body is asking to go deeper, I would love if you checked out my free online program, Nervous System Embodiment for Real Life. You can find that in the show notes. In this course, you'll learn how to regulate the nervous system, release storage survival energy, and build a foundation for embodied living. And if you want 101 support or you want to join my somatic self-healers community, you can find all of that in the show notes as well. Until next time, my friends, take care of yourself gently and gracefully.