We are excited to work with Bay Area Brain Spa, the sponsor of this post, to share more information about neurofeedback and biohacking services for kids and adults in the Bay Area.
Biohacking is an umbrella term for using technology in the pursuit of wellness. There are a host of tools and services that can support recovery from injuries (many used by professional athletes); clear up chronic conditions such as allergy symptoms; and even retrain the brain to be more resilient to stress, anxiety, trauma, or ADHD.
At Bay Area Brain Spa, there are a series of rooms with treatment chairs or tables, just like a regular spa. You’ll even find similar soothing plant vibes and organic scented candles throughout.
The service that founders (and 510 moms!) Carleigh and Angela recommend getting started with is neurofeedback, a tool that brought Angela great comfort as she recovered from breast cancer.
The services at Bay Area Brain Spa are contactless — no one is touching you. Even the lymphatic massage is done by a full-body zip-up suit that contracts and expands to hug you as you relax. You can do this at the same time as neurofeedback, and even add red light therapy to your face during the 70-minute session. (Book Brain Spa Favorite to try this combo.)
After telling Carleigh and Angela about my frozen shoulder, they invited me to lay on a warm table, contoured for my body. As I lay there, they told me about the properties of the mat I was laying on, actually 15 lbs of gemstones that release energy-boosting far-infrared rays. It felt good immediately, exactly what my shoulder needed.
But wait, there’s more! To make the most of my time, they pointed a NanoVi machine at my face, sort of a mild humidifier, that misted air at me, designed to repair everyday damage to our cells caused by our environment (and aging!)
“Moms love this room because they get to lay down and be alone,” they told me. “There’s no massage therapist you have to chat with. It’s self-care and quiet time.” Relatable.
My next adventure was with the red light machine. I know from my regular consumption of US Weekly magazine that red light therapy is all the rage with celebrities and athletes. I laid under this light for 20 minutes, hoping that it would simultaneously cure my frozen shoulder, reverse sun damage to my skin, and boost my immune system (stay away, COVID!) Those are actual benefits associated with red light, and customers at Bay Area Brain Spa sometimes “stack” a red light treatment on their face with another service.
Visit BayAreaBrainSpa.com to learn more about all their services >
Neurofeedback for kids, parents, and families
Many of Bay Area Brain Spa’s regular customers pursue neurofeedback, affectionately known as “brain training”. With some hardware placed on your head, earphones over your ears, and a monitor that allows you to peek inside your brain activity, customers sit in a comfy chair for a half-hour session.
The key benefits are regulation of brain activity, which can serve anyone. It is said to improve sleep, focus, performance, productivity, and more. A mom friend told me that she had a series of sessions years ago and found it helpful to quiet the negative self-talk in her head.
The folks at Bay Area Brain Spa encourage families to train their brains together, and they have many customers who drop off kids for a session, run a quick errand on Solano Avenue and come back for them. Kids do not have to rest during the session; they can play with a fidget toy or read. Older students often do their homework during their treatment. I took my 17-year-old for a session and he fell deeply asleep within 10 minutes.
Bay Area Brain Spa offers community pricing, heavily discounted for teachers, in an effort to make neurofeedback accessible to more people.
Read more about neurofeedback >
Especially for moms (of any gender)
A community room at Bay Area Brain Spa has been designed so that friends and couples can enjoy a treatment together. There are even some package deals for these groupings.
If you have a group of friends that is wellness-curious (yes, I just made that phrase up!), consider booking a Mom’s Night Out. Each participant can try a couple of treatments.
If you yourself are wellness-curious, click over to Bay Area Brain Spa’s website to check out the menu of services. We are so lucky to have this unique offering in the East Bay!
Plan your visit to Bay Area Brain Spa
Location: 1037 Solano Ave. Albany
Contact for Appointment: 510-338-4645 or [email protected]
Thanks again to Bay Area Brain Spa for sponsoring this post. We can’t wait to hear about your experiences there! Use code 510FAM when you book to save 20% on your first treatment. Follow them on Instagram to keep up with their menu of services!
