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Holistic Living
Alphabiotics:
Instant and Long-Term Stress Relief
Tiger Woods and the Members of Green Day Are Doing It and So Can You
by Lynn O’Neill
There are myriad ways to mitigate the effects of stress in our lives, from acupuncture and massage to hypnosis, meditation and deep breathing. While all of these healing and relaxation modalities are important, there is another, more fundamental approach that may supersede all of them. It’s called Alphabiotics.
In a nutshell, Alphabiotics is a breakthrough in stress relief via the “alpha state” of electromagnetic brainwave frequencies. What Alphabiotics does effectively and gently is to “reboot” your brain so that both hemispheres are balanced, which in turn balances energies in the nerves and muscles, and instantly releases stress held in the mind, brain and body.
Sound painful? Sound like science fiction? Fear not. It’s a soothing yet simple process after which you will feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
First, a disclosure and a little background on Alphabioticist, Stephen “Dr. Steve” Rainbolt, founder of the Alphabiotic Center of San Diego. Steve and I have been friends for a long time. Not only was I his trusty dog- and chicken-sitter (R.I.P., sweet pups, Aubrey and Rose) but off and on, over the years, I have received various healing treatments from him—mainly for my chronic knee injuries, which, knock on wood, now seem to be a problem of the past.
Dr. Steve started out with a degree in electrical engineering and had a successful career working on naval ships while he began a second career in acupuncture, massage, hypnotherapy and Alphabiotics. The melding of science and healing comes naturally to him.
What I have always loved about my friend is his passion for helping and empowering people, yet I have been duly impressed with his “regular guy” approach. Recently while sitting in his waiting area (the arches of my grateful feet on a foot massager), I was struck by how diverse his regular patients are: from building contractors and business people, to retirees, tattooed surfers and moms. I thought to myself: This is the Steve I know: people from all walks of life relate to him and trust him.
Alphabiotics and Stress, Explained
The concept is simple. Alphabiotics is the balancing of the left and the right brain. Studies show that most of us—85 percent—lock into the dominant hemisphere of our brains—usually the left side—due to stress. The sub-dominant side then becomes passive and weak, while the other side stays chronically tensed. When we’re under stress, we’re in a “fight or flight” response which can be high in emotional content and/or pain. The average person can spend most of his/her life in that state, thus making the body sick and hastening the aging process. Negative thoughts add to this weakened state. Incidentally, by the age of five, many of us are already living lives in chronic negative thought patterns. Your cells then “hear” this, since there is consciousness and awareness in every cell. Positive thoughts can help, but only temporarily.
This alarm system worked great for our forebears—running from a sabertooth tiger did have its benefits—but that constant stress is a major killer now.
Alphabiotics helps you to come out of that stress state and into whole brain function.
Understanding Electromagnetic Brainwave Frequencies
To better understand Alphabiotics, here’s an easy lesson on how our brainwaves work (beta, alpha, theta and delta) and how they affect the body.
The highest frequency is beta, a defensive state of high ego activity. A person engaged in a debate or heated conversation would be in a beta state.
Alpha is next, which is like your car idling. It’s the calm, relaxed state. There is little to no mind chatter. Healing of all kinds and cell regeneration can occur when these brainwaves are predominant.
Theta involves intuition, lucid dreaming and hypnotic states. Deep meditation can get you there.
Delta is deep sleep and dreams. The body heals optimally in this state.
Many, if not most of us, reside in beta, although all the brainwave states can be present in differing degrees. When beta predominates and is not balanced by the presence of alpha in the spectrum, we become depleted physically. This chronic tension is cumulative over the years and our bodies can begin to break down.
The Alphabiotics Process
At the Alphabiotics Center, the ambience will probably pull you in first. You enter what is similar to a community-style acupuncture room—an oasis of subdued lighting, trickling fountain and soft music. These calming elements help you to stay in the moment so that you can begin the process of moving into an alpha state.
As you lie on your back, your ankles are placed in a chi-machine, for 15 minutes or so, which is a passive aerobic exerciser. Moving the chi (energy) around your body provides detoxification, oxygenation and spine alignment.
The back of your head is then cradled with Dr. Steve’s assured hands and confident touch and an upward movement is quickly applied on each side. (You can also request a gentler movement.) This causes a high level sensory input into the brain. You then wiggle your feet and take a few deep breaths—this continues to switch you from the dominant hemisphere to the sub-dominant. A successful Alphabiotic Alignment/Unification is akin to reaching an alpha state via yogic breath (which can take much longer: 20-30 minutes). Many yogis cannot maintain their alpha state however, just through breath alone.
Immediately after the process, you may experience a lightness; colors seem brighter and your body feels lengthened as if from stretching. You are now moving toward your natural potential as a “whole” person, meaning your brain is working the way it was designed to.
Your first alignment is a test to see how well and how long you can hold. You can expect to maintain this proper condition for about 72 to 75 hours, even if you have been in a stressed state for many years. It is important to know how well and how long you can maintain. This determines how often you need to experience the process. Eventually, you will need fewer treatments as you begin to reach your natural unstressed state.
And because Dr. Steve believes in a multi-faceted approach, there is more to follow.
The “thumper” comes next which is a percussion massager that drives massage energy deep into the muscle tissue of your back. The thumper was applied by both Dr. Steve and Barie, his office assistant and co-healer.
Next, I received acupuncture and cupping to further the movement of chi through my body. Cupping is done with suction cups to break up energy stagnation. It is painless.
After the cupping, heat packs were applied to my body which felt wonderful as I tend to run cold, even in the warm summer months.
Just before I got ready to leave, Dr. Steve applied herbal packs of Frankincense and Myrrh (it would figure that a modern-day wise man would have these on hand) to my skin. I wore them all day, under my work clothes.
To Summarize
Research has shown that at least 90 percent of all doctor visits are due to symptoms that are stress-related. Dr. Virgil Chrane, clearly ahead of his time when he developed Alphabiotics in 1924, stated, “If we’re not in cellular repair, regeneration and growth, we are in a state of damage.” He was onto something almost 100 years ago; this idea is beginning to get a lot of press now. Chrane states further, “When you balance the brain first, the cells will then replicate like when we were babies.” This is one of the keys to anti-aging. Most importantly, Alphabiotics allows for these healing states to become long-lasting.
Dr. Steve concludes, “I used to get frustrated when patients would return with the same problem over and over. I was working on the body—acupuncture, massage, chiropractic and yoga—to release tension, pain and disease. I didn’t realize that if all three components are not addressed—body, mind and brain—complete healing will not occur. All the bodywork in the world is fruitless if we don’t work with the brain, which is capable of recording patterns and establishing programs. Every tissue in the body is controlled by the brain except for the heart. My main goal is to empower people. We all have the ability to heal. I help get you there.”
He makes a good point. It’s like taking a feather duster to the keyboard and screen on your computer, but ignoring the fact that all of your excellent software won’t load properly.
For more information, please contact Stephen Rainbolt, DA, DD, LAc, NCAA, ACHE, Developmental Alphabioticist, at the Alphabiotic Center of San Diego: 3145 Rosecrans St., Suite C, San Diego, CA. Call 619.225.9918 or visit www.AlphabioticCenterofSanDiego.com. Lynn O’Neill is an essayist, fiction writer, freelance copy editor and editor. Contact her at jasminatree@yahoo.com.