8 - Neurofeedback with Megan Hearne | Brain Training for Stress, Sleep & Focus

In this episode of the Wellness in Asheville Podcast, we explore the world of neurofeedback and brain training with Megan Hearne, a Neurofeedback Provider and Health Coach with over six years of experience helping people regulate stress, improve focus, and restore balance. Megan holds a Master’s degree and advanced training from the Institute for Applied Neuroscience, NewMind Academy, and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She bridges brainwave training and lifestyle coaching into an empowering healing experience, now offered at her new space inside the Heartwood Collective in downtown Asheville.

We also dive into my own journey with biofeedback—from Deepak Chopra’s early biofeedback games, to exploring HeartMath HRV training, and now experimenting with the MUSE headband for real-time meditation feedback. Megan and I discuss how these tools fit into the larger landscape of nervous system regulation and self-healing.

The conversation highlights how neurofeedback can address sleep struggles, anxiety, focus challenges, and even support digestion and mood regulation. We also explore how brain training amplifies the benefits of other wellness practices—from float therapy and yoga to meditation and stress reduction—making it a powerful complement to Asheville’s thriving healing community.

Key Takeaways

• What Neurofeedback Is – How brainwave training works and what to expect in a session.
• From Stress to Clarity – Neurofeedback helps regulate the nervous system, reducing anxiety and improving sleep.
• Biofeedback vs. Neurofeedback – Understanding the difference and why both are valuable.
• Amplifier Effect – How brain training enhances other wellness practices like meditation, float therapy, and yoga.
• Self-Regulation = Better Relationships – Calming your own nervous system influences family, work, and community dynamics.
• Plasticity & Possibility – The brain is adaptable and capable of lasting change throughout life.

Timestamps

00:00 – 02:00 | Introduction: Megan Hearne’s path from environmental science to neurofeedback
 02:00 – 06:00 | Why brain training matters: better decisions through nervous system regulation
 06:00 – 11:00 | What actually happens in a neurofeedback session
 11:00 – 15:00 | Biofeedback vs. neurofeedback: HeartMath, MUSE, and Chopra’s early biofeedback games
 15:00 – 20:00 | Regulating stress, healing injuries, and improving sleep
 20:00 – 26:00 | Co-regulation: how calming yourself benefits those around you
 26:00 – 30:00 | Sleep, digestion, and mood as downstream benefits of brain training
 30:00 – 34:00 | Asheville’s wellness landscape and Megan’s new space at the Heartwood Collective
 34:00 – End | Special Offer: $100 off first session at Vitality Neuro when mentioning this podcast

Episode Links

• Vitality Neuro – Megan Hearne’s Practice
• Heartwood Collective, Downtown Asheville
• HeartMath Institute
• MUSE Brain-Sensing Headband
• The Journey to Wild Divine – Chopra’s biofeedback game

The Wellness in Asheville Podcast is produced by Be Well Asheville, your local source for health + wellness new

The Wellness in Asheville podcast is produced by Be Well Asheville, your local news source covering health + wellness news + events in Asheville. Get the latest at bewellasheville.com or follow @bewellasheville.

Transcript

[00:00:00] 

Speaker: Welcome to the Wellness in Asheville Podcast, where we shine a light on the people practices, and places that make this city one of the most inspiring wellness communities in the country. I'm your host, Travis Richardson, founder of Be Well Asheville, your local news source for health, wellness, and community events.

Okay, so today's guest is Megan Hearn, a neurofeedback provider and health coach. With over six years of experience helping people rewire their brain for calm, clarity, and better focus. Megan holds a master's degree in advanced Training from the Institute for Applied Neuroscience. New Mind Academy and the Institute for Integrated Nutrition.

She bridges brainwave training and lifestyle coaching into an empowering healing experience, and now welcomes clients into her new space over at the Hartwood Collective in downtown [00:01:00] Nashville.

And my own journey with biofeedback, started years ago with Deepak Chopra. , Some of you may have heard of him, had an early biofeedback game which used sensors to let your breath and heart signals control meditation like challenges. Later I explored HeartMath, which measures heart rate variability to train calm and focus. And these days, I am aspiring to try out and use the Muse headband, which gives real time feedback on your brainwaves during meditation.

So having Megan here to dive deeper into how neurofeedback works and how it can transform people's lives feels especially exciting. So without further ado, let's welcome Megan to the show.

Speaker 6: All right, Megan, welcome to the Wellness in Asheville Show. How are you doing today? 

Megan Hearne: I'm doing great. Thanks for having me on. 

Speaker 6: Man, I'm really excited to talk to you about, uh, uh, what you do. It's really, really been impressive to, when I was looking over your, your work and the way that you combine the [00:02:00] integrative nutrition and the neurofeedback, it's just really been, um, very interesting and fascinating to look and see how somebody combines those to together.

Uh, well, let's start though with your, with your story. Like what originally drew you to this path of that you're on now? Brain training really, uh, in this holistic health coaching model that you have? 

Megan Hearne: Yeah. Well, I have always been interested in science and I've always been interested in trying to do, you know, what I, what I think of as like the most important thing to help people to help the world.

And for a long time I thought that, you know, went into environmental science actually, and did that for my first career biology stuff. And um, then. About seven years ago, I decided to switch gears, um, because I was realizing that I was trying to give people more information to make better decisions with environmental stuff, [00:03:00] biodiversity and water quality.

And, you know, um, you know, the, trying to convince the legislature to pay more money to save the planet. And I was like, why aren't people making better decisions? And then I was thinking, wow. They're anxious, they're tired, they can't focus, um, you know, all these things that are limitations on a very individual level.

And so I got interested in, well, how can I apply my science background in a different way to kind of get more fundamentally at the root of better decision making and better action to pro, to uplift everyone in their daily life and their professional life and their families. And so I started hearing stories about how great neurofeedback was and so got trained in that and it's just been really compelling to me to help people improve their nervous system regulation at at such a, [00:04:00] you know, like I said, the fundamental level.

And I love working with people one-on-one. And, um, and then, yeah, just more recently have been adding in this more. Nutrition focus broadly defined as like all the things in your life that nourish us. So I'm, I'm just, you know, going with the flow, evolving as I grow and learn through life. And I've really benefited personally from neurofeedback and more knowledge of, of nervous system regulation.

My kids, my family has all benefited too. Yeah. 

Speaker 6: I, I really have had a number of experiences, I guess, uh, thinking back through my life where I've been dysregulated, um, uh, you know, actually funny. To think about this, but the last couple weeks, okay, so I've, I, I've hurt myself a couple times, like pretty badly.

Um, [00:05:00] I know it doesn't seem like this is like even relevant at all, but it, it is. I'll stay with me here. Um, I hurt my leg. I was working outside on the, on the, on the fence and I was cranking this wood piece and it had a screw on it and a piece came out and it just drove right into my leg and I'm like. Oh my gosh.

I'm rushing myself to urgent care eight stitches later. Okay. So, and then just recently again, I was taking the garbage can down to the side of the road. I was sort of just like, I just, you know, I was hurrying to try and do the next thing after this. So I'm like really just like, okay, I don't, I just gotta get this done so I can do the next thing.

And I kick the can at the bottom and I push and I literally fall and I hit my chin and it cranked my neck so badly and I have cervical stenosis already. And it really, and it sent these shock waves on my arm and it really shocked my nervous system. Oh, like significantly. And. I started thinking, what is going on with me?

Why am I [00:06:00] hurting myself? And the only thing I could think of is I feel dysregulated is the only way I can describe it, is my nervous system is not calm. It is not centered. It is rushing and barging through life. It is missing things, not being quiet, not being, it's everything that I know that I should be doing.

I'm not doing. So I guess, what do you do with somebody like me? 

Megan Hearne: Well, yeah, thanks for, uh, yeah. Being vulnerable and I'm sorry for all the, the pain and suffering of those wake up calls to be like, Hey, pay attention. You need to be more present here. 

Travis Richardson: Totally. 

Megan Hearne: Um, but I think, you know, I, yeah, I would say come get some neurofeedback.

Speaker 6: So if somebody's never heard of neurofeedback, what actually is it and what does a person can they expect in, in a session? Like what, what, what happens there? 

Megan Hearne: Yeah. So basically what happens is it's based on your EEG, your [00:07:00] electroencephalogram, which is, um, a measure of your brain's electricity generation.

So we put sensors on your scalp and your lobes to pick up that signal. And then run it through an amplifier to my software, which compares your electrical frequency pattern to, uh, our goals, our hurdles and limbo bars for what your frequencies are at the spot that we're measuring on your head. And so, for example, um, we might say, oh, we're going for, you know, we wanna.

Encourage more beta uh, wave frequency, which just means like that's between 12 and 20 hertz frequency, and we want to minimize your theta waves, which is between four and seven. But you don't have to remember that. But I'm just saying like as I [00:08:00] program stuff into the software, that's the hurdles and the limbo bars as you do the brain training, which involves sitting in a recliner with.

These wires on your head watching your favorite show on Netflix or some something documentary or whatever. Um, the computer gives you feedback that's pretty instantaneous based on your electricity patterns. And it's saying like, okay, when you meet the goals, the screen's gonna get brighter. And when you're not meeting those goals, it gets a little darker.

So the effect is like a slight flickering of the screen and your brain is subconsciously learning from that feedback. So there's no electricity coming back to you through the computer for my kind of neurofeedback. There are other kinds that, that give you a little bit of electricity back. But, um, and so over time and using the, um, principle of operate conditioning.

Which [00:09:00] in case you forget from intro psych or whatever, it's like, maybe, maybe if you, if you want your dog to sit and she does, you give her a treat and then next time she's quicker to sit. You know? So that's basically, we're giving your brain treats in the form of, uh, a brighter screen. And it's very, uh.

Tightly calibrated to what your brain is already doing. So you don't have to make a conscious effort. It's, it's all subconscious. You just have to show up and keep your eyes on the screen. Or we can also do it with audio feedback, but I tend to do more visual. So that's how neuro, that's how the mechanism of neurofeedback works and what the effect is when your brain electricity patterns are more optimized and we've.

Trained them to be more normal, uh, based on a database of lots of other people. Uh, then you experience differences in your nervous system [00:10:00] regulation. So you might feel less anxious, you might have an easier time winding down for sleep. You might feel, you know, better mood and you just have a better ability to place your focus where you choose to place it.

Um, instead of maybe spinning out on, you know, all your most embarrassing middle school memories in the middle of the night, you know, your brain gonna be like, okay, we're gonna quiet down. It's not time for that. Thank you. Um, so. That's the, uh, lived experience of, you know, after neurofeedback, but for a physical injury.

Um, it's just also gonna help calm down your body somewhat and like can reduce some pain. It can help other things that might kind of seize up in the wake of a stressful event. Like if your digestion gets, um. Blocked up because it's like, oh, you know, we're not, [00:11:00] not feeling safe. We've had an injury. So it can just kind of relax you and help your, um, brain and body just kind of go with the flow more and, and respond appropriately to your.

Stimuli 

Speaker 6: Is this like, uh, I mean, I remember when I was researching and I did a little bit of this, um, experimentation on myself, which was tapping or emotional freedom technique. And the whole point there was to try to, uh, retrain. Basically the, um, the amygdala or the fight or flight portions of the brain so that in a moment of stress or anxiety, you give it a different signal.

And so it seems like, is that what you're sort of doing in a different way here? Is that on the same vein or is that, uh. It's, 

Megan Hearne: it's related. Yeah. I mean the, the emotional freedom technique is about tapping acupressure [00:12:00] points in a certain pattern to kind of, I mean, almost like, you know, the jukebox is stuck.

You give it a whack on the side and it like, oh yeah, that's what we were doing. Thank you. 

Speaker 6: I love that. That's a great analogy. That's a good one. 

Megan Hearne: But, but you've, you know, it's. So that can help you, like right away in the moment, kind of come back to present and, uh, reframe, be more positive. Um, and the neurofeedback can be like that.

It can also be a more subtle effect. Like you might do a neurofeedback session and not really feel particularly different afterwards. It, it takes a little while to build. It's sort of like. Strengthening a muscle or learning a new skill, like playing piano, there has to be some repetition for your brain to really, um, make it its own new pattern.

Speaker 6: So what I know is biofeedback and you got, you're doing neurofeedback. Is that the same thing? 

Megan Hearne: So biofeedback is the big umbrella term of any [00:13:00] kind of tool that we use to give us information about our bodies. So a thermometer is a biofeedback device. Um. Neurofeedback is just within that and specific to the brain.

And, um, so there are other, there are types of biofeedback where you can do like, um, you know, test with your breathing and with your, you know, sweat response on your palms and things like that. So yeah, there are a whole lot of different ways to go about it. And. So basically what it's all doing is trying to teach your body how to better handle stress from inside, outside, um, to more appropriately respond to all that instead of being reactive or having.

Being stuck in one pattern, like having your foot stuck on the gas pedal or your foot stuck on the brake in a car. [00:14:00] So we wanna be able to smoothly shift and accelerate when we need to and put on the brake gently when we need to. And like, it's, it's all gotta be working smoothly. And so the neurofeedback, um, and other types of biofeedback all are going for that end goal of, of, um.

Smoother operation of, of our brains and bodies. 

Speaker 6: And do you see the downstream consequences of that sometimes? Do you ever have clients that report back and say, you know, since I've been working on my stress, I had also, now I'm, I'm actually my digestion's better. 

Megan Hearne: Yes, abs definitely. Absolutely. And I am not, you know, in my office able to do, um, any lab testing, but so when they'd be working with their own doctors on those kind of, um, quantifying changes.

But for sure, I've had people, for example, come in with their primary [00:15:00] goal is being improving sleep. And then they say, Hey, guess what? My PS symptoms are way better. 

Travis Richardson: Right, right. That's 

Megan Hearne: awesome. I wasn't planned, but that's calming down or Right. Skin issues. Um. Definitely digestion is a early thing to notice That can be work better if you're more regulated.

Speaker 6: Hmm. So I'm, I'm kind of a biohacker, uh, and I guess if you wanna use that word, and that I really love experimenting on, um, how things make me feel. And, and then I also do a number of tests to kind of. Like you said, quantify, um, you know, a practice or a lifestyle. Uh, one of the things that is available now is heart rate variability, but with what you do, I know heart rate variability is impacted and you address that.

Yeah. Can you tell people what that is even, and then how what you do, [00:16:00] uh, impacts it. 

Megan Hearne: Sure. So, um, heart rate variability is, I call that a biofeedback technique, and there are different, um, gadgets that you can use to pick up your heart rate that are more or less, you know, accurate. Um, the, the one I use is, uh, from the company called HeartMath.

And so you can either use it with a ear clip or a finger sensor, and it's basically just picking up your heart rate and then the software. Reflects back to you how well you're in coherence, meaning how well are your breath cycles linked up with your heart rate patterns? And the goal with heart rate variability training is to have your heart rate increase a bit when you inhale and decrease a bit when you exhale.

So every. Breath cycle, you have this variability and you don't want just a static heart rate, [00:17:00] then you're, you know, that's, that's bad. So, and the higher your, your variability, so for example, if you have 20 beats per minute variation within a breath cycle, so it's 20 beats faster on the inhale for those.

That brief time, and then it slows down by 20 beats per minute on the exhale. That is a good indicator of your long-term health, your longevity, and it's going to help you again, place your attention where you wanna place it and respond appropriately to your environment. Because you're in that state of coherence, your parasympathetic nervous system is gonna be activated.

You're gonna be more likely to just. Be able to stay calm, keep your, um, and, and just think clearly. And so one thing that I do with clients is we do a little experiment with it because you can watch the screen in real [00:18:00] time, like how, how is your breathing linked up? And um, and I'll just. Take a little side note here and say the breath.

There are lots of great breathing techniques out there for different goals and with heart rate variability, we just use equal inhales and exhales with no pauses at the, at the top or the bottom. So it's just, you know, maybe breathe in for five or six counts and exhale the same amount at the same time.

You kind of keep a heart focus, like imagine that you're breathing through your heart and the third. Piece is just to think about positive thoughts, especially, um, pro-social thoughts. So not imagining you're on your favorite desert island totally without irritating people. But like with you're, with, you know, someone who you love, who loves you.

Could be your dog, could be, you know, a family member. It could be an imaginary person, but just. [00:19:00] Like having that feeling that you're cultivating as you are breathing in this particular way is how you get into that heart rate variability optimization. And so when we are using the tool with the software, we can play with it and say, okay, if, so, as a, if, if I'm a client, for example, I'm thinking these positive pro-social thoughts.

Correctly. You know, I can see, okay, my graph is beautiful and consistent and I've got 20 beats per minute, you know, uh, variation. And then I go into the experiment of dropping my focus on the breath, drop my focus on heart, and imagine, um, a memory that is really stressful or scary. And then you can watch the graph just immediately get really jagged looking and the very heart rate variability drops [00:20:00] to very minimal.

And so the practice then becomes, can you intentionally pull yourself in and out of that and get more comfortable with recognizing when you are in coherence and learn how to bring yourself back to it. So it's just with a little more clear feedback instead of. If you're like trying to meditate, for example, but you don't have any mirror back to see are you doing this right?

Is it working? You know, um, this is a way to, to have it mirrored back. Like how well are you linking up your breathing and your heart rate and, and can you have some agency over it? And I think that's one of the nice things that I work with. Um. Clients on recognizing is that you are not powerless. If you are in this state of, of dysregulation and your, your [00:21:00] graph is all jagged and you don't have consistent heart rate variability at all, that's, you are not stuck with that.

You can choose to slow down your breath, put your focus on your heart, call to mind a positive memory. Bring yourself out of it, like you have that power. And so that's a really cool thing. And another thing I'll mention is that how that dovetails with neurofeedback sometimes with clients. We'll do a little practice with the heart rate variability at the beginning of a session and they'll just be struggling.

And then we'll do neurofeedback for half an hour and they'll. Feel a lot better and it's all subconscious learning, no effort needed. Then we go back and check in again with a heart rate variability tool and it's so much better. And so it's like, oh, look, we could see it's proof. Proof, yeah. 

Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah.

[00:22:00] Heart. I always, you know, heart rate variability. It's, it's, it's such a, like when I first was learning about, I'm like, how does this make sense? That, or with coherence, is that okay? The more coherent I am, the more variable. Uh, variability there is, it's like I always thought coherence was like, okay, I, I'm going for a straight line.

It's like, no, we actually want this jaggedness to be able to indicate responsiveness to stress and, and ability to handle, uh, things in life. So very, very interesting about that. So another question I have is around with this training that you do, you know, when we think about wellness and the kind of like wellness, uh, things you can go and do, it might be a spa, it might be massage, it could be acupuncture.

All these things are like services you can go off and and go get. But what it feels like that what you're doing is you are actually empowering somebody to change. Uh, outside of when they see you to take a stressful situation and now that they've learned how, [00:23:00] maybe to identify when that those feelings are coming up and now you've taught them to work with the breath in some way, that they're actually able to create wellness inside themselves in a moment anywhere they are on earth.

Megan Hearne: Exactly. That's exactly it. I am not here to, you know, have lifetime clients. You know, like we're, we're going for like the learning process, which is a very internalized, uh, relatively permanent shift if you do enough of it, of the practice. And so. Yeah, like the brain training is a little bit like yoga for, you know, you don't have to be in a yoga class all day, every day for there to be benefits in the rest of your life with your strength and flexibility and, and relaxation.

So it's, but it's, um. Important. Yeah, just like levels up, everything else. And I think that a, a benefit of neurofeedback that I've felt, and certainly a lot of my clients tell me about, [00:24:00] is that it just helps get out of our own way. Um, when we're not stuck in high anxiety or we're not stuck in a chronic lack of sleep, um, our mood is a little better.

We have a little more. Clear thinking, like all of that stuff that gets in our way and uses up our bandwidth. When that is quieter, then we can incorporate in other lifestyle changes that are beneficial and, and it all just kind of lifts, lifts, lifts, and so you have a more holistic improvement. 

Speaker 6: I'd say it would be like an amplifier effect in some ways too, uh, for all the other things that you're doing for self-care and being good to yourself.

You know, I was recently in a, in a float tank over at Still Point Wellness and went over there and, um. You know, the faster I could have [00:25:00] dropped into a quiet state, the more I would get out of that session. Or if I had maybe some feeling of, you know, 'cause you're in a dark, a dark tank and there's some things that can come up, claustrophobia, those kinds of feelings.

Um, and the more I could regulate myself internally to handle those, I actually can get more benefit from the other services. So it feels very complimentary, I guess, to everything else that you're doing for self-care. 

Megan Hearne: Yes. Yes. And I'll add to that too. Um, that even, that's a, that's a great example because it's so acute, you know, you're, you're just right there with yourself and there's nothing else happening.

You have to really dial in. But also that skill with self-regulation. Benefits everyone around you. I'm sure you've noticed. You know when you have a conversation or you're in a room with somebody who's really like calm and grounded and just, you just get a feel [00:26:00] that like you're a little safer and you feel a little more relaxed and you just feel a little more at ease.

And that co-regulation is so important for our ability to grow and learn and just. Um, you know, a healed state. And so the more we can each improve our own self-regulation that has this, um. Outward expansion of benefit to everyone that we interact with. You know, our, uh, the people we live with at home, our kids, our people at work, even people at the grocery store checkout.

Like there is a feeling of interaction with somebody that is, uh. Is very powerful. And you know, we also, on the flip side, if you're talking to somebody who's really stressed, super anxious, can't really focus on the threat of the conversation 'cause they've got a [00:27:00] million things going on in their head. You feel that right?

And it's like, kind of makes you feel a little more anxious too if you don't have your shields up pretty strongly. You know? So we influence each other and it is, you can't make anybody else be different. But you can, you have agency over yourself. And so I think that's something that I, I really value in, in the line of work that I'm doing now, is that can help people be their own best selves, which, which helps others.

Speaker 6: I love that. Yeah. That's, that's really, that's really important. 'cause I think all of us want to be better human beings. We all want to be. Better mothers, fathers, um, brothers, sisters, friends, you know, whatever you, whatever label you have, it's like we all are trying to be better of those. I think this makes you a better human being.

Sleep is something, I think it's very tied to stress. So we've talked [00:28:00] about stress. Uh, I love. I love the immediate nature of like, when you're doing the work that you do, you they, they're, you know, clients are getting immediate feedback and they're seeing in real time how. Their breath and other environmental factors and their thoughts are affecting them in different ways.

I love that. But what they can't necessarily know in real time is how they're gonna sleep that night. But we know that sleep is very tied to stress. How would you say what you do helps with with sleep? 'cause it's a huge thing. Sleep problems right now. 

Megan Hearne: Yeah, it's huge. And um, some of the protocols that I use for neurofeedback are more geared towards supporting sleep than others, but pretty much all of them do help sleep because yeah, it's so, um, so interrelated with our, um, how we're feeling in, in all ways.

So, but yeah, it. Is, um, there's sort of a counterintuitive piece with the sleep [00:29:00] support with neurofeedback. It's like there's this particular activating system in your brain that is kind of like the night watchman, and so if that has enough energy from enough of the right frequencies of electricity, it can.

Do its job and let you stay asleep and not get you all spun out on anxious thoughts at all of the night because like, no, no, I got this. You can stay asleep. I have enough energy. I'm gonna assess your safety while you're asleep. We're good. You know? But if that system is underpowered. Then it's gonna be like, uh, I'm not sure.

Maybe you should wake up. Okay, come on. Wake up. Wake up. So, so there's some, uh, aspect of the neurofeedback that's actually like activating your brain a little bit more to help you sleep better, which is, is counterintuitive. And it certainly, uh, I have quite a few clients [00:30:00] who after the first few neurofeedback sessions report that they can really tell an improvement in sleep and that that has this trickle down effect of better focus and less anxiety.

You just, you know, have a lot of benefits. 

Speaker 6: I know you've got a new space at, uh, Hartwood Collect. If I haven't been over there, uh, what kind of, what kind of environment are you creating over there? 

Megan Hearne: Yeah, it's um, it's an awesome old, old architecture building right downtown, um, on Wall Street close to the Flat Iron sculpture, if you know where that is.

And I'm sharing the office with Jared Hinton, who's the psychotherapist. So I also highly recommend him. So we, yeah, we have, um. A cozy, but also spacious office there and big windows and it just, um, so we, yeah, I meet with clients there and also have a home office, but I'm, [00:31:00] I'm focusing on the space at Hartwood Collective right now.

Speaker 6: That's awesome. Yeah. We'll, uh, make sure to, to, um, put that in the show notes. And what was the, the psychotherapist's name again? Dr. Hinton. 

Megan Hearne: Jared Hinton. 

Speaker 6: Jared Hinton. Okay. Yeah. We'll, we'll, we'll put him in there as well. So if anybody's looking for that kind of service, uh, always looking for good folks. So, um, yeah, so, and then you've got, uh, I think you were, were kind of talking about, uh, special deal or special offer for listeners.

What, what do we for? 

Megan Hearne: Yeah. Called sign up. Uh, wanna try out some more feedback or some integrative nutrition, health coaching. You get a hundred dollars off your first session if you mention this podcast. So I'll be thrilled to welcome new clients and um, that's a pretty big savings for your first session.

So. Gimme a call. Uh, it's huge. 

Speaker 6: That's huge. Like, like, like who would not take that up? Um, I might be calling you. 

Megan Hearne: Please do. 

Speaker 6: Yeah. No, it's, it's awesome. Well, uh, [00:32:00] it really appreciates your time. I, I think that what you're doing is, can be a game changer for a lot of people. I, I also think it really. This idea of empowering somebody and having sovereignty over their own being is so important, and we can do lots of things outside of ourselves, but until we sort of correct that internal mechanism and, and find our, and kind of re get our compass working, really, this is kind of what, what I feel like you're doing is you're, you're fixing the, the internal compass that can sometimes be off.

I just, I guess appreciate your, your work and I really encourage you to, to keep. To keep going, but there, I have a last question for you here. What's one thing you wish more people understood about the brain's ability to heal or adapt 

Megan Hearne: Well, um, yeah. Our brains are totally amazingly plastic our whole lives, so, and I think another, I, I think a take home message is that our so beyond that, they can, [00:33:00] our brains learn through, um.

What the, what they're exposed to. Right. So we're giving feedback for, uh, electrical frequencies is one way to do it. But also our thoughts and our focus are so important because our brains believe what we tell them. 

Speaker 6: Mm. They, we kind of are that thing, aren't we? In some ways? Yeah. 

Megan Hearne: We.

It, it's so important what we choose to focus on because our brains believe it and we'll learn from that. And so the more you, if you repeat negative stuff or focus on your challenges, um, you know your brain is gonna kind of go that direction if you focus on growth and learning. Positivity, your brain's gonna go that direction.

So we do have so much agency [00:34:00] over that. Even though we can't control a lot about our environments, we have some control over that. 

Speaker 6: Thank you so much for your time today, Megan. 

Megan Hearne: Yeah, thank you. It's been wonderful to talk with you. 

Speaker 6: Yeah, take care. 

You've been listening to The Wellness in Nashville Podcast. To learn more about Megan Hearn and her neurofeedback and coaching practice, visit vitality neuro.com. Mention this podcast episode to receive $100 off your first session at her beautiful new space in downtown Asheville.

Thank you for listening to learn more about Be Well Asheville, visit be well avl.com. And don't forget to follow this podcast. You can catch the next episode and bring us along while you're taking a riverside stroll along the French broad greenway browsing stalls at the Asheville City market, or heading downtown for a show with the orange peel.

Speaker 5: If you loved what you heard, please rate and review this show. Your review helps others discover and grow our wellness community. You can check out Asheville Wellness News Events and our newsletter@bewellavl.com. Thank you for being [00:35:00] the best part of our wellness community. And until next time, be well

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