Training Days

2 Days: Day 1 and Day 2

Training days are designed to get you familiar with the different devices, apps and tools used in this study. Additionally you will be guided through an exercise to identify your personalized resonance frequency

Day 1

  1. Orientation with the UMass study team (part 1):

    1. Learn how to use MindMics Heart Health App and Earbuds

    2. Learn how to use Polar H10 strap

    3. Learn how to use Blood Pressure cuff

    4. Practice obtaining good earbud seal

    5. Introduction to Resonance frequency identification session

  2. Resonance frequency identification: Identify your personalized resonance frequency.

Day 2

  1. Orientation with the UMass study team (part 2):

    1. Refresher on how to connect devices and obtain good signals

    2. Introduction to Resonance breathwork and baseline sessions

  2. Resonance frequency identification : Identify your personalized Resonance frequency.

  3. On-boarding interview with MindMics Research team member.

Resonance frequency identification

During this session you will follow instructions of a specific breathwork that will help us identify your personalized breath duration or resonance frequency. You will use this breath duration during the 21 Resonance breathwork days.

Session Overview

30 mins before starting, ensure your bladder is empty and avoid caffeine, alcohol, smoking or exercise. Make sure the MindMics earbuds are charged.

Step 1: Sit on a chair with your feet flat.

Step 2: Wear your Polar H10 strap and ensure it is connected to the MindMics Heart Health App. To verify a correct connection with Polar H10:

  1. In the Heart Health app go to Settings -> Polar H10 settings -> Polar H10 details

  2. If the Polar is correctly connected, you should see a view with the green 'Connected' information – as shown in the attached illustration below.

3. If you see “Disconnected” or “Polar H10 is not connected”, ensure the strap is moist, in contact with the skin and check the “Polar H10 details” page again.

Step 3: Wear your MindMics earbuds, connect to bluetooth audio and to the MindMics Heart Health app.

  1. Remove the earbuds from the charging case and wear them.

  2. Once paired on, ‘MindMics Audio’ will automatically connect to your phone each time when you remove your earbuds from the case.

  3. Open the MindMics Heart Health app and wait for a few seconds to allow the earbuds to automatically connect to the app. 

4. Ensure you have a good seal, In the Heart Health app go to view Ear tip adjustment, Settings -> Earbuds settings -> Ear tip adjustment.

5. If the earbuds are correctly adjusted, you should see prominent peaks in the signal from both ears that correspond to your heartbeats. You should also see a green 'Good seal' information displayed as in the example below

6. If you encounter issues achieving a good seal, refer to the Earbud fit guide

Step 4: Play music for blood pressure measure and measure blood pressure twice, as described here:  Blood Pressure Measurement

After blood pressure measurements, continue wearing the Earbuds, Polar H10 strap and BP cuff. Make sure the Music for Blood pressure measurement has been stopped

We will now identify your resonance frequency. We will do this in 2 steps. First we will find an approximate value using the CO2 Tolerance test. You will then perform guided breathwork of increasing breath duration to help us identify your resonance frequency more precisely. 

Step 5: CO2 tolerance test

  1. Take 4 breaths through the nose. One inhale followed by one exhale is one breath.

  2. Then take a  deep breath to fill your lungs. Start a timer and exhale as slowly as possible through your nose or mouth.

  3. Note the duration (in sec) to completely empty your lungs. Do not try to hold your lungs empty. The CO2 discard duration is this duration to empty your lungs in secs.

Step 6: Perform guided breathwork from short to long durations to find your personalized resonance frequency.

If your CO2 discard duration is between  0-40s, your resonance duration is likely to be between 4s-7s.   Follow the guided breath-work session below to identify your personalized resonance frequency.

If your CO2 discard duration is between  greater 40s, your resonance duration is likely to be between 5s-9s.  Follow the guided breathwork session below to identify your personalized resonance frequency.

The study team will analyze the data recorded and provide the personalized inhale and exhale duration for Resonance breathing exercise for this study.

Step 7:  Play music for blood pressure measure and measure blood pressure twice, as described here:  Blood Pressure Measurement

You may remove your earbuds and put them back in the case, remove the Polar H10 strap and BP cuff.