Mendi Training Tutorial for Higher Scores and better FLOWSTATE (RESULTS from 72 days of training)

Dr. Cody discusses his new Mendi Training Strategy
►►►Mendi Affiliate Link (free shipping, 20% off, applied at checkout with code “mendiwithdrcody”): www.mendi.io/?discount=mendiw...
►►► INSTAGRAM (Behind The Scenes with Cody Rall MD): / codyrall_techforpsych
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►►►Myndlift: Want to connect with a Neurofeedback Myndlift coach? $60 off with this link: signup.myndlift.com/subscription. Enter CODYRALL at checkout.
►►► GET YOUR FREE MEDITATION GUIDE HERE: bit.ly/2XIRDNa
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Cody Rall, M.D., is a United States Navy trained Psychiatrist who specializes in neurotechnology wearables. He is a co-founder of Stanford Brainstorm, the world’s first academic laboratory dedicated to transforming brain health through entrepreneurship.
Dr. Rall also served as a selection judge and team member of the psychiatry innovation lab, an annual national competition at the American Psychiatric Association that works as an incubator for groups developing technological solutions to problems in mental health care. He is the founder of Techforpsych, a media and relations company that covers advancements in technology related to neuroscience.
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To apply for Dr. Cody's Brain Circuit Training program head to this link: www.techforpsych.com/coaching
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EPISODE TIMESTAMPS
How do you use the Mendi Headband? 0:00-1:00
How to Calibrate Mendi: 1:00-2:45
When to use the Mendi: 2:45-3:22
What to do while within neurofeedback session: 3:22-6:36
How often and for how long should you train? 6:36- 7:23
Explaining the Mendi Pull Effect: 7:23-8:33
Using the Mendi Pull Effect for Flowstate: 8:33- 10:22

[@CodyRallMD]

Mendi Affiliate Link (free shipping, 20% off, applied at checkout with code “mendiwithdrcody”): www.mendi.io/?discount=mendiwithdrcody

[@davidandrawes3166]

Thank you for the saving and your comprehensive reviews. I'm looking forward to using the unit

[@McLKeith]

I just got my Mendi today. It is good thing you posted this video because Mendi doesn't do a great job of educating its users in how to use the device. I will also keep on using my Muse S's. Thanks.

[@denny8111]

What is ur protocol for mendi and muse? Do you use muse after mendi?

[@CodyRallMD]

Thanks Keith, I am glad that it is useful. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

[@optionedge8324]

Just got thing. You’d think they’d have a tutorial or something. Nope.

[@WendyKLaidlaw]

Thanks, Cody. Great content (and so sorry to hear about your loss) :)

[@drmtwr]

Thanks for the info Dr. Rall! This is very informative and useful.

[@CodyRallMD]

Great! Glad you liked it!

[@stirphoto]

Fantastic video- beautifully presented and invaluable honesty! Thank you!

[@michalprzybysz7380]

Thank you for valuable content !

[@CodyRallMD]

Thanks Michal! Glad you found it valuable!

[@berdog2904]

It is amazing because you are using words to describe what I have been subconsciously doing when I train with Mendi. It is an additional satisfaction to realize through your tutorials that I have been using Mendi the proper way all along just by feeling.

[@MindBlowingXR]

The middle part of the video is fascinating regarding how you don't really need to do anything, but your brain just automatically learns to associate the reward sounds with whatever it was doing to earn them (even if you yourself aren't exactly aware on a conscious level of what you were doing to earn them). Or at least that's how I understood what you were saying, and if that's the case it's great.

[@angelav4401]

Thank you so much for making this video!! I've had my mendi for a few months but using it felt like a chore because I was constantly questioning whether I was doing the training right. What you said about focusing on positive emotions when the ball goes up makes perfect sense, and I'll try doing that from now on. Thank you again!!!

[@wendywood4719]

Many thanks for this

[@samanthazone7128]

So glad to have found your channel, just sub'd

[@giano6343]

I would love to see a video where you talk about PTSD, cPTSD, fight flight freeze response, dissociation and depersonalization and what type of neurofeedback makes sense or can help. I know it’s a complex topic but even when you share your thoughts about it would help a lot.

[@giano6343]

Bell is on! Never miss content ever again.

[@giano6343]

The video where you talked about your lost friend (Sincere condolences), you also talked about using mendi to get out of depersonalization but on some other video I saw a comment where you suggested Muse grounding meditation. 😓 maybe I need more time to understand how to use this whole neurofeedback tech to fix my brain dysfunction. I understand that it is important to stay present and for that I need focus but focus alone feels like being in a hyperarousel so it would need to be paired with relaxation and grounding. When I solve this in my brain that I can enjoy being present and focused at the same time this would be a life changer.

[@CodyRallMD]

Thanks for your suggestions. I am going to try and shift into more mental health topics as you suggested.

[@giano6343]

@@CodyRallMD oh wow that would be great. For myself I think that the whole neurofeedback stuff could be the revolution for the mental health crisis. To see what going on in my brain and see it on an iPhone screen (live) also observing how it feels and what happens is such a great thing to have. I also think that neurofeedback could be great in combination with therapy. So that the therapist have a live overview what’s really happening inside of you to help you get through. On the other side having a place at home where you can work with your brain everyday for an hour is simply a better therapy than 1 hour talking per week.

[@giano6343]

I really can’t wait for the next videos!

[@NeuroMomCEO]

This is great stuff I was curious and Mendi sent me your video as it is not a lot of good and bad on the scoring I wanted to understand what was going on with my brain and this video did make it clear. I love the neurofeedback training. I am getting addicted to getting a better score lol.

[@MichaelPrzybylski]

Thank You

[@CodyRallMD]

Thanks Michael!

[@jedfribley2607]

I found something during my Mendi training that perhaps could be used as a learning hack. I noticed that the ball took a sudden steep dive when I momentarily took my eye off the (literal) ball as I was drinking some water followed by a steep climb when I returned my focus. After that I would deliberately look out the window for a second or two and the return my attention for even a more pronounced effect. It does help alleviate boredom during a long session and I feel more excitement than usual during the quite steep climbing portion of the exercise.

[@christianfelten9190]

just ordered mine today ! - your commission from the affiliate link is well deserved btw I also have the neoRhythm - super helpful

[@CodyRallMD]

Awesome Christian, hope the guidance works well with it for you!

[@JennapherLawson]

It makes sense the measure goes up while playing your guitar. LOL Me, I was planning on trying that when I get mine.

[@bodiddly12]

Thank you, I have purchased a Mendi, and I am looking forward to getting on with my training! I also hope to persuade one or two members of my close family to try it out as I really think it would benefit them.

[@ILLRICARDO]

how are you finding the mendi headband??

[@markdenney4938]

Smart man, I always get my clothes ready the night before. If I'm going to work, I also pack my lunch the night before.

[@trialstud]

This is super useful.

[@streamcities]

Cody, I bought a Mendi on Black Friday , and watched your video on using it just this evening. Oh my! For 2 1/2 weeks of use, I could not get get scores above 8 (whatever 8 is). I just watched your video and no joke I reached 43 ping pinging between high 20s and 49 plus the whole time. This scored me a 90 at the end. Also, ironically, looks like we run in the same area for which my house backs up to on the East side of the park. Love the N West. Thanks again!

[@CodyRallMD]

Awesome Jay! Glad you got value from the video. Good to hear from someone in the area!

[@ILLRICARDO]

would you recomend the mendi headband

[@MsBoogla]

That is so true! I laughed my head off and it went flying up! 😂 dopamine love me! 😜

[@excel04]

When I got my Mendi I contacted customer support to say I needed more guidance when trialing it. I wanted to know if they had suggested practices. They said that whilst I could email them with questions (which do get answered in depth) they had intentionally created something that from the outset shouldn't need coaching. Consequently, my own practice since then has been trial and error and trying to find a method that works for me without skewing a result (like caffeine does). I appreciate the detail in this video Cody. I have found I also get my best results first thing in the morning and my worst results after intense cardio exercise (which I suspect is to do with falling HRV). My overall best results have been wearing the Mendi during Qi Gong sessions. I'm more of a kinesthetic person so found it preferable to focus on my body, not the screen, and the more I did that the more I could hear the stars being showered in the background.

[@CodyRallMD]

Very interesting! Thanks for the feedback and glad you got some value out of the guidance in this video!

[@geoffrothman]

dude this is ninja level biofeedback hacking there Excel! what a cool idea for when i get bored doing it the traditional way!!

[@excel04]

@@geoffrothman I did speak to Mendi and they actually were kind enough to send me a breakdown of some of my charts because I was concerned I was experimenting too much. Short version: as long as you're not moving around or squinting the eyes, it's all good. My Qi Gong practice is very slow. I've tried various things to see what helps my focus. I get good results after hypnosis too. I suspect I get poor results after cardio because my HRV is down. Gentle exercise prior to practice (neck stretches, inversions, calf raises) help. Mendi think blood pressure has a lot to do with it too. I'm starting to sense signs in my body beforehand of when I'll have a good session. What I don't yet know is why I get different chart patterns. Some spike up and then ricochet around like a crypto chart. Others rise and then settle into a stable plateau. Have fun experimenting!

[@geoffrothman]

@@excel04 hahaha I found the squinting eyes trick pretty quickly...I noticed when is squinted/blurred out my vision, as soon as I could see again, the focus popped up pretty quickly :))) Do you do self hypnosis or are you doing it virtually? Fascinating! can't wait for them to find a way for us to get exports of our data!

[@excel04]

@@geoffrothman I can self induce trance because I'm a hypnotherapist but I have deeper inductions when working with a practitioner.

[@GloriousSimplicity]

I recently got a second hand Mendi. I tried what you said to make myself excited for stars. It worked, but I discovered that it was because I was tensing up. I was essentially doing a mini Anti-g Straining Maneuvers to "boost neural activity" by +19%. It seems like there is a lot of noise in oxygen level variance signal that it would be difficult to determine what component of that is caused by variance in neural activity.

[@ILLRICARDO]

would you recommend the mendi headband?

[@fib318682]

Thanks Cody, I bought both the Muse and Mendi after watching your videos. I love both. The interaction between the 2 is quite interesting. I usually do both back to back, 15 minutes of Mendi (max, why only 15min?) anyway 20 minutes of muse. I've hit 59% on the 3rd day, and 12555p and on Muse, 66% calm and 90% stillness. Hey, maybe my introversion is strength in these things? Lol But the interesting thing is, the order of using Muse and Mendi seems to effect one another, as well as, when Muse is going subpar I do better with Mendi and vice versa. I have no idea how that works but it's an interesting observation. Anyway, keep up the great video's and thank you! Oh, I have not noticed anything different in real-life other than looking forward to my sessions with both!

[@CodyRallMD]

Thanks this comment is very time relevant because i was thinking of making a video about my own experience in layering these two devices at different stages of my meditation protocol. Do you think that would be a good video to make?

[@fib318682]

Personally, I would love to hear about your experiences with both and how it affects one or the other. As well as, obviously, your expert analysis, which you do so well, and your opinion on why you think the results might be one way or the other. I realize the "journeys" and insights these 2 instruments provide are often very personal and distinctly unique but knowledge derived from sharing such experiences is universally applicable. Sorry, a bit long-winded way of saying - YES! Lol @@CodyRallMD

[@nerdrides]

I tested with tummo breathing today. Did a 10 minute session where I started tummo breathing approximately 5 minutes into the session. The result was crazy: 75% neural activity, 40s flow and almost 11.000 points. I personally don’t like the Mendi score since it factors in the commitment which increases the score just by training regularly.

[@justenergy1724]

I found it hard in the beginning how i should really use the mendi headband. I hope your video will help me now and i'll put attention to the calibration from now on.

[@nerdrides]

@cody: first of all great content! If there wasn’t your channel I might never have discovered Mendi, muse, Myndlift and mindmonitor. Question: did you discover factors that can adversely impact the bloodflow and oxygenation of the brain in a negative way? If yes, what’s your top5?

[@robertaskatilius7288]

I v head Mendi will be implementing HRV with fNIR. Interesting to know how this combination will work! Looking forward to hear such review.

[@CodyRallMD]

That would be cool! Yes I think it is in the works :)

[@robertaskatilius7288]

@@CodyRallMD Neeuro EEG SenzeBand 2

[@robertaskatilius7288]

@@CodyRallMD Do not forget to evaluate Neeuro EEG SenzeBand 2 :-)

[@kiz1755]

@@CodyRallMD Hi Cody, what would be the best device for an 8-year old who has autism? Want to work on their focus,sensory issues and speech and language if possible. Thanks

[@FortniteFamiljen]

Thanks for great videos. How many min do you training with mendi every day?

[@christofinb]

Hi, Cody I’m getting double scores after doing detailed journaling about my previous day. I do five minutes before and five minutes after the journaling and my scores shoot up, much more so than meditation, journaling just seems to boost my brain activity like nothing else ! I have a specific technique how I do it though otherwise it doesn’t work. Thanks for your video, it has encouraged me to use the device everyday together with the journaling.

[@CodyRallMD]

That's awesome. Yes, makes sense that the frontal-lobe-heavy activity of writing would increasing the signal as well.

[@MI-qj6xr]

the question is: is the score important or is the effects of the score important

[@PrudentStudent666]

How about sit and meditate without an electric strap wrapped around your head? Everyone wants to have an easy solution to meditation. It is like being hooked up to a machine that does exercise for you. The easy solution is to sit and watch the breath. Slow down the breath. You are there and it is free. That is the way it has been done for hundreds of years.

[@IAMSTEIS]

Thank you for this video…I got my device in the mail and in 2 days I’ve already logged 14 sessions lol…Mendi gives several suggestions for practice & feeling is one of them… I had one incredible session and I’ve been trying to duplicate it…this video has been very helpful as far as strategy and how long it takes to see results…I already feel a higher level of my ability to stay in the moment just from day 1 training and I’m really excited to keep going in my training I’m going to try the more relaxed feeling strategy…very simple & sounds beneficial to use with dopamine…thanks for the info bro

[@SERAVE1984]

Hi Cody, I’ve been trying to do this for a month. I might be to analytical to few happy about the ball going up :( not sure how to get over that I’ve also noticed that the mornings that I have the highest HRV metrics my sessions always go the best even if I have a hard to focus that morning. I’m not sure if higher HrV is a correlation or causation of been able to increase blood flow and keep the ball going up for the longest periods of time even when my brain is all over the place

[@psy-ryn]

Did you ever hear about John Lennon and yoko ono using a device similar to this? They called it a halo device and it produced tones based on the electromagnetic field and they were able to control the tone thru meditation. Pllleeeass someone tell me they have heard of them and this device before!!!

[@court1939]

I wish the mendi worked more like other neurofeedback procedures. Where a person watches a video and the sound becomes louder and the video becomes more clear. I have wondered if that would produce better outcomes than focusing on the ball.

[@arozendojr]

In Brazil, they use a program, a window that has shadows when the person loses focus, do you know any products that have this program?

[@DaisyVanEgmond]

Thanks for the video! I was thinking of buying it but couldn’t find a good video about how this device works and explanation! I hope you truly love this device? Because I’m skeptical when people put affiliate links and stuff.

[@WannabeWeatherwax]

There's a Muse vs. Mendi video done by Techforpsych that I think explains how each one works and how they differ. That might be what you're looking for.

[@BlackManonBicycle-qh9ss]

Will this device work the same if a person has have lots of Melanin? I know from personal experience that medical devices that use red light do not work as well or as expected, for people that have lots of melanin VS those that have little or none. Have there been any studies showing that this device has no bias to the amount of melanin in the dermis / skin? example Muse Device is not redlight depended. Thanks.

[@ILLRICARDO]

which do you think is better for people with adhd, who struggle with focus and motivation?

[@bezoorzo]

Thanks for the technique. Adding this to my bio-hacking protocol.

[@CodyRallMD]

Great! Glad it was helpful Brynne.

[@HealthnewsOfficial]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:39 🧠 Mendi's fNIRS tracks brain blood flow to improve focus. 03:53 📈 Easy-to-use, portable fNIRS device for brain tracking. 08:19 🚫 Safe red and infrared light, like sunlight. 09:13 🔍 fNIRS provides localized brain data for research. 17:14 💡 User-friendly, competitively priced Mendi device for focus improvement. Made with HARPA AI

[@hypedtarzan]

What's sad with the mendi app is you can literally just not do anything (sleep, watch tv, workout, make food, never look at the mendi app) and your score will rise.

[@MikeKleinsteuber]

There are plenty of those who have abandoned Mendi as the feedback from the device has been shown to be very poorly correlated to their actual state. I really think EEG has a much better history of data and in my view has greater opportunities for real world useability and reliability.

[@musikistgut]

I've been finding the 4-6 second lag really frustrating to work with. Instead of getting excited about the stars, I get grumpy trying to think back 4-6 seconds to figure out what the heck i did to make it go up. Is this a limitation of fNIRs? I've never noticed a lag on my Muse.

[@fonzy1987hh]

can you connect it to an i pad instead of an i phone?

[@MayaRose-Isaac]

I have purchased a Mendi last week. And wonder about this baseline and score. I notice the Mendi does not score the baseline to point out how active/oxinated your brain is in that moment. Why not? Could it not show some overall improvement in the long run? Or just knowing, oh my frontal cortex isn't this active today/ this minute. Also, in the results I do not see that the shown graphic matches with my training. Sometimes I fall back to 0,0 and stay there for a while flatlined. In the grapic I only see a upward going line. Is there a reason for this? It really makes me wonder how serious we can take the score.

[@DaddyDubvise]

For neuro feedback and medicine research purposes what you would suggest me, between Mendi and Muse headband ?Specifically I need to elaborate more datas as possible (brain waves, brain synchronization,…).Thx a lot ….. I ❤️this channel for real !!!

[@denny8111]

also wonder which one is better ..

[@DaddyDubvise]

@@denny8111 Hi Denny…. You mean there’s no difference between them ?

[@denny8111]

@@DaddyDubvise I mean from neurofeedback experience and benefits , as I understand Muse use brainwave measurement and mendi measure frontal lobe blood flow, both of them are considered as neurofeedback, but which one is better to achieve for increasing cognitive ability?

[@DaddyDubvise]

@@denny8111 thx a lot for your answer…. And about your question : me personally, I’m just interested to use this device as measurement instrument, cause I have to test what I’m working on…. And this my personal research touch many aspects including the human brain cognitive function.Thx a lot again Danny.

[@CodyRallMD]

Thanks for the great question Denis. This is going to be my next video and I am working on it now. I will say that Mendi will not report data on brain waves, only frontal lobe blood flow.

[@hmcsandy]

Is there such a thing as overtraining in Mendi? Is it possible to get super tired because of doing it daily in the beginning? What's the optimal frequency for beginners.

[@JLCodes]

Hi @Cody! I'm interested to know your take between FocusCalm and Mendi in terms of accuracy. What do you think?

[@CodyRallMD]

Thanks for the question RhenzZee! They are measuring different things. EEG vs fNIRS. Accuracy depends on what question you are asking. Frontal lobe activation? I would say Mendi is more specific to the frontal lobe and less affected by global EEG patterns that FocusCalm would pick up. That's just the nature of the difference in measuring modalities. It sounds like I should make a Mendi vs FocusCalm video??

[@JLCodes]

@@CodyRallMD would wait for this comparison. I asked because both claims to train you improve your focus so I am curious which one is better in that aspect

[@user-so8lc1xg1k]

Whats good for sleep

[@tonygordon6168]

How is this different than using the Muse? Can you use the Muse in the same way?

[@CodyRallMD]

My video on Mendi Vs Muse is coming out this weekend! I'll show how I've been using each and the differences.

[@comwulf]

After one month i can reach a 90 score in 10minute Session just before lunch time.

[@dianelili8598]

Can children use Mendi?

[@Lulu-gg2zq]

I just got my Mendi a few days ago. I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do with it. The ball drops when I’m focusing intently and goes up when I’m daydreaming not even thinking about the ball. I don’t understand it at all.

[@ja9pwnw119]

Just focus on the ball and don't do anything except for happy thoughts

[@InquilineKea]

It doesn't go over the DMN brain areas though

[@wreckerimperator5919]

Should I get the muse and focuscalm, or should I just go for mendi? I’m so confused.

[@geoffrothman]

imho Mendi for focus and muse for self-regulation training (bird chirping lets you know which thoughts relax you)

[@ja9pwnw119]

​@@geoffrothmanbirds chirping trains your. Rain to be more focus?

[@junsuenaga3793]

FocusCalm or Mendi, that is my question.

[@CodyRallMD]

I will have to make a FocusCalm vs Mendi video! Which would you rather see: FocusCalm vs Mendi or Muse vs Mendi?

[@junsuenaga3793]

@@CodyRallMD Thanks very much for replying me. Hope everything is well in Vegas land! Definitely I would like you to cover FocusCalm vs Mendi. Those 2 devices are in the same category and I would like to know which one would be better for me.

[@TaviRenaeReveiws]

Does anyone else get extremely sleepy when Mendi Training? Trying to keep my eyes open for even 5 minutes of training is a struggle even of I wasn't sleepy before starting. Idk if it is related to having ADHD Inattentive type with Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome or not.

[@wstan1410]

It's exercise. I JUST ordered my Mendi, and I, too, have ADHD - Inattentive. Have you found any improvement in your focus? Be well.

[@mariom6065]

When your parasympathetic nervous system is activated, it helps calm your body and promotes relaxation. This state is often associated with feelings of sleepiness and overall tranquility, as it counteracts the stress-induced "fight or flight" responses of the sympathetic nervous system. To enhance this calm state, practices like deep breathing, meditation, or progressive muscle relaxation can be beneficial. If you're feeling sleepy, it might be a sign that your body is ready for rest or recovery.

[@maryleigh8990]

Did you just say neurons consume oxygen?

[@rmjormjo]

Your training time is too short, Cody. Yogi Bhajan, the Dalai Lama and Thích Nhất Hạnh recommend to practice meditation four hours a day.

[@geoffrothman]

Yeah but they didn't live in the US AND have Vegas cost of living thus the need to work 8+ hrs/day LOL

[@default2826]

No, Mendi 5 minutes is not the same as meditation for 5 minutes. Mendi 30 minutes is like meditation for 2 hours.

[@matthatson]

Have you tried using Niraxx before using Mendi?

[@samhaun3929]

I know that deep breathing releases nitric oxide and thus vasodilates, which in turn increases blood flow to the PFC, which of course in turn causes your score to go up. I tried it and my score definitely went up. Would this be considered "cheating" or is it actually a good thing to train your brain to associate deep breathing with hits of dopamine since PFC blood flow is the goal, if it can even do that? Or would that interfere with optimizing the other pathways that Mendi is supposed to optimize? @CoryRallMD