The Unyte IOM2 is a meditation and relaxation biofeedback device. It measures the Heart Rate variability and combines with PC and Android/IOS based relaxation exercises while measuring the heart rate variability of HRV signals in real time.
Unyte IOM2 is a full cycle biofeedback device: Unlike many other such devices, it not only measures the bio-signals (heart rate variability as we breathe in and out) but also combines with web based or PC based games that respond to our breathing, with the sensors sending signals to the game. For example, the game may have balloons which expand or contract with our breathing in and out: if we breathe more slowly it may expand more slowly and get more points etc. At the end of the game, it is designed to make us more relaxed.
One can read more details at https://integratedlistening.com/iom2/ and https://wilddivine.com/pages/iom2
How to get the Unyte IOM2
To use the device and its accompanying software, one needs to purchase the device with a subscription.
One can buy the device either from Amazon (search Amazon for Unyte IOM2) or from the Untye IOM Site https://wilddivine.com/pages/iom2 (click on the “Order Now” button)
The device cost is between $130-$140 and the subscription cost is $59 a year or about $259 for lifetime.
After that one can log in to their website and download the PC based meditation games.
There are a huge variety of meditation games one can download, ranging from relaxation games to zen to mindfulness and body scan. There are Zen teachings by a zen monk, teachings by Thich Nhat Hanh, mindfulness meditation by Tara Brach and meditation by many other teachers.
Unpacking and setting up the device
For setting up the device, one needs to connect the USB cable to the computer which has the software downloaded and installed from the website already.
One also needs to clip the sensor to the ear, while the other end of the sensor is connected to the device.
A Bluetooth connection option is also available, which is useful if the game is installed as an app on the mobile phone.
Once the sensor is connected, one can see one’s heart rate variability plotted across time, as well as the resonance score. The games software has the interface to show these values.
There is an online dashboard at https://dashboard.unyte.com/ where one can log in and see the HRV and other scores so far.
How the meditation and relaxation games work
The basic idea is to get you to do meditation and become more relaxed. The device can sense when we are breathing in and out. There is a measure called “resonance” which is about how well our breathing is synchronized by the breathing suggested during the game via an indicator which shows when to breathe in or out. The higher the resonance score, the more points one can get and advance to the next level in the game.
At the end of the game, it shows the average heart rate and resonance during that game. The higher the resonance score, the better it is.
Android / IOS App Screens for the meditation games
The android/IOS app has screens similar to the PC games software screens.
Conclusion
In this article we have gone through the Unyte IOM2 biofeedback device and how to use it. This is an amazing device, different from other meditation gadgets in the market, since it completes the biofeedback cycle by using the breathing to advance in the meditation games.
