Training with Music: inmuRELAX and inmuDANCE Make Exercise Fun and Motivating

Overcoming Training Challenges

Training sessions with individuals who have brain injuries and epilepsy can be particularly challenging. This is something Julie Krohne Christiansen experiences daily in her role as a physiotherapist at a residential facility for 21 adults with epilepsy. To address these challenges, Julie has incorporated inmuRELAX and inmuDANCE sensory cushions into her work, and the difference has been remarkable.

Julie frequently faces the difficulty of managing varying arousal levels among the residents during group training sessions. Some residents are in high arousal and need to be calmed before they can focus on the exercises, while others are in too low arousal and need stimulation to become engaged. The inmu sensory cushions have proven to be the perfect solution. The musical and tactile stimulation from inmuRELAX helps to calm those in high arousal, allowing them to focus and maintain their concentration during exercises. Conversely, inmuDANCE helps to awaken and engage those in low arousal, ensuring they are attentive and ready to participate.

Transformative Results

Since introducing the inmu cushions, Julie has noticed significant improvements. Because the sensory cushion help regulate residents’ arousal levels, they can perform exercises together in an effective way. This not only makes the training sessions more enjoyable but also enhances the overall engagement and participation of all residents.

The familiarity and comfort the residents have developed with the inmu cushions during group training sessions have led many of them to acquire their own. They find that the cushions provide them with relaxation and aid in improving their sleep. For many residents, adapting to new things can be challenging, but seeing their fellow residents use the inmu cushions has encouraged them to try them as well. Julie highlights the importance of this shared experience:

“We have used both inmuRELAX and inmuDANCE during our training sessions. Residents have been able to see how they work on their fellow residents. We’ve guided them by saying things like, ‘Try placing it here,’ or ‘Try doing this.’ This hands-on approach has helped them understand the benefits. Gradually, we’ve introduced the cushions for individual use, and it’s made a big difference.”

Julie further explains:

“If we had just handed them the cushions and said, ‘Here, we found this for you. Just sit and listen to it,’ I don’t think we would have gotten the same response. The group setting and the ability to observe and learn from each other were crucial in gaining acceptance and enthusiasm for using the inmu cushions.”

Impact on daily life

Beyond training sessions, the inmu cushions have positively impacted other areas of the residents’ lives. Julie has observed that the cushions not only help with relaxation and sleep but also improve everyday actions such as eating. For residents with high arousal, the calming effect of the inmuRELAX cushion helps them to settle down and focus on their meals. For those with too low arousal, the stimulating effect of the inmuDANCE cushion helps to increase their attention, making mealtime more engaging and enjoyable.

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Third grade at Slangerup primary school is engaged in a project with sensory stimulation. Several of the children explain that they can have difficulties concentrating and shutting out distractions. In the project, they use inmues as part of the school day. They use them both in class and during breaks.

Although the inmu cushions play music and vibrate, it does not disturb either the children nor the teacher. On the contrary, the soft, soothing music spreads throughout the room. It also gives the children security to have the inmu cushions to cuddle with.

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Can inmuRHYTHM steal attention from YouTube?

Ariana is autistic and loves watching YouTube videos of things that break. Next to soap bubbles, it’s her favourite occupation.  At Fensmarkskolen in Denmark, they want to find an alternative where Ariana can use her body and find peace. They have introduced her to inmuRHYTHM in the hope that it can bring her arousal down. They know that getting her to change her habits takes time and patience. It requires a daily systematic effort.

It’s important to meet a girl like Ariana at her arousal level. High energy, pulse and rhythmic music appeal to children like Ariana. A brain in high level of arousal can’t suddenly adjust to find calm.  

That’s where inmuRHYTHM works in a unique way. The music in inmuRHYTHM has high energy when the child is active with it. But inmuRHYTHM is intelligent. The energy level of the music is automatically lowered to slowly bring the child’s arousal level down. This allows the child’s brain to gradually calm down. The pulse and structure of the music also provides structure to the brain. In the rhythmic movement together with inmuRHYTHM, the child finds joy. And the vibrations of inmuRHYTHM can be felt in the hands, feet and body.

Watch the video with Ariana here

Do you recognise any of the situations from the video? We hope it has inspired you. Feel free to share your thoughts with us. 

You can contact us here if you interested to know more. Or you can contact your local inmu specalist here.

 See more about inmuRHYTHM

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Beautiful objects make children feel calm and think beautiful thoughts

One teacher told how she asked her pupils to hold their inmu gently, as if it were an egg or a baby bird. It was passed from hand to hand around the classroom. It taught the children that inmu is something beautiful and valuable that you shouldn’t just throw around (even if it is robust).

When we created inmuJOY, we wanted children to experience something beautiful. Like a little animal you can cuddle. When you sit with an animal, you feel it’s alive – it interacts with you. inmuJOY gives children the same feeling with its interactive music and vibrations.

Do you know the feeling when you realise that your hands have reached out on their own for a beautiful object? A mug, a blouse or a piece of jewellery. Or you want to pet the cat? You feel happy and warm inside. You feel this way because many of your senses are stimulated. Not least your sense of touch. Neuroscience research shows that healthy skin stimulation is important for a well-functioning nervous and sensory system. It calms you down – and improves learning.

This knowledge was central to the design of inmuJOY. The beautiful materials that hands can’t help but touch appeal to the child’s desire to reach out and touch. Almost all children love to cuddle with inmuJOY’s soft fur. Their hands can’t help but reach into the pocket.

The organic lines in the design are intentional. They give hands and fingers something to follow. You may have noticed that everything on an inmu has soft lines? We work with the design idea that sharp shapes are likely to create discomfort and noise in the brain, whereas soft shapes create calm. This encourages calm and gentle movements throughout the body.

When you sit with your inmuJOY, you feel a sense of security and warmth that spreads throughout your body. The calm and beautiful music creates a meditative atmosphere. Children find that it shields them from the noise and disturbance of the outside world. A girl in 3rd grade says: “When you sit with it, it’s a nice feeling. You go ‘ahh’. You concentrate on the nice feeling and your task”.

Hear more about the great experiences the children of a 3rd grade class are having with inmu.

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Nursing home reduces stress with inmu-mindfulness

At Lillevang nursing home, they have found an innovative way to prevent stress and reduce sickness absence. Like many other facilities, they are experiencing major challenges in recruiting and preventing staff from leaving. In the last 9 months, they have introduced a new initiative that has improved staff well-being and given employees more energy.

Three times a week, they do short guided mindfulness sessions with inmuRELAX – meditative exercises with slow movements and contemplation. Staff find that the soothing music and vibrations give them a life-giving break and remove stress from the body. “It invites contemplation – simply hold it and the music starts playing. Some of my colleagues say ‘ahh’ and a deep sigh is heard,” says Katja Halladin Rauh, dementia counsellor and well-being coach at the nursing home.

In the beginning, there was a lot of concern about whether it would be possible for the staff to spend time for contemplation in a busy day. Would they be disturbed by care tasks? Could they all participate at the same time? Their solution was to start the weekly staff meeting with a short inmu-mindfulness session. Furthermore, the staff do inmu-mindfulness in the common room together with the residents. It works far beyond expectations. It has now become a regular routine that staff and residents do inmu-mindfulness together a couple of times a week. Everyone has their own inmuRELAX. Of course, not all residents are able to follow the exercises, but everyone participates as best they can. Some residents just sit with an inmu in their lap. There is a special atmosphere – a contemplation that affects everyone. Katja says that on one occasion a handyman passed by. He quickly withdrew when he felt the atmosphere of contemplation. Apart from that, they are not disturbed. The residents are completely calm.

It has become a ritual to practise inmu-mindfulness together. Something they wouldn’t want to miss. If, on rare occasions, the two coordinators are both unable to attend, another member of the staff volunteers to step in.

The staff feel that they have more energy. They also find that their calmness spreads to the residents. Since the introduction of inmu-mindfulness, they have experienced fewer incidents of agitated behaviour. The staff have no doubt that this is due to the greater calm and peace of mind they have gained themselves.

Since the introduction of inmu-mindfulness, it has become common practice to take a moment alone with an inmuRELAX when you feel the need. Encouraged by the management, there is now a new culture and understanding of the importance of taking small breaks to prevent stress and burnout.

Feeling care-weary and burnt out is a key reason why many staff members leave the care sector. With the new initiatives, a number of staff members have reported that they feel that they have more time for activities and for their families when they return home. As an additional initiative, some staff were offered the opportunity to borrow an inmuRELAX to take home. This has been an extra help for better relaxation and better sleep.

Since they started using mindfulness, health and safety representative Selda Ziyanak has noticed a reduction in sickness absence. “We can definitely feel a difference in our employees’ well-being,” agree dementia consultant Marianne Rye Søndergaard and manager Majbritt Tillgreen Jensen.

Please contact us for further information. We also offer free mindfulness video courses on inmuACADEMY.

Be sure to watch the inmu mindfulness video from the nursing home.

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New opportunities with the inmu vest

The inmu vest is not just for people with motor challenges. The vest opens up new possibilities for activities and therapeutic and educational applications. When wearing the vest, the vibrations from the inmu are clearly felt in the body. This provides a continuous stimulation that can energise, motivate and regulate arousal.

The video with Kasper shows an example of how the vest can be used. With inmuRHYTHM in the vest, Kasper receives stimulation that allows him to feel himself. Feeling the rhythm in his chest energises him and helps him focus on his tasks and activities. The rhythm and pulse maintain his movements and body awareness. He has more opportunities to try different things and to be in contexts that were previously difficult for him, e.g. at the chiropodist.

The inmu also is an effective tool for arousal regulation. When you feel the vibrations and hear the music, you are able to connect with your body. This can reduce arousal. With the inmu in the vest, it offers the possibility for being shielded and carry it with you on the playground, in the classroom, at work, on a trip or in the car.

With the vest, an inmu can be worn on the front of the chest or on the back. It provides freedom of movement to jump, dance, run, roll around on the floor… This allows for the inmu to be used in even more activities – including shared activities.

The vest allows more people with motor challenges to be able to use an inmu. Even very motorically challenged people in wheelchairs can sit with an inmu on their chest. This allows people with spastic paralysis, for example, to activate an inmu themselves and get hours of joy and activity – by touching, tapping, cuddling or experiencing how the music changes as they move their upper body.

The steady pulse you can feel and hear with an inmuRHYTHM on your chest can be a great help when training walking. For example, during motor training in a walking bar or with a walking frame, the vibrations and rhythm can support and motivate. In this way, it can provide a comfortable and motivating form of self-training for people with Parkinson’s and other brain injuries.

The vest can be used with both inmuRHYTHM, inmuDANCE and inmuRELAX.

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inmu as invaluable support in the last days of life

One of the hardest things a relative of a person with dementia experiences is losing eye contact. A daughter wrote to us just after her mum had died: “I hadn’t been able to get in touch with my mum for a long time. When I gave her inmuRELAX, she opened her eyes and we made contact again. When we put our hands on the inmu together, I could actually see and feel her body relax”.

Several nursing homes and hospices offer inmuRELAX as a support for the dying. It is also a great help for relatives to feel that the dying person is at peace. To see the body relax.

Relatives describe how inmuRELAX creates a sense of peace and relief in the final days. “My sister and I were very sad to leave our mum because she felt uneasy and anxious. We were finally able to find the money to get an inmuRELAX and when we got it, we felt really at ease. We are SO grateful to have had the inmu in mum’s last days”.

When the dying person lies with the inmuRELAX on their chest, there is often a sense of clarity and peace of mind. The music and gentle vibrations open up emotions. It is not uncommon for tears to flow. It is liberating. It can be a beautiful opportunity to find or rediscover a connection that may have slipped into the background for a long time.

Children, grandchildren and friends may find it difficult to meet the dying person in a new and perhaps unfamiliar environment. It can be difficult to connect and find the deep and meaningful conversation that is needed. inmuRELAX can create a beautiful moment – something to share together. When you touch the inmu together – stroke it or move it a little together – you feel the vibrations and hear the music. Swinging the inmuRELAX slowly over someone’s head or body can also create a beautiful soundscape.

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inmu under the feet

Have you ever felt the vibrations of an inmu with your feet? Your feet are just as sensitive as your hands. You may know from reflexology, for example, that foot stimulation affects the whole body. It stimulates muscles and connective tissue, blood circulation, nervous system, sensory system and more. You can also stimulate the bones with the vibrations.

Stimulating the feet with the inmu’s vibrations has a number of possibilities. For example:

Wheelchair users: Especially for wheelchair users who suffer from paralysis or nerve disorders, vibrations under the feet can provide stimulation to the muscles and connective tissue and to get the blood circulation going. Place the inmu between the foot and the footrest. If the user can move their feet or leg muscles, it can be helpful to hear how the music changes when you change the pressure on the inmu. This motivates continued movement.

Gentle massage: It can be really nice to put the inmu under your feet when you want to relax. Try placing the inmu against the end of the bed or against a sofa armrest, for example. You can also sit down and simply place the inmu on the floor. This provides a nice gentle massage and warmth for your feet. As you change your pressure on the inmu, you can hear the music change.

Motor training: Children love playing with an inmu on the floor. Try alternating between stepping on an inmuRHYTHM and the floor. You can vary by stepping from behind, in front or to the sides. When you can feel the vibrations and hear changes in the music, you are encouraged to continue. Feeling an inmu under your feet can also be used to prepare for walking training. The vibrations draw attention to where the foot is, making it easier to realise that you need to move your foot.

Help with dressing: When you have contact with your foot, it is easier to find your way into a trouser leg. If you’re confused, the vibrations and music will help you identify which leg to use. When helping someone get dressed, you can hold the inmu under their foot for a moment before helping them put on trousers, socks or shoes.

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