Polyvagal Therapy in a Nutshell
7/27/20262 min read
Understanding Polyvagal Theory
Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges in the 1990s, Polyvagal Theory offers a different way of understanding how our nervous system influences the way we feel, behave, and connect with others.
At its heart, the theory suggests that our bodies are constantly taking in information from the world around us and asking one very important question: “Am I safe, or am I under threat?”
And here's the thing: our nervous system doesn't simply have two settings—“chill” and “dramatically losing the plot.” It's a little more complicated than that.
Instead, our nervous system can move through different states depending on how safe or threatened we feel. These states can shape our emotions, our behaviour, our relationships, and even the way we respond to the people around us.
When we feel safe, we're generally better able to connect with others, communicate, think clearly, stay curious, and engage with the world around us. It's much easier to have a reasonable conversation when your nervous system isn't busy preparing you for battle.
But when our nervous system senses danger—whether that danger is real, imagined, or simply feels very real to our body—it can shift us into protective responses..think "Danger! danger! Will Roberston!", (probably showing my age on this one!). We might become ready to fight, run away, shut down, or even disconnect from what's happening around us...freeze.
Polyvagal Theory helps us understand that these responses aren't simply a matter of choice or “bad behaviour.” They're often the body's way of trying to keep us safe.
So, in simple terms, our nervous system is working behind the scenes all the time, scanning our surroundings and deciding whether it's safe to relax, connect, and be ourselves, or whether it's time to reach for the nearest emergency exit.
The fascinating part is that our bodies can react before our conscious mind has even had a chance to catch up. In other words, sometimes our nervous system has already made a decision while our brain is still standing there going, “Wait… what just happened?”
Understanding this can help us become a little more compassionate towards ourselves and others. Instead of asking, “What's wrong with me?”, we can begin to ask, “What might my nervous system be responding to right now?”
And sometimes, that one small shift in perspective can make a very big difference.
"Better Balance Starts in the Brain"
