What Is the PolyVagal Theory?

The Polyvagal Theory is a theory that explains how our autonomic nervous system (ANS) works.

• It explains how our ANS reacts to experiences and manages responses.
• It describes how our ANS processes information and sets responses in motion to support us in safely navigating the demands of our day-to-day lives.
• It introduces a hierarchy of three biological response states that demonstrates how we navigate states of engagement, mobilization, and collapse in response to our daily lives.

Ventral Vagal State

The Ventral Vagal state is a state of safety, social engagement, and connection. In this state, we feel safe, connected to the world around us, and are open to social engagement with others.

When we are in Ventral Vagal, we are able to stay in a state of calm and balance, manage our challenges without emotional outbursts, ask for and receive help if needed, and are able to problem-solve effectively. This is our desired “home base”. In body-oriented therapy, we aim to identify when we are in this state, what helps us stay in this state, and what helps us find out way back into this state.

Sympathetic State

The Sympathetic state is one of mobilization, agitation, and frantic response. In this…