The REAL Polyvagal Theory (how childhood stress can create chronic illness)

There is a virtual circus of misinformation in ‘somatic’ spaces these days.

It’s become such a problem that I now try to avoid using the word ‘somatic.’ Sad, but true!

It’s been so overused (anyone else sick & tired of hearing the word somatic?) and its meaning so distorted, that I actually prefer to leave it out.

A lot of ‘information’ out there in the wilds of the internet does not have the depth of understanding necessary to truly heal trauma and restore regulation to the nervous system.

BUT…

There are certain things around trauma, somatic healing, and nervous system health that are factual, and the polyvagal theory (coined and pioneered by Dr. Stephen Porges) is one of them.

As such, it is vital that this KEYSTONE of nervous system health & healing is taught correctly.

I’ve written and vlogged extensively on it since before it became a trendy term on the internet (just google ‘polyvagal theory’ + my name and you’ll see), so I won’t say too much more here, except to share this week’s video.

In this clip — part of a mini-lecture and Q&A on chronic pain & illness recorded live on YouTube during SmartBody SmartMind™ registration week — I give you a ‘crash course’ on the REAL polyvagal theory, and how early adversity and chronic shutdown create illness in the physiology.

Again, this is ESSENTIAL understanding for anyone* who is living/working with chronic illness, autoimmune disease, as well as chronic (myofascial) pain, and wants to learn how we can heal these things by resolving stored survival stress and restoring regulation to the nervous system…

*Especially practitioners seeking to be trauma-informed!

WATCH: ‘The REAL Polyvagal Theory’