What is Polyvagal Theory?
Polyvagal theory often uses the metaphor of a ladder to describe the autonomic nervous system. This photo is by Xin.
Despite the fact that it floated around me for years, I never paid attention to the word “polyvagal.” My (incorrect) assumption was that if polyvagal theory really worked, I’d hear about it via word of mouth. That changeI’ve begrudgingly accepted that I am that word of mouth.
As this Wikipedia entry on polyvagal theory shows, this is a new and emerging field of science. Wiki editors are adding new links to impassioned scholarly articles on all sides of the debate as we speak. Instead of hand-wringing about this, I’m focusing on how polyvagal theory helps me understand which actions to take depending on the state my nervous system is in. I’ve needed this for a long time.
Polyvagal is a new understanding of how the autonomic nervous system regulates behavior to keep us safe pioneered by Stephen Porges in 1994. In the same way that critical somatics helped me establish a daily foundational practice for nervous system regulation, polyvagal theory has given me in-the-moment techniques that help me regulate. It also provides me a framework for understanding how my nervous system works and what it needs to function properly.
Rundown of the nervous system “states” as described by Stephen Porges
Polyvagal theory has helped me understand how my nervous system tries to protect me by changing states in response to what’s happening. I can now recognize what being stuck in a hyper- or hypo-aroused state feels like (again, if you don’t know what this means, you were me before learning about this theory). I’ve learned which polyvagal tools to use to build my tolerance for inevitable daily stressors. And since polyvagal emphasizes the importance of co-regulation, or how people interact with each other to manage emotions, it’s led me to invest more in personal relationships as an important path to improvement.
