Amy and I attended a conference by the Polyvagal Institute and it left me feeling inspired and filled with hope. I tend to be a big-picture thinker so it’s not surprising that I had an overarching takeaway from the conference. Rather than focus on Polyvagal Theory in the therapeutic setting, speakers shared about how to apply it to various areas of life including sports, giving birth, social justice and medical school. This led me to think about how we can apply it to all areas of life.
Polyvagal Theory in it’s simplest form is the “science of feeling safe.” It refers to the Vagus Nerve and three main states, but the sweetest of all is the Ventral Vagal state. In this state, we feel safe, connected, and authentic.
What if each of us showed up everyday feeling this way? How well could we have difficult conversations, empathize with people who are different from us, complete difficult tasks together, provide connection and compassion for our kid’s challenging moments, and honorably lead others? I leave you with this thought and I invite you to begin your day this way each and every day. It might be hard at first but with a little practice and a safe person, you can come a long way.
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