Meet the Tame Your Tiger Family
​The autonomic nervous system is controlled by three powers - the tiger (feelings), the owl (the thinking) and the hippo (the memory)
All members are necessary not only to survive but balancing their power is what makes us thrive!​​​​​​​
TIGER
the
When you’re born, you have a full grown tiger. I keep you safe & help you survive. I operate from emotions, not logic. I live only in the present moment. EVERYTHING new is screened by me. My Language is: SAFETY which is mostly non-verbal
the
OWL
Monday - Friday 11:00 - 18:30
Saturday 11:00 - 17:00
Sunday 12:30 - 16:30
When you’re born, you have a baby owl.I hold all your words, and I can listen to others.I enjoy logic, rational thinking, and problem solving. I like things in order.I understand if something is in the past, the present, or the future. I know the difference between facts, opinions, and feelings.
HIPPO
the
At birth, you have a baby hippo storing memories, but you can’t play them back in the same way until after he grows up. I swallow all kinds of information and keep your memories. I love school (as long as the Tiger is asleep). When the tiger is awake, under the water I go!
Your body has a super power
Inside your body is something amazing called your nervous system. Think of it like your body’s superhero helper and super-smart radar—it’s always on the lookout, noticing things around you like sounds, smells, faces, how people are acting, and even things inside you like your thoughts, your memories, and the messages your body sends you.
Your Body’s Emotional Ladder
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Your body has something like a ladder inside it. This ladder helps your brain and body figure out:
“Am I safe? Or do I need to protect myself?”
We call it your autonomic ladder—but it’s really your nervous system at work!
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The goal is to move up and down fluidly. Use the ladder as a flexible system to come in and out of these states as needed.
Adapted from the Polyvagal Theory in Therapy by Deb Dana
Tiger Taming Drills
Why We Call Them “Tiger Taming Drills”
We practice Tiger Taming Drills just like schools practice fire drills—not because we expect a fire every day, but because we want to be prepared. The more we practice when things are calm, the more our child’s “owl brain” (their wise, thinking brain) can help guide their tiger (their stress or survival response) when big emotions show up.
